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Top 10 NFL Conference Championship Game Upsets Ever 

The triumphant hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy after the Super Bowl will have to wait. First comes the Conference Championship Games.

The AFC Title Game is for the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Hunt was the Founder of the American Football League (AFL) and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs. He coined the term that forever changed the AFL-NFL Championship Game to the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots played in the AFC Title Game eight straight years from 2011-2018. 

The Kansas City Chiefs for the seventh straight year are playing for the right to win the trophy named after their beloved late owner.  For the 6th time in those 7 years they are hosting the game. Hunt’s son Clark now owns the team. In 2018, the Chiefs lost an overtime thriller to New England 37-31. In the last two years the Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans 35-24 and the Buffalo Bills 38-24. From 1966-1969, the AFL Championship was what would in 1970 become the AFC Title Game. The Chiefs won the AFL Championship in 1966 over the Bills and in 1969 at the Oakland Raiders. The 1962 team, known as the Dallas Texans, won the AFL Championship. No Super Bowl existed until 1966 and the Texans in 1963 moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs. The Chiefs also reached the AFC Title Game in 1993, losing at the Bills during their run of four straight AFC Title Game victories.  

This season the Chiefs will be hosting the Buffalo Bills, who are playing in the AFC Title Game for the sixth time in franchise history. They won the game for 4 straight yard from 1990-1993 before getting back and falling short to Kansas City in 2020.

 The NFC Title Game Trophy is named after Papa Bear George Halas. The Philadelphia Eagles are in the game for the second time in 3 years. The Eagles reached the NFC Title Game for 4 straight years from 2001-2004, finally winning on their 4th try in 2004. The Eagles reached the NFC Title Game again in 2008. The Washington Commanders last made the NFC Title Game in 1991 when they were known as the Redskins. The Redskins won the NFC Title Game in 1972, 1982, 83, 1987 and 1991. 

Teams fight all year for home field advantage. For the longest time, that did not matter. From 1994 through 2012, a top seed went down in flames short of the Super Bowl every year except 2009. Then for five straight years from 2013 through 2017, both top seeds advanced to the Super Bowl except for 2016. In 2018, all four top seeds made the Conference Title Games. However, both games saw the two seed go on the road and defeat the top seed in overtime. 

The right to go to the Super Bowl has seen shocking upsets over the years. 

Here are the Top 10 Conference Title Game upsets in NFL history. 

10.) 2005 AFC — Steelers 34, Broncos 17 — Pittsburgh was only 11-5, and 13-3 Denver had Jake Plummer leading them and looked ready to win it all. Pittsburgh led 21-3 at halftime and stunned the Mile High crowd. This would rank higher except Pittsburgh shocked 14-2 Indianapolis one week earlier en route to winning the Super Bowl.

9.) 2011 NFC — Giants 20, 49ers 17, OT — The Giants were only 9-7, and the 11-4-1 49ers seemed far superior. The 49ers actually outplayed the Giants the entire game, but two fumbled punts killed San Francisco. This would rank higher except the Giants were a very confident bunch from having won it all in 2007. They would go on to win it all again in 2011.

8.) 1988 NFC — 49ers 28, Bears 3 — The 1984 49ers became the first team to go 15-1 before crushing the Bears 23-0 in the NFC Title Game and then winning the Super Bowl. The 1985 Bears went 15-1 and crushed everyone to win it all. In 1988, the 49ers were a 6-5 struggling team before finishing 10-6. The 1988 Bears finished 12-4. After suffering a stunning home playoff loss to Washington in 1987, the Bears were expected to crush everyone again in 1988. Walter Payton retired after the 1987 season, but this was supposed to be a battle of Chicago force against San Francisco West Coast finesse. The Bears had Iron Mike Ditka and the brutally cold Chicago weather. Bill Walsh and Joe Montana not only shocked the Bears, but humiliated them. The 49ers became a dynasty and won the Super Bowl in 1988 and 1989. The Bears became the dynasty that never was. The Bears have not won the big game since 1985. The cliche of defense winning championships did not exist in 1988 as the offensive team won. 

7.) 2007 NFC — Giants 23, Packers 20, OT — The Giants were only 10-6. While they did go on the road and beat Tampa Bay and then top-seeded Dallas, Green Bay won their playoff game by 22 points. At home, on the frozen tundra of Lambeau field, Brett Favre was expected to get the Packers back to the big game. The Giants out-played the Packers, and a key interception by Favre in overtime turned out to be his final pass in green and gold. That led to the winning field goal as the Giants would then shock the world by defeating 18-0 New England in the Super Bowl.

6.) 2003 NFC — Panthers 14, Eagles 3 — Carolina was a good team, but the Eagles were in their third straight NFC Title Game, their second straight one at home. They had lost the previous two and were expected to finally get over the hump. Instead the Carolina defense belted Donovan McNabb, who played most of the game injured. He was rendered immobile. One year later on their fourth try, the Eagles would finally get to the Super Bowl, a game they would lose.

5.) 1990 NFC — Giants 15, 49ers 13 — Both teams started 10-0, lost their 11th game, and played one of the greatest games in Monday Night Football history, a 7-3 win by the 49ers in San Francisco. The Giants were 13-3, but had backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler playing for the injured Phil Simms. The 49ers had won the last two Super Bowls and were expected to easily three-peat. Instead the Giants knocked Joe Montana out of the game and harassed backup Steve Young. With time running out, the Giants’ defense blasted Roger Craig, forcing a key fumble. Matt Bahr kicked his fifth field goal on the final play to send the Giants to the Super Bowl, where again as heavy underdogs to Buffalo they won on the final play. This game cemented the legacy of Bill Parcells.

4.) 1985 AFC — Patriots 31, Dolphins 14 — The 11-5 Patriots went on the road and thrashed the Jets before shocking the top-seeded 12-4 Raiders. They had no chance against Miami. Dan Marino was expected to get the Dolphins to his second straight Super Bowl. He was in the midst of a four-year passing spree that shattered NFL record books. The Dolphins offense had an off day and the Patriots shocked the football world before getting blasted by Chicago in the Super Bowl.

3.) 1998 NFC — Falcons 30, Vikings 27, OT — The Falcons did go 14-2, but the 15-1 Vikings were one of the greatest offenses in NFL history. Randall Cunningham was raining bombs to Chris Carter and Randy Moss with ease. In this game, the Vikings jumped to a 20-7 lead and led 27-20 with a chance to put the game away late. Gary Anderson had not missed a field goal in two years, but his 40-yarder with two minutes left was no good. The defense melted down with John Randall on the sideline injured. Atlanta tied it, and Dennis Green stunningly had the Vikings take a knee at their own 40 rather than try a Hail Mary. Minnesota just missed connecting on a bomb in overtime. When Morton Anderson hit the winning field goal, Minnesota became perhaps one of the greatest teams to never win it all. Vikings fans still cannot believe they lost this game.

2.) 2002 NFC — Buccaneers 27, Eagles 10 — The Eagles had humiliated the Buccaneers six straight times at home. They had knocked Tampa Bay out of the playoffs in 2000 and 2001, costing Tony Dungy his job. In 2002, Jon Gruden saw his team go into Philadelphia during the regular season and lose 20-10. Andy Reid had to feel good when the Eagles led 7-0 only one minute into the NFC Title Game. The Buccaneers responded and just hit the Eagles in the mouth. Late in the game, Donovan McNabb had the Eagles within striking distance. McNabb was then intercepted by Ronde Barber, who returned it 92 yards for the clinching touchdown. A shell-shocked home crowd saw the final game at Veterans Stadium end in defeat. Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch went to the Hall of Fame, and Ronde Barber may join them in Canton.

