Wild Card Weekend Recap

Wild Card weekend was certainly wild, with three of the four road teams getting the win. Let’s do a quick dive into each game.

Chargers vs. Ravens

This game was about what you’d expect for 55 minutes of the game. Lamar Jackson got exposed as a rookie by a solid Chargers’ defense. Phillip Rivers and the offense moved the ball well against a really solid defense. This game basically looked over. It looked so over that the fans were clamoring for Joe Flacco. Then, the Ravens offense came alive. Lamar Jackson extended plays with his legs and made some great throws. The offense that mustered only three points in 55 minutes were suddenly only down six with the ball and 45 seconds left. Unfortunately, Lamar Jackson fumbled and the comeback was stopped short there. This game was a snoozefest for most of it but ended up being pretty entertaining. In the end, the more experienced quarterback and the more balanced offense came out on top. Now the Chargers get to got to Foxboro next weekend.

Colts vs Texans

This game was the least entertaining of the four. The Colts went up 21-0 in the first half and that was basically it for action. The Texans defense pitched a shutout in the second half but the offense couldn’t get the wheels turning. The Colts looked dangerous, with the run, pass, and defense all clicking. The Texans offense was very lackluster and looked piloted by an inexperienced quarterback. The Colts will move on to play the Chiefs at Arrowhead next weekend.

Seahawks vs. Cowboys

I wholeheartedly expected the Seahawks to win this game handedly. I don’t think too highly of the Cowboys and just thought the Seahawks were the better team. However, both teams’ offenses looked inept for most of the game. The Seahawks just never got their run game going, which has been their bread and butter all season. The scoring picked up in the fourth, with 22 of the games 46 points being scored in the final 15 minutes. The Cowboys did what they should do to win every game: get the ball to Zeke. He’s by far their best player and should get the majority of the touches every game. He ended up with 30 touches for 169 yards. If the game ends up in his hands, the Cowboys have a chance. But if Zeke is shut down and they are forced to rely on Dak, they could be in trouble. They travel to LA next week to face the Rams.

Eagles vs. Bears

As a Bears’ fan, this game was heartbreaking. I knew it would be a tough game for the Bears but I truly thought they’d win. The offense just never got going. Trubisky looked solid in his first postseason start. However, the Bears never really got the run game going and honestly, I blame Matt Nagy. He seemed to abandon the run too early and he didn’t call many of those misdirection run plays that the Bears are known for. Also, Tarik Cohen only getting four touches is a travesty. Just like last years’ AFC Wild Card game with the Chiefs, Nagy was terrible at calling plays. Despite the offense looking inept for most of the game, Trubisky made some great throws to get Cody Parkey into relatively easy field goal range. He made the first kick but a timeout was called. The second one hit the left upright and then hit the crossbar and didn’t go through. The Bears’ season came down to the kicker with the second most missed kicks (10) in the NFL and it ended how you’d expected. I bet the Bears wish they had kept Robbie Gould, who’s 82/85 on field goals since being released by the Bears. The Eagles will look to mount another incredible run with Nick Foles when they travel to New Orleans next week to face the Saints.

-Stephen Brown III (@sbtrey23)

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