NFL Playoffs Recap: Divisional Round
There’s no better time in the NFL than playoff time, and the games this weekend certainly proved that. Many teams saw their season come to an end, Denver and the Green Bay Packers perhaps being the most surprising of the two. But before we begin looking ahead to the conference championship games ahead, let’s look at what unfolded over the past two days.
San Francisco 49ers 45, Green Bay Packers 31
There was one reason the 49ers won this game, and his name is Colin Kaepernick. Stacking the two quarterbacks up against each other coming into this game, it was easy enough to hand the win to Aaron Rodgers. But, while the Green Bay QB didn’t have his worst game, with two touchdowns and finishing 26 of 39 for 257 yards, Kaepernick was having one of his best.
Never mind that this was his playoff debut, or that it was only his eighth game as starter. Kaepernick still passed for 263 yards, rushed for a quarterback record of 181 yards, scored two touchdowns, and threw two scoring passes to Michael Crabtree. While every Niner out on the field helped lead their team to victory, there’s little doubt that Kaepernick made the biggest difference in this game.
Baltimore Ravens 38, Denver Broncos 35
The final outcome of this game stunned everyone. The Broncos hadn’t lost a game since early October, while the Ravens seemed to be playing on pure emotion. But after Saturday’s game, Joe Flacco may want to start packing a little more of it every time he plays an NFL game. It was that emotion that led Flacco to send a Hail Mary soaring from the 30-yard-line with only 31 seconds left in regulation. It was a move of sheer desperation as the Ravens clung to the final moments of their NFL season, and it was all that was needed.
That Hail Mary soared over two Broncos and was caught by Jacoby Jones for the touchdown. It was enough to send the game into two OTs, when Justin Tucker would actually kick the field goal that would give the Ravens the win. But make no mistake about it. It’s not that kick people are talking about today. It’s the new “Flacco Fling” that has boosted the Ravens to the conference round of the playoffs.
Atlanta Falcons 30, Seattle Seahawks 28
One look at the scoreboard and if you missed it, you’d think this was a great game to watch. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be that way until the clock started winding down. The Falcons held a pretty good lead all day, but in the fourth quarter the Seahawks mustered all they could and somehow overcome a 20-point deficit. No NFL team has ever won a playoff game when facing such a deficit, and the Seahawks almost became the first. Almost. That was before Matt Ryan kicked the field goal that saved Atlanta’s season, and the Falcons won their first playoff game since 2004. Next week, they’ll face the Niners to see if they can do it again.
New England Patriots 31, Houston Texans 28
If you were looking for big storylines and a lot of action on Sunday, you were disappointed by this game. The Patriots were simply too tough for the Texans, and Houston’s going to have to work on their grit some if they’re going to make this playoff thing a regular occurrence. They played from behind all game and, even when they got close to the Pats, just didn’t have the fortitude to take them full-on. And while each and every Patriot player put in their own due effort, it’s no surprise that Brady is the biggest story coming out of this game. With his 17th postseason win, Brady now has more playoff wins than Joe Montana; and if he can win the Super Bowl, he’ll have just as many Lombardi trophies. Next week, the Pats will try to win their ticket to the Super Bowl as they play the Baltimore Ravens.
Categorized in: NFL