The away teams prevailed during a bizarre first round of the NFL Playoffs, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers all coming away with victories. Although Cam Newton is a favorite for MVP of this NFL season, the most crucial player of this Wild Card Weekend truly was the kicker, with two teams winning by a field goal — or less.
In a strange game that saw defensive star J.J. Watt play on the offensive side of the ball, the Houston Texans lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-0. The Texans committed five total turnovers, with quarterback Brian Hoyer accounting for three of them in the first half alone. Hoyer threw a whopping four picks and fumbled the ball in this horrid quarterbacking display. It seems that the Texans’ perpetual search for a long-term quarterback is not over, as one could not imagine them sticking with Hoyer after this abysmal loss. Making a playoff appearance alone was a success for the Texans, so it is certainly no surprise that they were eliminated in the first round.
The matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals wasn’t a pretty one by any means. In fact, it was downright ugly. Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron showed signs of life late in the fourth quarter, as he mounted an improbable comeback. However, the Bengals quickly began to self-destruct, due to two of the biggest – and arguably, the most feared – defensive stars in the game, linebacker Vontaze Burfict and cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. Both committed huge personal fouls that prolonged the Steelers’ final drive, setting them up for the game-winning kick. In an equally as classless display, many spectators even booed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as he was carted off the field due to an injury. However, Roethlisberger returned later in the game and had the last laugh, as his team came away with a clutch 18-16 win, thanks to kicker Chris Boswell. Despite an impressive regular season, the Bengals came away from the playoffs empty-handed, once again. It seems that the Cincinnati Bengals have mastered the art of making the playoffs … but the art of the winning a playoff game? Not so much.
Blair Walsh: the reason why the Minnesota Vikings had a chance to win against the Seattle Seahawks, and also main the reason why they lost. The Vikings' kicker was their sole scorer in a tough defensive battle against the surging Seattle Seahawks. But he also missed the crucial potential winning field goal with only seconds left on the clock, allowing the Seahawks to win, 10-9. The Seahawks have no one to thank but Lady Luck for this win, and it’s going to take far more than just luck to beat the NFC juggernaut next week in Charlotte. However, this Seahawks team will be looking for revenge after their last-minute loss to the Carolina Panthers earlier in the season, and this rematch will certainly be one to watch next Sunday.
Despite a sluggish start, the Green Bay Packers’ offense eventually hit its stride in their 35-18 win against the Washington Redskins. Behind an impressive running game, the Packers convincingly won, showing that perhaps they are the wild card team to beat. Not many people foresaw the Redskins making the playoffs, and many people certainly didn’t see them beating the Packers, despite their sloppiness as of late. When Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is good — which he is more often than not — he is really good, and even the best of teams should beware.
This weekend has been just another reminder of how little the regular season means when it comes time for the playoffs, with all the Wild Card teams beating Division Leaders. Maybe “home-field advantage” isn’t too advantageous after all.
More Like This
Hurst notches first NFL touchdown in Carolinas
By Nick Papadimas | Oct. 29, 2018