What We Learned From the NFL’s Wild-Card Weekend Pt 1 of 2
Lamar Jackson finally won a playoff game, the Browns demolished the Steelers and Nickelodeon’s broadcast of a game for children offered a welcome distraction.
NY Times By Benjamin Hoffman Jan. 10, 2021 (edited by lethe200)
Here’s what we learned:
Ravens 20, Titans 13
It is time for a new Lamar Jackson narrative. It was hard to tell if the Baltimore Ravens were a top contender or a beneficiary of one of the NFL’s weakest schedules in the final five weeks of the regular season. And with consecutive seasons that each ended in a disappointing playoff loss, there were those who questioned whether Jackson’s run-heavy style could translate to postseason success. After watching Baltimore race for 236 yds on the ground in a win on the road against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, those narratives can be retired. Baltimore won’t surprise anyone, but knowing what’s coming is a lot different from knowing how to stop it.
With his first playoff win and his team’s defense playing well, Jackson should finally be able to relax. That should terrify opponents, because Jackson, who rushed for 136 yds on Sunday and 143 in last year’s playoff loss to Tennessee, already owns two of the top three playoff rushing performances by a QB in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference.
Browns 50, Steelers 10
The Browns know how to put on a show. In the team’s first playoff game in 18 years, Cleveland did not disappoint. The Browns ran up a shocking 28-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s first quarter before letting things get just close enough in the second half to make the fan base nervous. Cleveland ended up winning, 48-37, scoring more points in a playoff game than the team had since beating the Detroit Lions, 56-10, in the 1954 NFL championship game.
The fans who got nervous in the second half might want to keep breathing into paper bags: the Browns are on the road against Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs in the divisional round.
Saints 21, Bears 9
Nickelodeon should broadcast a game every week. Keeping things interesting when a heavily favored team wins easily can be hard, but a broadcast on Nick aimed at children managed to do just that. The announcers explained the game at a base level, but had entertaining insights along the way, as when the former NFL player Nate Burleson described being tackled as feeling like “falling down wooden stairs.” As for the actual game, the New Orleans Saints barely broke a sweat while beating the Chicago Bears, 21-9. The only real misstep of the broadcast was a fan vote leading to Mitchell Trubisky, the losing QB, being named the game’s most valuable player. Over all, the innovations led to the least competitive game of the weekend being must-see TV.
Buccaneers 31, Footballers 23
Tom Brady is leaving no stone unturned. Brady, the Buccaneers QB (that still sounds weird), already had plenty of NFL records. But he broke one on Saturday that had lasted for 50 years, passing George Blanda to become the oldest player to throw a TD pass in a playoff game. Brady, at 43 years 159 days, threw two TD passes in TBay’s 31-23 win on Saturday over the Washington Football Team, and will most likely push the record further next weekend in the divisional round. As Drew Brees is the only other active QB in his 40s, and is potentially retiring after this season, Brady’s record - should he ever choose to stop playing - could be safe for quite some time.
Brady’s triumph led to jokes on social media after an NBC graphic showed how much younger Brady looks than grizzled old Blanda did in 1971. But Blanda’s fans still have some bragging rights: A versatile player for the Oakland Raiders, he not only had two TD passes in that AFC championship game against the Baltimore Colts, but he also kicked the extra point after both TDs and connected on a 48-yard field goal.
Rams 30, Seahawks 20
These are not the 2018 Los Angeles Rams. In the 2018 season, Coach Sean McVay used a groundbreaking offense - and a fairly mediocre defense - to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl. The script has officially been flipped, with Los Angeles going as far as its defense can take it. Facing the Seattle Seahawks, who finished eighth in the NFL in scoring, Aaron Donald and the Rams’ front seven put a ton of pressure on Russell Wilson, sacking him five times in the Rams’ 30-20 victory on Saturday. The Rams also showed an aggressive streak when cornerback Darious Williams burst through a pair of Seattle players at the line of scrimmage to intercept a pass by Wilson, returning it 42 yds for a TD.
Strong performances from the team’s defense and its rookie RB Cam Akers (28 carries for 131 yds and a TD) were particularly important since QB Jared Goff appeared limited after recent surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand. Backup QB John Wolford was taken to the hospital after a thump to the head, and is day to day. Aaron Donald suffered torn rib cartilage, which is not a good thing when he’ll be trying to keep Aaron Rodgers of the Packers from throwing TD passes next Saturday.
Bills 27, Colts 24
A 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday gave Buffalo its first playoff win since 1995. The game managed to show off the Bills’ strengths and weaknesses. QB Josh Allen (324 yds passing, 54 yds rushing, three total TDs) and WR Stefon Diggs (128 yds receiving and a TD) were dominant, and safety Micah Hyde saved the day with a late pass deflection, but alarm bells should be ringing that Buffalo’s defense allowed 472 yds of total offense and nearly gave up what had been a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter. The Bills did not have a sack or a turnover in the game, and got almost no contribution from the team’s RBs. As good as Allen and Diggs are, the rest of the team will need to step up for this run to continue.