The NFL’s Wild Card Round lived up to it’s name as a collection of crazy finishes introduced what is shaping up to be an incredible postseason.
49ers Roll On
The San Francisco 49ers were doing it easy at one point. The next it looked as though they’d give up the second-biggest fourth quarter lead in NFL post-season history. Fans of the franchise are sitting back relaxed despite knowing that the end of their 23-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys took six months off the end of their lives.
Trying their darndest to lose it, the 49ers gave Dak Prescott and the Cowboys chance after chance to win it late before Prescott himself made a costly mistake late. With the 49ers in sideline coverage, Prescott took the yards on offer through the middle – too many. Handing the ball to his center rather than the referee cost Prescott valuable seconds with officials waving fulltime before the Cowboys could get one more hailmary play away.
It’s a painful end for the Cowboys but a season-defining win for the 49ers a week after they snuck into the playoffs in the first place.
This team wasn’t even going to be in the playoffs until they went 88 yards in 5 plays without a timeout to tie the Rams in the last :30, then won in OT. Which they did.
Those types of stories in sports are always the most interesting to retrace if/when they go on a run.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 16, 2022
The 49ers are now preparing to face the Green Bay Packers as $2.72 and +4.5 underdogs.
Mahomes Desposes Of Steelers
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs made light work of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday Night Football.
The Chiefs quarterback finished up with which included five touchdowns in just 10:30 of game time – the fastest in NFL postseason history. For some perspective, Tom Brady is the next fastest at 25 minutes…
That about sums up Kansas City’s domination throughout the 42-21 win ahead of a mouth-watering showdown against the Buffalo Bills next week.
Next Sunday's AFC Divisional showdown between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes will be the first playoff game in NFL history between QBs who each threw 5+ TD in their previous playoff game
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 17, 2022
Meanwhile, it looks to be the end of Ben Roethlisberger‘s NFL career. At least, it should be. The Hall of Famer and Steelers legend hasn’t been at his best for a while now. The Steelers need to go in a new direction but can at least start the next era on the back of yet another playoff-making season.
Bills Bash Patriots
The Buffalo Bills thrashed the pants off the New England Patriots 47-17 to reannounce themselves as Super Bowl LVI contenders. They’ve had their moments throughout the year, favourites at one point before going on a lengthy run of losses and unappealing wins. However, Josh Allen matched Mahomes with five touchdowns of his own throughout what was a near-perfect Bills offensive performance.
The Buffalo Bills just had the NFL’s first ever perfect offensive game.
No punts. No picks. No fumbles lost. No field goals. All touchdowns on every single drive until the kneel downs.
And they did it against a top five defense.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) January 16, 2022
Tom Brady: Just The Usual…
Tom Brady made it 35 post-seasons wins as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers handled the Philadelphia Eagles with relative ease 31-15. Only the Patriots (37), Packers (36) and Steelers (36) have more postseason wins in NFL history the Brady himself…Incredible.
The gap between Tom Brady and No. 2 in the NFL playoff record book is crazy.
This is going to be Brady's 35th postseason win as starting QB. No. 2 is Joe Montana with 16.
Similar gaps exist between Tom Brady and No. 2 in postseason attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, etc.— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) January 16, 2022
Bengals Preparing For Titans
The Tennesse Titans spent their week off watching the Cincinatti Bengals pull off an impressive 26-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Joe Burrow looked like a seasoned NBA veteran in his first postseason start. He cooked the Eagles for 146 yards and two touchdowns by halftime to set up the victory. His combination with Ja’Marr Chase – who collected 116 receving yards – continues to produce the goods while the running game does enough to be a consideration for the defence.
The game wasn’t without controversay, though.
I don’t know why the Bengals touchdown is debatable at all. That’s unfair to rob them of a TD just because an official is stupid and blows the whistle early.
— Big Levels (@tylerthurston38) January 15, 2022
The debate comes around the fact that the play is meant to stop if a official is stupid enough to blow a whistle early…
And the controversay came around the fact that it ended with a Bengals touchdown in a match they won by…a touchdown.
Nonetheless, the Bengals are through and the Eagles are on holiday as the NFL season moves on to another week.
Cardinals Crash Out, Rams Advance
That’s a final from Inglewood and a wrap on the 2021 season.
Rams 34, Cardinals 11.
Arizona’s season ends with one of their worst performances of the year.
The Cardinals end the 2021 season with an 11-7 record and lost 5 of their last six.
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) January 18, 2022
NFL Super Bowl LVI Odds
After Wild Card Weekend | ||
| TEAMS | PRICE MOVE | |
| Packers | $4.20 | |
| Chiefs | $4.50 | |
| Bills | $5.50 | |
| Buccaneers | $6.50 | |
| Rams | $8 | |
| Titans | $9.50 | |
| 49ers | $11 | |
| Bengals | $14 | |
