By Brandon Simmons
Bills Escape Via Colts Mistakes
The Buffalo Bills got their first playoff win in almost 25 years and they can give their credit to the Indianapolis Colts and the crucial mistakes made by them. At the end of the 1st half, leading 10-7, Colts failed to convert a 4th and goal when Indy wide receiver Michael Pittman dropped a pass in the end zone. That turnover on downs gave the momentum to the Bills who drove down the field and scored a TD to take a 14-7 lead. Another mistake came in the 4th quarter when the Colts were down 24-10 but scored a TD. A neutral zone infraction penalty was committed by Buffalo and Indy decides to go for 2, but fail on that. You can also add in the missed field goal in the 3rd quarter. Had decisions not been made, we might be having a different discussion. Despite those mistakes, and a few others, it should not take away from the Bills taking advantage and making plays of their own. On the same drive first half drive, Bills QB Josh Allen (26/35 324 yards 2 TD’s and 2 sacks) found wide receiver Gabriel Davis for 2 big catches along the sideline that kept the drive alive, at a time when WR Stefon Diggs was quiet. However, Diggs got busy in the 2nd half, including a touchdown in the 4th quarter. He finished with 6 catches for 128 yards and that touchdown. At the end of the day, Buffalo had a shaky start and drives starting on bad field position, but still managed to pull off a victory that their fanbase has been waiting on for a long time.
Russ Gets Cooked by Rams Defense
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks down with much credit going to their defense. Right before the game, the Rams announced that John Wofford would be at QB in place of the injured Jared Goff, who was recovering from thumb surgery. But after a hit to the head area by Seahawks safety Jamal Adams, Wofford was replaced by Goff, who still had visible struggles with his thumb. However, not a lot was required from him as Los Angeles terrorized the Seattle offense. Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the LA secondary were able to bottle up Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf for most of the game. Taking away that option was able to keep Seattle QB Russell Wilson out of rhythm, who finished with a stat line of 11/27 174 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 pick. The most important stat would be the 5 sacks Wilson took as the Rams got after him all afternoon, including 2 by Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. It was a game that started as a defensive battle in the first half, but L.A. clearly had the upper hand in that area and was able to pull away in this game when it mattered. Seattle’s defense has been their Achilles for most of the year and it cost them greatly.
Heinicke Wins Social Media but Takes L on the Field
According to social media, Washington Football Team quarterback Taylor Heinicke was the real winner in his Saturday Night playoff start and not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heinicke went 26/44 for 306 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in his loss against the Bucs. For Tampa Bay, there is not a lot of things to say outside of they came in and handled business as expected. Bucs QB Tom Brady threw for 381 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tight end Cameron Brate was the surprising beneficiary of Brady’s big passing game, as he recorded 4 catches for 80 yards. As for WFT rookie Chase Young and his “I Want Tom” comments, him and the defensive line applied some pressure, totaling 3 sacks, but not enough to slow down Brady or disrupt the Buccaneers offense. Ironically, Heinicke was WFT’s best player, filling for WFT QB Alex Smith, who was still suffering through a calf injury. Heinicke’s ability to make tough throws and escape pressure was key in making sure Washington did not get embarrassed.
Lamar Jackson and Ravens Defense Dance Their Way to Victory
The Baltimore Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans 20-13 behind 2 familiar aspects: their defense and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. The Baltimore defense were able to do what a lot of teams could not accomplish and that was shut down Titans running back Derrick Henry. Henry finished the game with 41 yards rushing at just 2.1 yards per carry. With the Ravens taking away the Titans run game, Tennessee could not operate out of play action and get the big plays that usually come from that. But it wasn’t just all defense. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson put on a classic showing of his game, throwing for 179 yards while rushing for 137 yards including 2 huge runs in this game, one of them being a 48 yard TD run in the 2nd quarter. He even found Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown quite a few times, as Brown finished with 7 catches for 109 yards. Quite frankly, despite having 5 sacks today, the Titans were not able to contain Jackson effectively. Baltimore took advantage of Tennessee struggling on offense, beginning in the 2nd quarter, and made them play to their own style to get the win.
Saints Slime Bears in Front of Children
The only thing interesting out of the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints game was the shooting slime in the end zone whenever a touchdown was scored. In a game that was simulcast on CBS and Nickelodeon, the Saints crushed the Bears 21-9. It was not initially an easy task, as New Orleans had to find a way to break from the smothering Chicago defense. The solution was finding a way to get the ball to wide receiver Deonte Harris, who lead the game in receiving with 7 catches for 83 yards. Saints QB also welcomed back his favorite target, wide receiver Michael Thomas, who had 5 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. The New Orleans defense did not have a lot of work cut out for them as the Bears offense was ineffective all day; an offensive unit missing rookie wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Chicago had a couple of big plays early on, and showed flashes, but could not put any touchdown drives together to keep the game within reach. Overall, the Saints was just the better team and played like it from the beginning to the end.
Dog Pound Bites Through Steel Curtain
This game can be broken down into 2 angles: the Cleveland Browns dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers from start to finish or the Steelers continued their month-long checking out since their 11-0 streak was snapped. Cleveland went on the road and beat Pittsburgh 48-35, an uphill task that was already seeing the Browns without their head coach, who tested positive for COVID and a member of their offensive line, due to injury. Despite all that, they wasted no time getting to work. On the first play of the game, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by Browns safety Karl Joseph for a touchdown. In fact, it was turnovers that plagued Pittsburgh in the first quarter and propelled Cleveland to a 28-0 lead, which included 2 interceptions. The Browns slowed down in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but got things going in the 4th quarter, particularly with wide receiver Jarvis Landry and running back Nick Chubb, who scored a 40-yard catch and run touchdown to help push the lead higher. Roethlisberger tried to do his best to put the Steelers back in the game, but it was too late. His 501 yards passing could not overcome his 5 turnovers. Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster should receive honorary mention in this blame game, for his bulletin board material, but he supplied a valiant 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. Many people are going to paint this as Steelers being caught in the middle of a slide in their season, but the Browns should be immune from any discrediting of their win tonight. They went on the road, against a formidable opponent, and played their best to get the victory this weekend.
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