Texans, Chiefs, Packers & Lions Advance; Snow Storm Postpones Bills-Steelers to This Afternoon
An icy Wild Card weekend in the NFL was one to remember as football fans were treated to four crazy games. And we still have two left to play. From two blowouts via the arms of young star QBs, and epic moments of relief and reality checks, we've got it all.
Wild Card Snapshot: The Texans and Chiefs ran away with double-digit wins on Saturday against the Browns and Dolphins, respectively, before the Packers completely dismantled the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. That Cowboys chatter is getting loud, and fast. Fire Mike McCarthy? The attention shifted to Detroit on Sunday night where the Lions held off the Rams to end their postseason drought and capture Detroit's first playoff victory since 1992. And the kneel-down sequence to seal that win was something out of a movie. Three games were indoors, but the elements were a factor in the Chiefs-Dolphins clash. It was so cold in Kansas City that Andy Reid’s mustache froze and Patrick Mahomes’ helmet cracked. Out in Buffalo, the snowfall was so deep that the Bills-Steelers game was postponed to today (4:30 pm ET). That means it’s a Monday doubleheader with the Eagles-Bucs (8:15 pm ET) to finish out the Wild Card round and trim the field to eight. Let’s run it back on the four game results (so far) from the weekend...
Game Recaps (Wild Card Weekend)
Texans Demolish Browns (45-14)
C.J. Stroud proved he was ready for the bright lights on Saturday afternoon against the top defense in the NFL. The Texans’ rookie QB, who broke rookie passing records all season long, broke more records in this one. Stroud threw for 3 TDs in the first half (the most by a rookie QB in his first playoff game) to give Houston a 24-14 halftime advtange over the Browns. That lead ballooned fast with back-to-back pick-6s against Joe Flacco, and the Texans hammered Cleveland by 31 to win their first playoff game since 2019. From the No. 2 overall pick last season (2nd worst team) to a playoff victory? What a turnaround for DeMeco Ryans and company. Stroud and Ryans look like a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Chiefs Ice-Out Dolphins (26-7)
A frostbite game in Arrowhead was all but welcoming to the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night. The sub-zero windchill put a freeze on the high-speed Dolphins offense, and the Chiefs were efficient enough on the ground to control the tempo, even with a Peacock paywall, Taylor Swift, and all the distractions. RB Isiah Pacheco (89 yards, 1 TD) got a heavy workload with 25 touches. Patrick Mahomes was as effective as could be in the frigid conditions, zeroing in on Rashee Rice (8 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD) and Travis Kelce (7 catches, 71 yards). Aside from one Miami touchdown strike to Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins were rendered helpless in Kansas City. And after all the ugly games for the Chiefs in November and December, they still look like a team that could win it all.
Packers Stun Cowboys (48-32)
A bloodbath in Dallas! We knew the Packers weren't going to back down, but few saw this coming on Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys’ postseason curse just ascended to another level entirely. Green Bay became the first 7-seed in postseason history to win a game, and they did it in blowout fashion. The Packers took a 27-0 lead on the Cowboys in the first half, and they extended it to 48-16 before taking out the starters in the 4th quarter. Dak Prescott (41/60, 403 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INT) and the Cowboys offense still put up big numbers, but their defense had no answers. Packers RB Aaron Jones was unstoppable (22 touches, 131 yards, 3 TDs), and QB Jordan Love posted a perfect passer rating while playing with a cozy lead (16/21, 272 yards, 3 TDs). The Pack looked like a team on fire, and this marks another early exit for the Cowboys we’ll be discussing well into the offseason.
Lions Hold Off Rams (24-23)
The curse is broken! The Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since Jan. 5, 1992, and that's the franchise's only playoff win of the Super Bowl era. Everything changed on Sunday night when they held off a late comeback by Matthew Stafford and the Rams thanks to a key 3rd-down stop in the final minutes. Detroit got up 24-17 before L.A. made it interesting with a pair of field goals down the stretch. That huge key stop forced a Rams punt, and head coach Dan Campbell elected to throw it in a clock-or-go situation. QB Jared Goff delivered a strike to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown for a first down to put the game on ice, and Ford Field went nuclear. After 32 years, the Detroit Lions are winners in the postseason.
Today's Wild Card Schedule
Steelers at Bills (4:30 pm ET, CBS)
Eagles at Buccaneers (8:15 pm ET, ESPN)
Bracket Implications: The 49ers will host the Packers in the NFC Divisional Round, while the Lions will host the winner of Eagles-Bucs. The AFC is still up in the air with multiple scenarios based on today's Bill-Steelers game.
Read More
Yahoo! Sports: Jordan Love Leads Packers Upset, Sends Cowboys Into Long, Miserable Offseason
The Ringer: The Growing Legend of CJ Stroud Now Includes 1st Playoff Win
CBS Sports: How Steelers-Bills Postponement Will Impact Divisional Round Schedule
B/R: NFL Fans Celebrate Jared Goff’s Lions for Earning 1st Playoff Win Since 1992
