NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Review

The Wild Card weekend of the 2019 NFL Playoffs is in the books and four teams will be moving on to the divisional round next weekend. The following is a summary of the action that took place the last two days.




Saturday, January 4

Houston 22, Buffalo 19 (OT) - The Houston Texans overcame a 16-0 deficit in the second half and won this game in overtime when Kai Fairbairn made a 28-yard field goal. The winning kick was set up by a 34-yard pass completion from quarterback Deshaun Watson to Taiwan Jones. Watson made a spectacular move to avoid a sack to set that play up.
The Bills scored their only touchdown of the game on a trick play as wide receiver John Brown threw a 16-yard scoring pass to quarterback Josh Allen. Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka made four field goals, including a 47-yarder with five seconds left in regulation to force the OT session.
Houston scored on a 20-yard TD run by Watson to get to within 16-8 in the third quarter and following a 41-yard field goal by Fairbairn early in the fourth quarter, they took a 19-16 lead when Watson threw a five-yard scoring pass to running back Carlos Hyde and then made a second two-point conversion.
The Texans will face the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday in Kansas City in the divisional round.


Tennessee 20, New England 13 - The visiting Titans surprised the Patriots as Derrick Henry, who rushed for 182 yards on 34 carries, scored on a one-yard run just before halftime for a 14-13 lead. The Titans scored late on a "pick six" interception by Logan Ryan to account for the final score.
Tennessee also had a 12-yard scoring pass from QB Ryan Tannehill to Anthony Firkser for a 7-3 lead. From there, New England scored on  a five-yard rushing TD by Julian Edelman for a 10-7 lead, which was followed by Nick Folk's second field goal from 21 yards to make it a 13-7 lead.
Patriots QB Tom Brady, perhaps playing his final game for the team, went 20-for-37 for 209 passing yards with one interception in the loss.  The Titans advance to the divisional round to play the Baltimore Ravens next Saturday night in Baltimore.



Sunday, January 5

Minnesota 26, New Orleans 20 (OT) - The Vikings stunned the host Saints in overtime as quarterback Kirk Cousins completed a four-yard scoring pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph to win the game and move on to the divisional round where they will play the 49ers in San Francisco next Saturday.
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (94 yards rushing) scored two rushing touchdowns and Cousins passed for 242 yards with the one TD pass to make the difference. Each team had three QB sacks in the game while Saints QB Drew Brees was intercepted once and also lost a fumble on a sack late in the game while passing for 208 yards, including a 20-yard TD pass to Taysom Hill.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara scored on a four-yard run and kicker Will Lutz made two out of three field goal attempts, including a 49-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation to force the overtime.


Seattle 17, Philadelphia 9 - The Seahawks got touchdowns from Marshawn Lynch on a five-yard run and wide receiver DK Metcalf  on a 53-yard pass play from QB Russell Wilson, who finished the game with 325 passing yards while their defense had seven QB sacks to lead the way for the road victory to advance to the divisional round next week in Green Bay, where they will face the Packers.
For the game, 'Hawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had seven receptions for 160 yards and the touchdown. Meanwhile, Eagles starting QB Carson Wentz left the game with a concussion and Josh McCown took over, but the Eagles only mustered three field goals by kicker Jake Elliott in the game.