RIP David Bowie - You Were One For The Ages

NFL PLAYOFFS - Wild Card Round Review

AFC WILD CARD ROUND
Kansas City 30, Houston 0  - The Chiefs dominated the host Texans as their defense forced five
turnovers from Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer, who threw four interceptions and also lost a fumble.

Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid celebrates playoff win.

Knile Davis took the opening kickoff back 106 yards to get things rolling for the Chiefs, who came into the playoffs riding a ten-game winning streak. Kansas City QB Alex Smith had a touchdown pass and kicker Cairo Santos made three field goals to provide the final margin of victory.



Pittsburgh 18, Cincinnati 16 - Steelers kicker Chris Boswell made a 35-yard field goal after Bengals' players Vontaze Burfict (late hit on Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown) and Adam "Pacman" Jones (who had a meltdown after the call against Burfict) were each flagged for 15-yard penalties t set up the game winning kick.
The Steelers were coasting 15-0 heading into the final quarter before the Bengals scored 16 unanswered points to grab the lead with 1:50 remaining in regulation.
Cincy running back Jeremy Hill (who later fumbled the ball away to give Pittsburgh the ball back for the winning drive) scored on a one-yard run and QB A.J. McCarron threw a 25-yard scoring pass to WR A.J. Green following kicker Mike Nugent's 36-yard field goal.


NFC WILD CARD ROUND
Seattle 10, Minnesota 9 - After making three field goals earlier in the game, Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal with just 22 seconds left in the game that allowed the visiting Seattle Seahawks to escape with the win.
The Vikings led 3-0 at halftime and carried the 9-0 advantage into the fourth quarter before Seahawks QB Russell Wilson connected with WR Doug Baldwin on a three-yard scoring play to cut the deficit to 9-7.
The Seattle defense forced a fumble by Vikes RB Adrian Peterson and that led to a 46-yard field goal  by kicker Steven Hauschka to provide the difference in the defensive struggle played in below zero wind chill temperatures.

Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers led Packers to victory.

Green Bay 35, Washington 18 -  Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and the offense woke up after falling behind 11-0 to win the road playoff game, completing a sweep for the road teams this weekend. It was the first time in NFL playoff history all four games in a weekend were won by the road teams.
The Packers scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-11 lead into halftime as Rodgers had a pair of scoring passes to go with a 43-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins (who also had a TD pass) scored on a three-yard run to give them an 18-17 lead early in the third quarter but then the Packers took over, scoring the game's final 18 points.
Green Bay running back James Starks scored on a four-yard run and Eddie Lacy added a two-yard scoring run and Crosby finished the scoring with a 29-yard field goal to clinch the game.


NEXT WEEKEND'S DIVISIONAL ROUND GAMES

Saturday, January 16
Kansas City at New England
Green Bay at Arizona

Sunday, January 17
Seattle at Carolina
Pittsburgh at Denver

Sunday Fun Day

NFL PLAYOFFS - Wild Card Round Preview

It's playoff time and the Wild Card playoff games take place this weekend as the AFC games will go on Saturday while the NFC games will be played on Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs, winners of ten games in a row to finish the regular season, will be at the Houston Texans, who finished 9-7 and won the AFC South division.
The night game will be an AFC North battle as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to face the Cincinnati Bengals (12-4), who will be relying on backup quarterback A.J. McCarron (starter Andy Dalton still is not fully healed from a broken thumb on his throwing hand) in this post-season match.
Pittsburgh is scrambling to put it's running game back together as DeAngelo Williams is out for this one after filling in admirably all season long for starter Le'Veon Bell.
The NFC games will have the Seattle Seahawks, looking to make it a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, playing at Minnesota, where the game time temperature is expected to be near zero with blustery winds making for wind chill factors well below zero.
The Vikings haven't played an OUTDOOR playoff game since the 1976 NFC Championship Game at old Metropolitan Stadium.
The Green Bay Packers and their struggling offense will be in Washington facing the Redskins (9-7) who have been one of the hotter teams in the NFL down the stretch as QB Kirk Cousins has played as well as any other quarterback in the league in the final four games.
It should be an exciting weekend of playoff football as these teams look to advance to the Divisional Round next weekend.

The Heftyinfo predictions for the Wild Card Round  (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

Kansas City over Houston
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati
Seattle over Minnesota
Washington over Green Bay


Last Week's Record:  11-5

FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD:  173-83

Lock of the Week Record:  13-4

NFL - Week Seventeen Review

PLAYOFFS ARE SET -  The AFC playoff teams are the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFC playoff teams are the Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
Do not be surprised if the sixth seeds in each conference emerge to face each other in the Super Bowl.