1.) 1994 AFC — Chargers 17, Steelers 13 — If ever a team had no business going to a Super Bowl, it was the 1994 Chargers. They started 6-0, went 5-5 down the stretch, and fell behind Miami 21-6 in the Divisional round. San Diego came back and won 22-21 when Miami missed a field goal to win it on the final play. Pittsburgh had a phenomenal defense led by Rod Woodson. San Diego had Stan Humphries, a quarterback with guts who took a beating. The Steelers led 13-3 after three quarters but never put the game away at home. After the Chargers took a four point lead, the Steelers drove to a fourth and goal at the three with little time left. Neil O’Donnell had his pass batted down. Junior Seau and the San Diego defense celebrated their win before getting blasted in the Super Bowl the following week. In a bizarre, tragic and unexplainable phenomenon, the 1994 Chargers have had eight different players from that team die prematurely all under different circumstances.

Top 10 NFL Divisional Playoff Upsets Ever

LOS ANGELES, January 24, 2025 — Unlike professional basketball, hockey, and baseball, the NFL playoffs are one and done. Every year, stunning upsets take place. The conference title games usually feature great teams, and the wildcard round exempts the top teams. For this reason, the Divisionals is where to expect crazy results. The Divisional round is when many of these upsets occur. 

The 2019 Tennessee Titans barely made the playoffs at 9-7. One week after going on the road and shocking the 12-4 New England Patriots in the Wildcard, the Titans went on the road again and stunned the 14-2 Ravens in the Divisional round 28-12. In future years, this could make the list of the Top 10 NFL Divisionals upsets. 

Other worthy contenders just missed the cut for different reasons. 

The 2010 Seahawks at 7-9 were the only losing team at the time to ever win their division. Although they shocked the 12-4 defending champion Saints, this missed the list since the Seahawks were at home.

The 2011 Giants were only 9-7 when they shocked the 15-1 defending champion Packers. This missed the list because the Giants were a very confident bunch who defeated the Packers during their 2007 title run.

The 1983 Seahawks were only 9-7 when they stunned the 12-4 Miami Dolphins. This missed the list because it was Dan Marino’s rookie season. Experience won out.

The 1984 Steelers were also only 9-7 when they shocked the 13-3 Denver Broncos. This was also an experience issue as John Elway was playing his first home playoff game ever. 

The 2014 Colts at 11-5 did shock the 12-4 Broncos and fans everywhere who were cheated out of an AFC Title Game between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The only reason this game missed the list is because Manning played injured.

The 2024 12-5 Commanders went on the road and took down the 15-2 Detroit Lions. Yet this missed the list because the Lions were devastated by injuries on the defensive side of the ball.

With that, here are the top ten Divisional upsets in NFL history.

10.) 1985—Patriots 27, Raiders 20—The 12-4 Raiders were every bit as good as their Super Bowl team from two years earlier. The 11-5 Patriots benefitted from Los Angeles kick returner Sammy Seale booting a kick return into the winning New England touchdown. This would rank higher except Jim Plunkett was out injured and backup Marc Wilson was playing injured. Also, New England went on the road a week earlier and beat the Jets and went on the road again a week later and shocked the Dolphins in the AFC Title Game.

9.) 1993—Chiefs 28, Oilers 20—The 12-4 Oilers were the most dysfunctional team in NFL history, with Buddy Ryan throwing a punch at Kevin Gilbride. However, they had won 11 straight games. The 11-5 Chiefs were good, but the Oilers led after three quarters and collapsed. This would rank higher except Chiefs quarterback Joe Montana was a king of fourth quarter comebacks in the biggest games. 

8.) 2007—Giants 21, Cowboys 17—The 13-3 Cowboys had beaten the 9-7 Giants twice in the regular season, but in Dallas the Giants won when Tony Romo was intercepted in the end zone on the final play. This would rank higher except the Giants went on to shock the world by beating Brett Favre and the Packers and then Tom Brady and the Patriots. Also, it would be eight more years until Romo finally won a playoff game.

7.) 2010—Jets 28, Patriots 21—Several weeks earlier the 14-2 Patriots carpet-bombed the 11-5 Jets by a score of 45-3 in front of a nighttime national audience. The Jets dominated this playoff game that was not as close as the score. Rex Ryan got revenge over the hated Bill Bellichick-Tom Brady tandem. As one Patriots player said on the sideline, “They talked it. They walked it.”

6.) 1982—Jets 17, Raiders 14—The strike shortened season saw the 6-3 Jets go on the road and blast the Bengals. Yet the 8-1 Raiders, who would win it all one year later, were heavy favorites. The New York Sack Exchange dominated the line of scrimmage and forced several turnovers. The Raiders had two chances in the final minutes, when Jim Plunkett was intercepted twice by Lance Mel.

5.) 2007—Chargers 28, Colts 24—The 11-5 Chargers had no business beating the 14-2 Colts, but for some reason Peyton Manning and the Colts always had bad games against the Chargers, who could not beat anybody else. Philip Rivers was out, and backup Billy Volek led the win. The 2006 season saw the Colts beat the Patriots in the greatest AFC Title Game ever played. Had the Colts won this game against the Chargers, they would have had a rematch with the 16-0 Patriots in the greatest AFC Title Game to never be played. Manning and Brady would play in a couple more AFC Title Games, but none as historic as this one would have been. 

4.) 2008—Cardinals 33, Panthers 13—The 9-7 Cardinals did have Kurt Warner, but they went 2-4 to close the regular season. Despite stunning the 11-5 Falcons in the Wildcard, they were expected to lose big to 12-4 Carolina. That Panthers team with Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith looked like a Super Bowl team. Despite leading at halftime, the Panthers collapsed in the second half as Warner and Larry Fitzgerald were the ones putting the yards and points on the board. Delhomme was never the same after this game.

3.) 1987—Vikings 36, 49ers 24—This was Joe Montana’s one awful playoff meltdown. One year after San Francisco was belted 49-3 by the Giants, this time the 13-2 49ers were heavy favorites to beat the 8-7 Vikings. Although Minnesota upset the 12-3 Saints one week earlier, that was dismissed because neither New Orleans nor Jim Mora at that time had ever won a playoff game. In this game Montana threw four interceptions and was benched by Bill Walsh for Steve Young. The 49ers would rebound to win the Super Bowl the next two years.

2.) 1996—Jaguars 30, Broncos 27—The Jaguars were 4-7 before winning five straight. They needed a 30-yard missed field goal on the final play of the final regular season game by ace Morton Anderson to make the playoffs at 9-7. Even when they went and beat Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills 30-27, nobody gave them a chance against a 13-3 Broncos team that was expected to finally get John Elway his ring. Denver jumped to a 12-0 lead and then fell asleep as the Jaguars scored 23 unanswered points to lead 23-12 and then 30-20. Elway said it was the one time he cried after a game. The next year Elway would finally hoist the trophy, blasting Jacksonville along the way. The year after that, Denver won it all again and Elway retired on top.

1.) 1995—Colts 10, Chiefs 7—The 9-7 Colts were 4-7 before running the table and dispatching San Diego in the Wildcard. They had a tough quarterback in Jim Harbaugh, but were expected to be throttled by a 13-3 Chiefs team. Yes, Marty Schottenheimer suffered playoff losses, but this was one the Chiefs simply gave away. Steve Bono threw three interceptions in the second half and was replaced by Rich Gannon. Lin Elliot would miss three field goals, including the game-tying attempt late. A great quote for the ages came when announcer Paul Maguire said, “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” He also said, “Well it doesn’t matter because Lin Elliot’s not going to be a Chief next year.” Elliot never kicked in the NFL again and Bono was gone from the team two years later.

The Divisional Playoffs are in the history books.

The Conference Championship Games are set. Both games are on Sunday, January 26, 2025.

