Monday, January 17, 2022

NFL PLAYOFFS - Wild Card Round Recap

The NFL playoffs are under way and the Wild Card round has one game left to go on Monday night as the Los Angeles Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals. The winner of that game will travel to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday. 

As for the action on Saturday and Sunday, five teams have advanced so far to the divisional round next weekend. On Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati, the Bengals held off the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19 with quarterback Joe Burrow throwing two touchdown passes and kicker Evan McPherson making four field goals. The Raiders had the ball in the red zone in the closing seconds, but QB Derek Carr's pass was intercepted to end it. Carr passed for 310 yards with one TD pass and the one interception while kicker Dan Carlson made four field goals in the loss. 

On Saturday night, the host Buffalo Bills smoked the New England Patriots, 47-17 to advance as QB Josh Allen (pictured above left) passed for five touchdowns on 21-for-25 passing for 308 yards as well rushing for 66 yards. The Bills built a 27-3 halftime advantage and rolled the rest of the way as the defense had three sacks and two interceptions. Patriots rookie QB Mac Jones passed for two scores in defeat. 

The Sunday action saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominate the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, 31-15 as they built a 17-0 lead at the half with QB Tom Brady adding to their lead with a pair of scoring passes in the third quarter to make it 31-0. The Eagles scored twice in the final quarter, but three turnovers proved to be too much as they were eliminated from the playoffs. 

The San Francisco 49ers won a thriller in Dallas, toppling the Cowboys, 23-17 as the clock ran out as Dallas was attempting to spike the ball after a first down run by QB Dak Prescott (254 passing yards, one TD, one INT). The 'Niners built a 16-7 halftime lead thanks to a four-yard scoring run by running back Elijah Mitchell and three field goals by Robbie Gould. 

Following a pick, 49ers WR Deebo Samuel scored on a 26-yard end around run to make it 23-7. The Cowboys got a field goal and then a five-yard scramble run for a touchdown by Prescott with 8:02 remaining in the game. The 49ers appeared to have a first down in the final minute to wrap things up, but a review showed they were inches short and then two penalties forced them to punt, which set up the dramatic ending. 

Patrick Mahomes had five TD passes in big win.
In the Sunday night game in Kansas City, the Chiefs rolled to a 42-21 win against the Pittsburgh
Steelers in what was likely the final game of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's career. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (404 passing yards)  had five touchdown passes, including three in the first half as Kansas City led 21-7 at the break. The Steelers scored first when T.J. Watt took a Chiefs fumble in for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Kansas City scored the next 35 points to put the game away and advance to the divisional round next Sunday at home against the Buffalo Bills. Roethlisberger passed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. 

The Los Angeles Rams dominated in their home playoff game win, 34-11 against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night as QB Matthew Stafford threw for three scores while the Rams defense scored a touchdown on an interception return while holding the Cardinals to just 183 total yards in offense. The Rams will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road next Sunday afternoon in the divisional round.



WILD CARD ROUND RESULTS 

Cincinnati 26, Las Vegas 19 

Buffalo 47, New England 17 

Tampa Bay 31, Philadelphia 15 

San Francisco 23, Dallas 17

Kansas City 42, Pittsburgh 21 

L.A. Rams 34, Arizona 11

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