RESULTS  FROM  WEEK SEVENTEEN
Detroit 24, Chicago 20
Pittsburgh 28, Cleveland 12
Cincinnati 24, Baltimore 16
Houston 30, Jacksonville 6
Indianapolis 30, Tennessee 24
Miami 20, New England 10
Buffalo 22, NY Jets 17
Washington 34, Dallas 23
Philadelphia 35, NY Giants 30
New Orleans 20, Atlanta 17
Carolina 38, Tampa Bay 10
Seattle 36, Arizona 6
San Francisco 19, St. Louis 16 (OT)
Denver 27, San Diego 20
Kansas City 23, Oakland 17
Minnesota 20, Green Bay 13

Game Highlights -  Pittsburgh locked up the sixth and final AFC playoff spot with a 28-12 win at Cleveland as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had three touchdown passes and the Steelers defense limited the Browns to just four field goals . . .  The Houston Texans wrapped up the AFC South division with a 30-6 trouncing of the Jacksonville Jaguars with the Texans defense recording eight QB sacks and getting three turnovers . . .  Denver beat the visiting San Diego Chargers, 27-20 to clinch the top playoff seed in the AFC as Ronnie Hillman ran 23 yards for the go ahead score to offset five turnovers . . .  The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills played the spoiler role to perfection in wins in the final game. The Dolphins beat the New England Patriots, 20-10 behind a pair of scoring passes by Ryan Tannehill to knock New England down to the number-two spot in the AFC . . .  The Bills eliminated the New York Jets from the playoff picture with a 22-17 won as their defense intercepted Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick three times . . .   The Minnesota Vikings won at Green Bay, 20-13 to clinch the NFC North division while the Packers had to settle for the (fifth seed) wild card spot in the upcoming NFC playoffs.

The Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week -  Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who had three TD passes to help lead his team into the AFC playoffs.





What a season it has been  . . .  Now,  it's on to the playoffs.

Surprise! Surprise! In Final Weekend Of NFL Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the AFC Playoffs while the New York Jets crashed and burned and are officially out of the 2015 AFC Playoff picture.
Pittsburgh blasted the Cleveland Browns, 28-12 (Browns fired Head Coach Mike Pettine after the game) while the Jets were losing in Buffalo, 22-17 which eliminated them as a result of the Steelers victory. Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan (pictured right) got his revenge against the team that fired him following last season.

Meanwhile, it will not be the New England Patriots enjoying "home field" advantage throughout the AFC playoffs as they lost their final game to Miami by a 20-10 count while the Denver Broncos knocked off the stubborn San Diego Chargers, 27-20 as Peyton Manning came off the bench to lead the fourth quarter comeback win. As a result, the Broncos are the top seed in the AFC post-season.

The AFC Playoffs are set as the Wild Card Round goes next weekend with Pittsburgh going to Cincinnati to face the Bengals while the Kansas City Chiefs will travel to face the Houston Texans. Denver and New England have the bye week.

In the NFC, the teams were already set for the playoffs, it was just a matter of setting the seedings up top in the conference.
The Carolina Panthers rolled to another win, 38-10 over Tampa Bay and Cam Newton and company will be the top seed at 15-1 while Arizona (13-3) will be the number-two seed. The Cardinals were blasted by the Seattle Seahawks, 36-6, who already are in the playoffs as a wild card this season.
Washington (9-7) crushed the host Dallas Cowboys, 34-23 behind another big game from quarterback Kirk Cousins and will be locked in at the number four spot, hosting a wild card game next week.
The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings went at it on the Sunday Night Football game to decide the NFC North winner (and number-three seed) and the losing team will get the wild card spot. The Vikings pulled off the mild upset in Green Bay, winning 20-13 and will host the Seattle Seahawks while Green Bay (fifth seed) travels to face the Washington Redskins.
There was one other coaching change following the final games on Sunday besides Cleveland as the San Francisco 49ers fired Head Coach Jim Tomsula following the team's 19-16 overtime win against the St. Louis Rams.
There are many rumors regarding more coaching changes throughout the league coming possibly on Monday.
Stay tuned.

(The Heftyinfo Week Seventeen Review will be up once the dust settles on the coaching changes and also when the entire NFL post-season schedule is set for next weekend.)

Wow!

 Man oh man . . .  look at how technology has advanced in just eight years since this television ad (Verizon wireless phone post-Holiday) first ran back in January of 2008.
Time sure does fly . . .  Happy New Year!