NFC Title Game: (6) Washington Commanders at (2) Philadelphia Eagles (-5 1/2) at 3pm on FOX. The Eagles survived against the Rams in a blizzard to host the NFC Title Game for the second time in 3 years. The Commanders have thrived under first year head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. After going into Tampa Bay and winning the Wildcard game on the final play, the Commanders went into Detroit and shocked the top seed. Yet Tampa is warm weather and Detroit plays indoors. I the brutal Philadelphia cold, the advantage goes to the home team. These teams split the regular season series, both winning at home. The Commanders are in the NFC Title Game for the first time in 33 years when the 1991 team was known as the Redskins. Jalen Hurts is playing hurt, but Saquon Barkley is running wild. Barkley gashed the Rams for over 200 yards last week in the snow. Washington has shrugged off a lack of playoff experience, beating two more experienced teams. Yet the Eagles are a tougher test, especially in Philadelphia. This is the week that the fairy tale comes to an end. Cold weather means running the football, and the home crowd does matter in this game. The Eagles win close games rather than blowing teams out. Yet that will be enough to hold up the George Halas Trophy. Eagles win but fail to cover

AFC Title Game: (2) Buffalo Bills at (1) Kansas City Chiefs (-2) at 6:30pm on CBS. The Chiefs are in the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year, and are hosting the AFC Title Game for the 6th time in those 7 years. The Chiefs are seeking football immortality. No team has ever won 3 straight Super Bowls. Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes have been to 4 Super Bowls together, winning 3 including the last 2.  The Bills have never won the Super Bowl. The Bills have beaten the Chiefs in the regular season the past couple of years, but have had less success in the playoffs. The Bills are the only team to beat the Chiefs this year not counting a regular season finale where the Chiefs rested their starters. Josh Allen plays well in the regular season but the Bills have lost home playoff games the last two years to Cincinnati and Kansas City, respectively. The Chiefs have the top defense in the NFL. The Chiefs win ugly, but they win. The Bills barely survived a home thriller last week against a very good Baltimore team. Both teams are relatively healthy. While cold weather will not intimidate Buffalo, Arrowhead is a tough place to play. The Chiefs are very beatable, but they just find ways to win. They will again hold the Lamar Hunt Trophy named after their late owner and founder. Chiefs cover

NFL 2024-2025 Divisionals Recap

The NFL 2024-2025 Wildcards are in the books. This weekend brings the Divisionals round. 

AFC: (4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs is the Saturday afternoon game. The 10-7 Texans did win a playoff game, but the 15-2 Chiefs lost their regular season finale because they played backups. The Chiefs offense isn’t as high octane as in years past but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has the top defense in the NFL. A few years ago the Texans took a 24-0 first quarter lead at Kansas City. By halftime the Chiefs led 28-24 en route to a 51-31 win. With Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, they are always a threat. The Chiefs are seeking to reach the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year, with 6 of those 7 games being at home in Arrowhead. Another playoff game between these teams saw the Chiefs go into Houston, return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and throttle the Texans 30-0. In this game the Chiefs nearly did it again, returning the opening kickoff 63 yards, fumbling the ball, and retaining possession to start the game at the Houston 13. The Texans defense stiffened. Harrison Butker hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. Kaimi Fairbairn answered from 30 and Butker hit again from 36 to make it 6-3 Chiefs. 

In  the second quarter Fairbairn missed a 55 yard field goal try to give the Chiefs good field position at their own 45. Mahomes went to Kelce for a 49 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Karim Hunt got in for the touchdown to make it 13-3 Chiefs. The Texans managed a 48 yard field Fairbairn goal with 16 seconds left in the half to get within 13-6. The Texans began the third quarter at their own 18 and went on a mind-numbing drive. 14 plays and 82 yards took a whopping 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 3 from their 25, Joe Mixon gained 8. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, CJ Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 36, Stroud went to Collins for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 19, Stroud ran for 6. Mixon ran for a 13 yard touchdown. The Texans had all the momentum. Then Fairbairn doinked the extra point off the right upright no good. Instead of being tied, the Texans trailed 13-12. 

The Chiefs after a pair of offensive penalties faced 1st and 19 at their own 10. On 3rd and 6, Mahomes went to Kelce for 12. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. The fourth quarter began with the Chiefs facing 4th and 1 at the Houston 37. Everyone knew Walrus Andy Reid was not going to punt or try a 55 yard field goal in that situation. He went for it and Hunt gained 3 yards. Hunt then gained 8 more. Mahomes went to Kelce for 18. On 3rd and goal at the 11, the Texans had Mahoems dead to right. As he was being sacked and falling to the ground, he threw the ball just before his knees hit the ground. Kelce caught the 11 yard touchdown to have the Chiefs up 20-12 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Texans moved from their own 34 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 40. Stroud threw incomplete three times. On 4th and 10 with 10 minutes left in the game, DeMeco Ryans did not want to punt or try a 58 yard field goal. He went for it and Stroud was sacked for a 16 yard loss. 

Midway through the fourth quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 45 and moved to a  4th and 1 at the Houston 9. At this time Walrus Andy Reid understood that a field goal would make it a two score game. Butker hit from 27 to have the Chiefs up 23-12 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Needing 2 scores after a touchback, the Texans rushed to a 2nd and 2 at the Kansas City 5 yard line just before the 2 minute warning. Stroud was sacked on consecutive plays. On 4th and 14 and needing 2 scores, Fairbairn came in for the 35 yard chip shot field goal with 1:52 left. Fairbairn’s night of misery continued as his kick was blocked. The Chiefs punter took an intentional safety with 11 seconds left to prevent a blocked punt. Again, the Texans were good enough to make the playoffs and even win a playoff game but not good enough to compete with the elite. The Chiefs do not look that special on paper but games are not played on paper. On the field, the Chiefs keep winnings. They are in the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year and hosting the AFC Title Game for the 6th time in 7 years. This makes Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 23-14 Chiefs

NFC: (6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions is the Saturday night game. The Commanders are a very good football team. Jayden Daniels has been leading them to victories in Cardiac fashion. Yet the Detroit Lions are a wrecking ball. Yes, their defense is injury-riddled. At home in their dome, their pinball wizard offense can outscore anyone. Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn both take 4th down risks. Jared Goff and his many offensive weapons on the Lions are well rested from their bye week. The last time the Lions were in the NFC Title Game was in 1991. They got blasted by the Redskins, but that game was in Washington. 24 years later, the Divisional game is in Detroit. The Lions are the top seed for the first time ever. The Lions are one game from hosting the NFC Title Game for the first time ever. The Lions got a major break when Zane Gonzalez hit the opening kickoff out of bounds. The Lions took over at their own 40 and quickly went 3 and out. Their running bak got belted in the backfield and a 3rd and 15 pass from Jared Goff was dropped. The Commanders moved easily from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Detroit 28. Dan Quinn decided to go for it. He brought in Marcus Mriota for one play to replace Jayden Daniels. Mariota got rocked for a one yard loss.

From their own 29, this time the Lions made it look easy. Goff hit Williams for 19. Jahmyr Gibbs ripped off big gains of 15, 23 and 9. Gibbs ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback the Commanders moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 29. Daniels threw incomplete three times. Gonzalez hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 7-3. The Lions again quickly and easily moved from their own 27 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 17. The Lions had all the momentum but then Goff was sacked and fumbled. The Commanders took over at their own 22. Robinson gained 15 and 5. Daniels went deep to Brown for a 42 yard gain. On 4th and 3 from the Detroit 9, Dan Quinn passed up a chip shot 27 yard field goal try and went for it all. Daniels went to Zac Ertz for 7. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Daniels threw incomplete but defensive pass interference in the end zone meant 1st and goal at the one. Robinson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to hav the Commanders up 10-7 in the second quarter.

The Lions after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Goff went deep to Amra St Brown for 34. Gibbs gained 12. Goff went to Raymond for 15. Then on 1st and goal at the 2 came spectacular acrobatics. Goff was about to be sacked. As he was going to the ground he fired a pass just before his knees went down. The pass was slightly off the mark but Sam Laporta made a leaping one handed catch and pulled the ball into his body for the touchdown. The Lions led 14-10 midway through the second quarter. Yet one minute after a touchback the Commanders had the lead again. From his own 42, Daniels went to McLaurin at the sideline. He broke a tackle and gave a stiff-armed to an overmatched defender for a 58 yard touchdown and a 17-14 Commanders advantage. The Lions soon faced 2nd and 14 at their own 18. Goff went deep and was intercepted. Martin returned the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Commanders were on the road beating up the heavily favored home team 24-14.

Making matters worse, Goff got poked in the eye on the play and had to come out. Teddy Bridgwater came out of retirement to be his backup. Dan Campbell does not take his foot off the gas. The Lions took over at their own 27. From his own 39 with a backup quarterback, Quinn called a trick play. A double lateral was taken by Gibbs all the way to the sideline and then back to the middle of the field. With a convoy of blockers, Gibbs coasted for a 61 yard touchdown. The Lions were right back in it down 24-21 with 4 minutes left tin the half. After a touchback Austin Ekeler ran for 8 and Daniels added 15 more. Daniels went deep to Brown for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 7 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Daniels hit Ertz for the touchdown to make it 31-21 Commanders. After a touchback the Lions had 1:46 to work with. The Lions quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 29 with 35 seconds left. Goff went for it all but the ball was under thrown and intercepted in the end zone. Three first half turnovers by Goff had the Lions down by 10 at the half. The Commanders put up 28 points on 4 touchdowns in the second quarter. The teams combined for over 600 yards of offense in the first half alone. The Lions had 161 yards rushing in the first half while Daniels had 242 passing yards in the ridiculous pinball first half. 

The Lions took over at their own 9 in the third quarter. David Montgomery ran for 11 and 8 with a defensive facemark adding 15. On 3rd and 10 from their own 43, Goff hit St Brown for 19. Montgomery threw a halfback option pass to St Brown for 20. Gibbs ran for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Lions right back in it down 31-28. After a touchback, the Commanders kept coming. Daniels ran for 14. Robinson ran for 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the 25, one yard. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 16, Dan Quinn gambled. Daniels gained 3. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 5 at the start of the fourth quarter, Quinn gambled again. The Detroit defense suffered a killer penalty for having 12 men on the field. Robinson ran for a one yard touchdown to have the Commanders up 38-28. The Lions moved from their own 18 to their 46. Ben Johnson had called several successful trick plays, but the next one backfired. A halfback option pass by Williams was intercepted. The Commanders took over at their own 34. Ekeler immediately ripped off a 35 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 13, Quinn gambled yet again. Daniels hit McLaurin for 12 down to the one. McNichols got the yard to have the Commanders up big 45-28 midway through the fourth quarter. 

Needing 3 scores after a touchback, the Lions moved to a 4th and 8 at the Washington 19 with 5 minutes left. As much as Dan Campbell wanted to go for it, the Lions needed any points fast. Bates hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Lions within 14. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds to set up the Commanders at their own 40. They moved to a 4th nnd 1 at the Detroit 26. This time Dan quinn played it safe, knowing a field goal would ice the game. Yet Gonzelez from 44 was no good. The Lions had life. The Lions moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 10 at the Washington 17 with 32 seconds left. They needed a touchdown, an onside kick, and a Hail Mary touchdown. They got none of it as Goff went to the end zone and was intercepted again. The franchise best 15-2 Lions went down in flames at home. The Curse of Bobby Layne will not be broken this year. They may lose offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs. Speaking of defense, the Lions for several weeks tried to hold together their injury riddled defense. Sadly, the roof finally caved in. The offense turned the ball over 5 times, including 4 turnovers by Goff, 3 interceptions and a fumble. Daniels led the Commanders to the NFC Title Game as a rookie. For the Commanders, they are in the NFC Title Game for the first time in 33 years. For the Lions, there is only more heartache. 45-31 Commanders

NFC: (4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday afternoon game.  The 10-7 Rams won the NFC West and then knocked off 14-3 Minnesota in the Wildcard. Now they were at the 14-3 Eagles, who won the NFC East. In the regular season the Eagles went into Los Angeles and throttled the Rams 37-20. Saquon Barkley is running wild and gives the Eagles the advantage. As much of an offensive wizard as Sean McVay is, the Eagles have Barkley and the home field should. The Eagles with a win get back to the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. The Eagles took over at their own 26 and went right to work. Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 14. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Saquon Barkley got the tough yard up the gut. Hurts then split the defense and raced for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 6-0 only 3 minutes into the game. The extra point was no good. 

The Rams soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 36. Matthew Stafford went to Tyler Higbee for 9. Karen Williams ran for 20. Stafford hit Puka Nacua for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 10, Sean McVay went for it. Williams gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford went to Higbee for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Rams. Yet light snow that started before the opening kickoff was now turning into heavy snow. The eagles took over at their own 17 and gained 15 yards due to defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 4 from their own 38, Barkley broke free and raced for a 62 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Eagles after the first quarter. After a touchback the Rams in the second quarter moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Philadelphia 11. Williams got the carry and lost a yard. Sean McVay decided this time no to gamble. Joshua Karty hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Rams within 13-10. A strong kickoff return had the Eagles at their own 43. They moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Rams 30. Jalen Hurts was sacked to push the Eagles out of field goal range. The Eagles got it back at their own 9 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Rams 32 with 30 seconds left in the half. Again, Hurts was sacked to kill the drive. 

The Rams in the third quarter moved from their own 26 to a 1st and goal at the 8. A fumbled handoff exchange led to a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and goal from the 13, Stafford was sacked. Karty hit from 34 for a 13-13 game midway through the third quarter. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 22. a 19 yard completion from Hurts to Goedert was wiped out by a penalty for an ineligible man downfield. Hurts was then sacked. Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal to have the Eagles leading 16-13 late in the third quarter. Just before the third quarter ended, a great Rams punt pinned the Eagles at their own 4 yard line. From his own 8, Hurts went back to pass and was sacked in his own end zone for a safety. The Rams were within 16-15 after three quarters. The Rams took the free kick at their own 35. From their own 43, disaster struck when Williams fumbled and Rodgers returned it 40 yards to the Rams 10. On 4th and goal at the one, Nick Sirianni went for it. Everyone knew the tush push was coming. Hurts crossed the goal line but a false start killed the drive. Elliott hit the 23 yard field goal to have the Eagles up 19-15 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Rams got it back at their own 29. On 3rd and 10 from their own 45, Stafford was sacked and fumbled. The Eagles recovered at the Rams 38. On 4th and 4, Nick Sirianni did not want to try a 50 yard field goal in a blizzard. He went for it and Hurts hit AJ Brown for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 17, Barkley got the carry up the gut and got stopped in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. Elliott’s 36 yard field goal was good as the Eagles led 22-15 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Rams failed to move and punted the ball away. The Eagles took over at their own 22. The Rams defense desperately needed a stop. Instead, Barkley broke free and turned out the lights with a 78 yard touchdown run. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Eagles had a 28-15 lead. Again, the extra point was no good. The game at this point appeared over. 

After a touchback, the Rams were in desperation mode. Stafford went to Nacua for 21, to Whitting for 12, to Tutu Atwell for 18, to Higbee for 6, and to Cooper Kupp for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford went to Parkinson for the touchdown. With 2:48 to play the Rams were within 28-22.  After a touchback, the Eagles needed to play smash mouth and close out the game. The Rams needed to stop them. This was power football in the trenches in the snow. On 2nd and 7, Hurts tried a play action pass but instead was taken down for a 12 yard loss. The Rams had life. They got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left at their own 18 needing only one touchdown to win. The Rams were out of timeouts except for the 2 minute warning.

Stafford hit Higbee for 5 and Kupp for 8 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 from his own 31, Stafford fired over the middle to Robinson. Stafford then went bombs away to Nacua, who made a leaping catch near the sideline and somehow got both feet down for a miracle catch. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 13, a bull rush up the middle buried Stafford for a sack and a 9 yard loss. Everything came down to 4th and 11 with 35 seconds left and the clock ticking. Stafford went to the sideline incomplete. The Eagles had survived. Barkley finished with 205 yards on the ground on 26 carries, nearly 8 yards per carry. The Rams were game, but the Eagles will be back in the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. Again, they will be playing the game at home. 28-22 Eagles

AFC: (3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills is the Sunday night game. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were both in contention for the league MVP. The winner of this game goes to the AFC Title Game. The 13-4 Bills and 12-5 Ravens met early in the regular season, with the Ravens winning a 35-10 blowout. Yet that game was in Baltimore. The rematch is in Buffalo. Derrick Henry is running with authority but the Buffalo defense is stout. Both of these teams are phenomenal, but this is one game where the home field truly matters. The weather at kickoff was cold and bad, 11 degree Buffalo weather. There was snow on the ground and snow coming down. The Ravens began facing 3rd and 8 at their own 29. Lamar Jackson ran for 9. Jackson went deep to  Isaiah likely for 39. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 16, Jackson went to Rashad Bateman for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. After a touchback the Bills soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32. Josh Allen went deep to Shakir for 34. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 26. Allen gained 7. James Cook ran for 8, 6 and 4. Davis got the last yard to tie the game 7-7. 

In the second quarter the Ravens moved from their own 9 yard line to a 2nd and 10 at the Buffalo 28. Jackson got sacked and fumbled. Von Miller picked up the fumble and rumbled 39 yards to the Buffalo 24. Allen went to Shakir for 13. Allen got the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills. The Ravens moved from their own 35 to a 1st and goal at the 2. Henry lost a yard. Then Jackson was sacked. Justin Tucker hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 14-10. After a touchback Allen hit Cook for 7. Davis ran for 16 and 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 30, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 18 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 4, Allen bulled his way in with help from his offensive line. With 16 seconds left in the half, the Bills had a 21-10 lead. 

In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their own 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 27. A run lost a couple yards and a delay of game killed the drive. Tucker hit from 47 to get the Ravens within 21-13. The Ravens got it back and soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Henry gained 17. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 12. Justice Hill ran for 22. Henry ran for 15 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 21-19. The 2 point try to tie the gam failed. After a touchback the Bills moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Baltimore 33. Allen threw incomplete twice. Trying a 51 yard field goal in brutal cold is like asking a kicker to kick a brick. Sean McDermott did, and Bass delivered for a 24-19 Bills lead with 12 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Ravens soon faced 2nd and 11 at their own 40. Jackson went to Andrews for 16, but Andrews had the ball poked out. The Bills recovered the fumble at their own 46 with 8 1/2 minutes left.

The Bills moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2, taking 5 minutes off the clock. A touchdown would all but turn out the lights. Allen out of the shotgun faked the handoff and kept the ball. He went up the middle and into a Baltimore brick wall for no gain. On 4th and goal at the 2, the decision was a very easy one. Sean McDermott went with the field goal. Bass hit from 20 to make it 27-19 Bills with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Ravens could tie the game with a touchdown drive but not win it. A kickoff penalty on the receiving team had the Ravens taking over at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 2, Jackson hit Hill for 3. Jackson went to Wallace for 27. Jackson found Andrews for 19. Jackson then with all the time in the world fired over the middle to Likely for a 24 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left, everything came down to the 2 point conversion. Jackson found a wide open Andrews in the flat. There was nobody near him. The ball was perfectly thrown. Andrews had it in his belly. 

He dropped it. Andrews is the all time Baltimore receiving leader. Yet this one just got away. Blame the snow. If you’re Milli Vanilli, blame it on the rain. Blame the sleet. The onside kick failed and the Bills ran out the clock. In a thrilling game between two great teams, the Ravens are done for the year. As for the Bills, last year they lost to Kansas City in the Divisional round. That game was at home in Buffalo. This year the Bills gave the Chiefs their only loss of the year not counting the finale when Kansas City played their backups. That regular season game the Bills won was also in Buffalo. Yet this AFC Title Game will be in Kansas City. This game and next week’s game is why we watch football. 27-25 Bills

The Conference Championship Games are set.

AFC Title Game: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

NFC Title Game: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles

NFL 2024-2025 Divisionals Prequel

The NFL 2024-2025 Wildcards are in the books. This weekend brings the Divisionals round. 

Saturday January 18, 2024, 4:30pm on ESPN

AFC: (4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs (-7 1/2) — The 10-7 Texans did win a playoff game, but the 15-2 Chiefs lost their regular season finale because they played backups. The Chiefs offense isn’t as high octane as in years past but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has the top defense in the NFL. A few years ago the Texans took a 24-0 first quarter lead at Kansas City. By halftime the Chiefs led 28-24 en route to a 51-31 win. With Walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, they are always a threat. The Chiefs are seeking to reach the AFC Title Game for the 7th straight year, with 6 of those 7 games being at home in Arrowhead. The Chiefs are too deep and too experienced. Chiefs cover

8pm on FOX

NFC: (6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions (-9 1/2) — The Commanders are a very good football team. Jayden Daniels has been leading them to victories in Cardiac fashion. Yet the Detroit Lions are a wrecking ball. Yes, their defense is injury-riddled. At home in their dome, their pinball wizard offense can outscore anyone. Dan Campbell and Dan Quinn both take 4th down risks. The Lions are well rested from their bye week. Go with Jared Goff and his many offensive weapons to win the game, but the spread is high. Given Detroit’s defensive injuries and Washington’s resilience, beating the spread is certainly possible. Lions win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 19, 3pm on NBC

NFC: (4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles (-6) — The 10-7 Rams won the NFC West and then knocked off 14-3 Minnesota in the Wildcard. Now they were at the 14-3 Eagles, who won the NFC East. In the regular season the Eagles went into Los Angeles and throttled the Rams 37-20. Saquon Barkley is running wild and gives the Eagles the advantage. As much of an offensive wizard as Sean McVay is, the Eagles between Barkley and the home field should be able to win this game to get back to the NFC Title Game for the second time in three years. Yet the Rams are a confident bunch and the Eagles do not blow teams out. Their offense did very little against Green Bay last week. Eagles win but fail to cover

6:30pm

AFC: (3) Baltimore Ravens (-1 1/2) at (2) Buffalo Bills — Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen were both in contention for the league MVP. The winner of this game goes to the AFC Title Game. The 13-4 Bills and 12-5 Ravens met early in the regular season, with the Ravens winning a 35-10 blowout. Yet that game was in Baltimore. The rematch is in Buffalo. Derrick Henry is running with authority but the Buffalo defense is stout. Both of these teams are phenomenal, but this is one game where the home field truly matters. The weather is expected to be cold and bad, which is Buffalo weather. Upset special, Bills win outright

eric

NFL 2024-2025 Wildcard Recap

The 18 weeks of the NFL 2024 regular season are in the history books.

The Wildcard playoffs are set:

AFC (5) Chargers at (4) Texans was the Saturday afternoon game. Thankfully for the 11-6 Chargers, their playoff game was on the road. The Los Angeles wildfires have been devastating, and some of the players played with heavy hearts. Yet if anyone will keep a team focused on football, it’s Jim Harbaugh. They took on the 10-7 Texans. The Chargers after a touchback moved easily to a 3rd and 1 at the Houston 14. JK Dobbins got the carry and got buried by the Houston defense for a 2 yard loss. Cameron Dicker hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, a short pass turned disastrous when the receiver fumbled. Derwin James just ripped it out of the receiver’s hands as the Chargers took over again at the Houston 33. A sack of herbert followed by a dropped pass near the first down marker killed the drive. Dicker hit again from 39 to make it 6-0 Chargers. The defenses then dug in as the quarterbacks traded second quarter interceptions. 

A great punt late in the half pinned the Texans at their own one yard line. After barely avoiding an intentional grounding call for a safety, one play just before the 2 minute warning shifted momentum. On 3rd and 3 from their own 8, CJ Stroud hit Nico Collins for 5. Then on 3rd and 16 from their own 17, all chaos broke out. Out of the shotgun, a wild snap went way passed Stroud. He picked it up, scrambled all the way to his right, and turned a busted play into a 34 yard completion to Hutchinson. Stroud then went deep to Collins for 37. On 3rd and 11 from the Chargers 13, Stroud went to Collins for the touchdown. Despite being dominated for the first 28 minutes, the Texans led 7-6 with one minute left in the half. The Chargers went 3 and out and took only 20 seconds off the clock. The Texans got it back at their own 32 with 27 seconds left. Stroud ripped off a 27 yard run. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 41 yard field goal to have the Texans up 10-6 lead at the half.

The third quarter began with Stroud connecting with Collins for a 41 yard gain. Yet on the next pay from the Chargers 24, a trick play by DeMeco Ryans backfired. Joe Mixon took a lateral, set up for the halfback option pass, decided to keep the ball, and fumbled. The Chargers took over at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Houston 34. Jim Harbaugh passed up a 52 yard field goal try and went for it. Herbert hit Johnston near the sticks but perfect defense by Stingley caused the ball to hit the ground during the catch for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. The Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 19. offensive penalties on 3 straight plays had the Texans facing a crazy 2nd and 40. A defensive offside and a pair of completions got the Texans to a much more manageable 4th and 10. Fairbairn hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Texans with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. 

Very late in the third quarter the Chargers took over at their own 28. On the first play from scrimmage, Herbert found Murray in the flat. Problem: Murray plays defense for the Texans. Murray coasted 38 yards for a defensive touchdown to have the Texans up 20-6 after three quarters. After a touchback the Chargers began the fourth quarter by quickly moving to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 39. Herbert had his next pass bounce right out of Will Dissly’s hands and into the arms of Stingley. Problem: Stingley plays defense for the Texans. He had a convoy of blockers but was caught from behind after returning the interception 54 yards to the Chargers 13 yard line. A sack of Stroud killed the drive but Fairbairn’s 30 yard field goal had the Texans up 23-6 with 12 minutes left in regulation. 

Consecutive sacks of Herbert had the Chargers facing 3rd and 26 from their own 14. with the Chargers pretty much dead, Herbert fired over the middle to Ladd McConkey, who was a few yards short of the sticks. Then McConkey broke a tackle and outraced everyone for a stunning 86 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers were back in it. Yet seconds later, their momentum was gone in a big way. The extra point was blocked by Autry. Kicker Dicker could have caught the extra point and gotten tackled or just gone down. Yet perhaps because he did not know the rule, he just batted the ball to the ground thinking it would end the play like an incomplete pass. It was still a live ball, and Deangelo Ross picked up the ball and returned it all the way for a 2 point play for the defense. Dicker’s gaffe was hardly on the level of Garo Yepremian in the Super Bowl, but it was a blunder. Instead of being within 23-13, the Chargers trailed 25-12 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Texans just ground the Chargers into dust. On 4th and 1 from the Chargers 17, Mixon took the carry off left tackle, broke through a tackle and made it to the pylon for the dagger touchdown. The 14 play, 74 yard, 7 minute drive iced the game with 3:42 to play. Herbert was then intercepted by Stingley again. The Chargers had 9 turnovers the entire regular season, the fewest in franchise history. They had 5 on this day including 4 interceptions of Herbert. Herbert only had 3 interceptions in the entire regular season. 32-12 Texans

AFC (6) Steelers at (3) Ravens was the Saturday night game. These fierce rivals split the season series. The 10-7 Steelers entered having lost four straight. They lost to the 12-5 Ravens a few weeks ago to lose control of the division. Lamar Jackson was a legitimate league MVP candidate. The crowd at the Big Crabcake in Baltimore was pumped up before the game with retired Ravens Hall of Fame Ray Lewis doing his sUgar dance. Early on the Ravens fumbled a punt dangerously close to their own goal line but retained possession at their 5 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their own 13, Jackson ran for 4, one, 8, on 3rd and 1 from his own 26 another 5, and finally 4. Jackson carried the ball 5 straight times. Yes, he is the quarterback and not the running back. Yet of his over 5,000 total yards from scrimmage during the season, nearly 20% of it came on the ground. The actual running back is Derrick Henry, and he ripped off punishing runs of 12 and 34. On 3rd and 13 from the Pittsburgh 15, Jackson fired over the middle to Rashad Bateman for the touchdown. The 13 play, 95 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Ravens. 

On the first play after a touchback Mike Tomlin tried a flea flicker. Yet with nobody to throw to, Russell Wilson got taken down hard for a 3 yard loss. The defenses dug in as the game went to the second quarter. The Ravens then took over at their own 15 and pounded the Steelers defense into submission with 13 straight runs and 0 passes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 24, receiver Mark Andrews ran for 3. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, Henry gained 3. On 2nd and 13 from their own 36, Jackson ran for 20. Henry did the rest, running for 3, 17, and the 8 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 85 yard, 8 minute drive made it 14-0 Ravens. The lone bright spot for the Steelers was a 50 yard deep bomb, but it was wiped away by offensive pass interference. 

The Ravens got it back at their own 10 with 1:53 left in the half. On 3rd and 2, after 15 straight runs, Jackson found Bateman for 9. Jackson the went deep to Nelson Agholor for 25. Jackson went to Andrews for 20 and to Isaiah Likely for 19. Jackson spiked the ball to stop the clock and set up 2nd and goal at the 5 with 11 seconds left in the half. Jackson avoided a sack and scrambled around without a timeout. At the last moment Jackson fired to Justice Hill for the touchdown with 2 seconds left. The Ravens led 21-0 at the half of a game that even more lopsided statistically than on the scoreboard. The Ravens had over 300 yards of offense in the first half, with 160 yards on the ground. 

I the third quarter John Harbaugh decided not to gamble on 4th and 2 just past midfield. A great punt had the Steelers pinned at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 9, Russell Wilson avoided a sack and a safety and completed a 25 yard pass to Austin. Austin got blasted but somehow hung on to the ball. On 3rd and 5 from their own 33, Wilson went deep again to Williams for 37 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 30, Wilson went deep again to Van Jefferson for the touchdown. The 98 yard drive had the Steelers within 21-7 midway through the third quarter. After a touchback, Jackson was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Yet as quickly as the Steelers gained momentum, the Ravens took it back. On 2nd and 21 from his own 19, Jackson quickly went to Wallace for 21. Sims then ran for 15. Henry broke free for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Ravens up 28-7 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. by this point the Ravens already had 242 yards rushing, with 159 by Henry alone. 

After a touchback, Wilson went to Najee Harris for 9 and again for 21. Wilson went deep to George Pickens, who got hit by 2 defenders, one on each side. Yet somehow they both bounced off of him simultaneously as he glided to the end zone for a 36 yard touchdown. The Steelers still had life down by 14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After being dormant in the first half, the Steelers offense scored on both of their first two third quarter possessions. The Steelers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and 8 from their own 44. Wilson got taken down hard for an 8 yard sack as the third quarter ended. As the fourth quarter began, the Ravens had a chance to grind down clock and ice the game. 

From their own 17, the Ravens didn’t put the game away, but they did take 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Steelers took over at their own 25 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game. The Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 38, but Wilson was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Mike Tomlin pretty much had to go for it on 4th and 15 from the Baltimore 43 with 6 minutes left. Wilson went bombs away to the end zone into triple coverage. The ball should have been intercepted, but the Ravens were better off with the defender dropping it for an incompletion. The Ravens were a few first downs from closing out the game. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 48, Jackson gained 5. Defensive holding meant another automatic first down. On 2nd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 26, Hill gained 3 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 14, for the third time in the game it was Andrews taking the snap and powering ahead for two yards. 

Jackson then took a knee as the fourth quarter was scoreless. Jackson only threw 21 passes, completing 16 of them for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Yet the Ravens ran the ball 50 times, piling up 299 yards on the ground. They could have gotten the 300th rushing yard but John Harbaugh did the right thing having Jackson take a knee. Henry led all rushers with 186 yards on 26 carries. The Ravens held the ball for nearly 40 minutes to only 20 minutes for the Steelers. The Steelers were held to only 29 yards rushing. This was old-school smash mouth football, but with the home team doing the smashing and the road team getting smashed.  28-14 Ravens

AFC (7) Broncos at (2) Bills was the Sunday morning game. The 10-7 Broncos finally clinched their seven seed Wildcard on the final week of the regular season. They throttled Kansas City, who was playing their backups. The Bills coasted to a 13-4 record and the two seed, clinching the AFC East for the 4th straight year. Josh Allen is a legitimate MVP candidate. The Bills were heavily favored at home to steamroll the Broncos. The Bills were a perfect 8-0 at home in the regular season. The Broncos quickly began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 32. Bo nix went over the middle to Cortland Sutton for 19. Nix then went bombs away to Franklin, who beat the coverage and caught the perfectly thrown ball for a 43 yard touchdown. Less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Broncos led 7-0. The remaining 57 1/2 minutes were tougher.

The Bills took over at their own 33 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Denver 8. Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass  hit the 26 yard field goal as the Bills trailed 7-3. The Bills took over at their own 19. Allen went to Kincaid for 7. Johnson ran for 11 and James Cook added 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 40, Allen gained 7. On 3rd and 5 from the DeNVER 28, Allen hit Samuel for 7 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 3 at the Denver 14. Allen gained 9. Cook ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 81 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Bills up 10-7.

After a touchback the Broncos soon faced 4th and 8 at their own 43. Sean Payton called a fake punt and punter Dixon hit Marvin Mims for 15. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 36, a completion from Nix to Mims lost 3 yards. Nix then threw incomplete. Sean Payton decided against going for it or trying a 57 yard field goal. He chose to punt and play field position. This time Dixon did punt, and he pinned the Bills at their own one yard line. They held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes but couldn’t get past their own 40, punting at the 2 minute warning. Return man Mims got belted on a perfectly timed hit, with a personal foul on the receiving team pinning the Broncos at their own 8 yard line. The Broncos quickly moved to the Buffalo 32 with 5 seconds left. Wil Lutz’s 50 yard field goal try to tie the game doinked off the right upright no good. 

The Bills in the third quarter moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and goal at the 6. Cook got stopped for no good and Allen was then sacked. Officials missed a blatant defensive holding penalty in the end zone. Bass hit the 27 yard field goal to have the Bills up 13-7. The Bills got it back at their own 27. Allen went to Shakir for 13. On 2nd and 13 from their own 38, Allen threw incomplete but a defensive personal foul for a hit to the head meant 15 yards. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 24, a field goal would make it a 2 score game. Sean McDermott gambled. Allen with all kinds of time fired to the end zone. Ty Johnson made a sliding acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone. Johnson caught the ball just above the ground and just before he slid out of bounds. Allen went to Coleman for the 2 point conversion to have the Bills up 21-7 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Bills were dominating statistically in yards and first downs, as well as holding the ball for 30 of the first 42 minutes. Now that imbalance was finally reflecting on the scoreboard. The Bills began the fourth quarter with a 23 yard punt return to start them at their own 41. On 3rd and 6, Allen went bombs away to Samuel, who weaved through traffic for a 55 yard touchdown dagger. The game was now a blowout with the Bills leading 28-7. The Broncos moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 14. Rather than throw past the first down marker, a swing pass in the flat gained only one yard as the Broncos turned it over on downs. Bass tacked on a 34 yard field goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining to pad the lead. After the Broncos failed to convert 4th and 17, the Bills took over at the Denver 23. Allen was done for the day as Mitchell Trubisky played mop up. The Broncos are a good team who could be a great team next year. The Bills are a great team now. 31-7 Bills

NFC (7) Packers at (2) Eagles was the Sunday afternoon game. These teams played in the NFL regular season opener in Brazil. The Eagles won a squeaker. The rematch in Philadelphia has the 11-6 Packers dealing with Jordan Love who is not at 100%. The 14-3 Eagles who rested their starters in the regular season finale. Jalen Hurts is ready and Saquon Barkley had over 2,000 yards rushing. The Packers are suspect given that 5 of their 6 losses came against teams with better records. Yet Josh Jacobs runs with authority. On the opening kickoff, the Packers return man got blasted with a perfect hit to the chest and fumbled. The Eagles began at the Green Bay 28. On the first play from scrimmage Barkley gained 16. Hurts went to Dotson for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles less than 2 minutes into the game. Later in the first quarter the Eagles moved from their own 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 13. Jalen Hurts threw 3 incompletions. Jake Elliott hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles after the first quarter. 

The second quarter was scoreless as Love threw 2 interceptions and Brandon McManus missed a 38 yard field goal try for the Packers. Hurts completed his first 6 passes but missed his next 7 as Green Bay’s defense kept the Packers in the game. In the third quarter the Packers moved from their own 16 to a 2nd and goal at the 8. Love thew incomplete twice. McManus hit from 26 to get the Packers within 10-3 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 39. After being bottled up all game, Hurts went to Devonta Smith for 28 and again for 9. Hurts then went to Dallas Goedert, who stiff-armed the defender twice on the same play to complete the 24 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Eagles led 16-3 with 3:20 left in the third quarter. 

The Packers took over at their own 22. Love went to Jacobs for 15 and to Reed for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 42, Love went to Wicks for 10. On the last play of the third quarter Jacobs barreled over people and dragged a tackler along for a 31 yard run down to the one. On the first play of the fourth quarter Jacobs got the carry and after appearing stopped, barely broke the plane of the goal line while standing up. The touchdown had the Packers right back in it down 16-10. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 4th and 8 at the Green Bay 12. Elliott hit the 30 yard field goal. The 13 play, 58 yard drive took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock and gave the Eagles breathing room up 19-10 midway through the fourth quarter. The Packers faced 4th and 3 at their own 40 with 5 minutes left. Needing 2 scores Matt LaFleur had to go for it. Love found Heath by the sideline past the first down marker, but Heath came down with one foot just barely out of bounds for a killer incompletion. Elliott tacked on one 32 yard field goal and Love threw one more interception. After 6 straight games without an interception, Love threw 3 in this game. 22-10 Eagles

NFC (6) Commanders at (3) Buccaneers was the Sunday night game. The 12-5 Commanders have been revitalized by Dan Quinn. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been sensational. The Buccaneers won the NFC South for the fourth straight year, but they were only 10-7 in a pathetic division. They clinched on the final week of the regular season. Baker Mayfield has been playing like the top overall Draft pick he was. After an opening touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Washington 32. mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit the 50 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Commanders moved from their own 33 to a 3rd and 2 at the Tampa Bay 20. Daniels got stopped for no gain. Rather than just kick a 38 yard field goal to tie the game, Dan Quinn went for it. On 4th and 2, Daniels threw incomplete. 

The Commanders got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 6, Jayden Daniels went to Zac Ertz for 9 and to Terry McLaurin for 18. Austin Ekeler ran for 12 to end the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter from the Tampa Bay 45, Daniels hit Robinson for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 23, Dan Quinn gambled again. Ekeler gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa Bay 14, Daniels went to Zaccheaus for 6. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Daniels went to Brown for the touchdown. The mind-numbing 17 play, 92 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock and had the Commanders up 7-3. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 33. Daniels threw incomplete twice. Zane Gonzalez hit the 52 yard field goal to have the Commanders up 10-3 with 1:52 left in the half. 

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 27. Mayfield ran for 18. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 11, to Cade Otton for 12, and to Evans again for 20. Defensive pass interference added 11 yards down to the one. Mayfield went to Evans for the touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half for a 10-10 game. After a third quarter touchback the Commanders moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. A run lost a yard and Daniels threw incomplete twice. Gonzalez hit from 22 to make it 13-10 Commanders. The Buccaneers took over at their own 28. A defensive facemark added 15. On 3rd and 4 from midfield Mayfield went to Evans for 18. Irving got around the end for 19 more. Mayfield threw a 4 yard touchdown to Irving to give the Buccaneers the 17-13 lead. 

The Commanders after a touchback moved 67 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. The fourth quarter began with a 22 yard defensive pass interference penalty giving he Commanders 1st and goal at the one. Daniels threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that lost 2 yards. With a full 14minutes remaining, it made sense to kick the chip shot field goal and get within 17-16. Instead, Dan Quinn went for it. Daniels threw incomplete. The Tampa Bay defense had an inspired goal line stand, but the offense from their own 15 self-destructed. An attempted handoff from Mayfield to Wagner on a sweep was fumbled and the Commanders recovered at the Tampa Bay 13. On 4th and 2 from the 5, again Quinn could have kicked a field goal. Again, Quinn gambled. This time Daniels hit Mclaurin for the touchdown to make it 20-17 Commanders with 10 minutes left in regulation.

The Buccaneers moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 12. A touchdown would have given the Buccaneers the lead. Instead, Irving was taken down for a 2 yard loss. McLaughlin hit the 32 yard field goal to tie the game 20-20 with 4:40 left. After a touchback, Daniels hit Brown for 21 and Ekeler for 18 as the Commanders took the clock all the way down. With 3 seconds left Gonzalez came in for the 37 yard field goal try and the win. Mayfield grimaced and hoped he would get overtime and a chance with the football. The kick was high stakes drama for everyone. Gonzalez doinked it off the right upright but got the lucky bounce as it caromed inside the left upright and over the crossbar good. The Commanders won their first playoff game in 19 years, which was also at Tampa Bay. 23-20 Commanders

NFC (5) Vikings at (4) Rams is the Monday night game. Because of the devastating Los Angeles Wildfires, the Rams home game was moved to Arizona. Given that Arizona is an NFC West rival, this could be a home game for the Vikings instead. The 14-3 Vikings are the highest rated Wildcard ever, having missed out on the top seed and the first round bye due to losing their regular season finale at Detroit. The 10-7 Rams finished tied with Seattle for the NFC West division lead, but the Rams won the tie-breaker. They got the crown while Seattle stayed home for the playoffs. The Vikings are clearly the better team but never underestimate a team led by Sean McVay. Nevertheless, Sam Darnold had a great season and Justin Jefferson is all world.

The Rams are the only team other than Detroit to beat the Vikings this season. After n openinga touchback Matthew Stafford went right tinwork hitting Puka Nacua deep for 27 yards and Tyler Higbee for 23 more. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 10, the defense bit on the hard count and jumped into the neutral zone. Stafford then went to Kyren Williams for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 22 and moved to a 4th and 5 at the Minnesota 16. Joshua Harty hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams.

After a touchback the Vikings finally moved the ball. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 4th and 2 at the Rams 16. Kevin O’Connell was not in a gambling mood. Will Reichard hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 10-3. After a touchback, chaos ensued when Stafford was hit and fumbled. Cashman returned the fumble for a 26 yard defensive touchdown. Before the Vikings could celebrate a 10-10 game, officials reversed the fumble to an incomplete pass. Replay clearly showed Stafford shoveling the ball forward. The Vikings eventually got it back at their own 27 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 47. Darnold went to the sideline and Durant jumped the route for an interception. The Vikings got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 38. Darnold was sacked, and it was definitely a fumble. Verse picked it up off the bounce and rumbled for a 57 yard defensive touchdown to make it 17-3 Rams with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.

After a touchback the Vikings moved to a 4th and 2 at midfield at the 2 minute warning. Kevin O’Connell gambled and Darnold was sacked for an 11 yard loss. From the Minnesota 39, Williams ran for 9 and 5. Stafford hit Nacua for 12 and Allen for 13 with 15 seconds left in the half. The Rams were dominating up 24-3. Darnold was sacked 6 times in the first half. In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 23 to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 19. Stafford was sacked. Harty hit from 44 to make it 27-3 Rams. The Vikings got it back and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 43. Darnold went to Nailor for 14. After a defensive holding penalty, Darnold went to Nailor again for 12. Darnold then went to TJ Hockenson for a 26 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but with 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Vikings finally showed life. It was too little, too late, as Darnold was sacked 9 times overall.  27-9 Rams

The top seeds have the bye week.

AFC (1) Kansas City Chiefs

NFC (1) Detroit Lions

The Divisional Playoff games are set:

AFC:

(4) Houston Texans at (1) Kansas City Chiefs

(3) Baltimore Ravens at (2) Buffalo Bills

NFC: 

(6) Washington Commanders at (1) Detroit Lions

(4) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Philadelphia Eagles

NFL 2024-2025 Wildcard Prequel

The 18 weeks of the NFL 2024 regular season are in the history books.

The Wildcard playoffs are set:

Saturday, January 11, 2025, 4:30pm on CBS

AFC (5) (11-6) Chargers (-3) at (4)(10-7) Texans — This is a case of contenders against pretenders. The Texans are pretenders and everybody knows it. Yes, CJ Stroud is a very good quarterback. Yet his team plays in the horrendous AFC South. The Chargers have a stud quarterback in Justin Herbert. Jim Harbaugh has turned the Chargers around. Weather will not be a factor. Neither team is elite, but the Chargers are just better. Chargers cover

8pm on Prime Video

AFC (6)(10-7) Steelers at (3)(12-5) Ravens (-9 1/2) — Ignore the records. Home field does not matter in this series, although this was a rare year where they split the season series and both teams won at home. The Steelers come in having lost four straight games, including at the Ravens a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, these teams play physical matchups. The spread is way too high for two teams who know each other inside out. Lamar Jackson is playing lights out. Derrick Henry is running with purpose. Yet with two well-coached physical defenses, an upset is possible. Ravens win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 12, 1pm on CBS

AFC (7)(10-7) Broncos at (2)(13-4) Bills (-8 1/2) — The Broncos ended their nine year playoff drought by beating up on Kansas City’s backups. Yet Bo Nix is playing well. Josh Allen has been playing spectacular football. He has a ton of weapons. While home field does matter in this game, the Broncos will not be intimidated by cold weather. The Bills are in Super Bowl or bust mode while the Broncos are a year away from being elite. The spread is too high given that the Broncos are well coached and play hard on defense. Bills win but fail to cover

4:30pm on FOX

NFC (7)(11-6) Packers at (2)(14-3) Eagles (-4 1/2) — In the regular season opener, the Eagles eked out a win in Brazil. Jalen Hurts will be rested and ready, as will sequin Barkley. The problem with the Packers is that their record is a bit deceptive. five of their six losses came to playoff teams with better records. Jordan Love is a good quarterback but the Eagles are the superior team. The Eagles tend to win close games rather than blow teams out. Eagles win but fail to cover

8pm on NBC

NFC (6) (12-5) Commanders at (3) (10-7) Buccaneers (-3) — This one could go either way. Jayden Daniels has had a sensational rookie year while Baker Mayfield has had his best season. Dan Quinn and Todd Bowles both know defense, but Washington seems to have the better defense. The Buccaneers play in a very soft division. The Buccaneers have playoff experience. The Commanders do not. Yet Daniels is too special to ignore. Upset special, Commanders win outright

Monday, January 13, 8pm on ESPN

NFC (5)(14-3) Vikings (-2) at (10-7)(4) Rams — Despite losing at Detroit, the Vikings are the greatest regular season Wildcard in NFL history based on their record. In any of the other seven divisions, they would have been division champions. Sam Darnold has had a sensational year until the regular season finale. Of the three Vikings losses, two were to Detroit and the third one was at the Rams earlier in the season. The Vikings are a much better team than they were earlier in the year. Sean McVay is a stud coach, and Matthew Stafford can still sling it. Yet Minnesota’s defense is much improved. Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the NFL. The Rams are the only thing standing in the way of the Vikings getting a third rubber match with Detroit. Home field will not matter. This could go either way, but go with the better record and defense. Vikings cover

The top seeds have the bye week.

AFC (1) Kansas City Chiefs
NFC (1) Detroit Lions

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