(Photo courtesy of NFL.com)
Tanner Hume
Connector Contributor
The divisional round in the NFL has come and gone. Over its course there were some great matchups and moments that are worth talking about. Without further ado, here are the matchups that occurred in the NFL Divisional Round.
Bengals @ Titans: This game was a close and intense match-up between two great teams. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill looked sloppy in this game, throwing three interceptions, two of them being very crucial, especially the one thrown late into the fourth quarter on the Titans’ final drive.
While Tannehill was struggling, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was thriving. He threw 348 passing yards and two touchdowns. On top of great quarterback plays by Burrow, rookie Wide Receiver Ja’Marr Chase caught the ball five times through the air and went for 109 receiving yards on the day.
The game ended on the foot of Bengals kicker Evan McPherson when he made the game-winning field goal to lift the Bengals past the number one seeded Tennessee Titans, 19-16. Cincinnati will play Kansas City Sunday evening in the AFC Championship.
49ers @ Packers: The most notable moments from this game were the opening drive, in which Packers running back AJ Dillon ran it into the endzone from a couple of yards out, a blocked field goal by the 49ers special teams on Packers kicker Mason Crosby to enter halftime, a blocked Packers punt in the 4th quarter to give San Francisco life, and the Packers special teams unit having only 10 men on the field when the game-winning kick happened.
To say that Green Bay could not get anything mustered after that opening drive is an understatement. They completely fumbled the game away, giving San Francisco opportunity after opportunity. But, when the dust finally settled, the Packers were eliminated, and the 49ers will march west to the NFC Championship Game this weekend.
Rams @ Buccaneers: This was a battle between two powerhouse teams looking to solidify themselves as worthy for a deep Super Bowl run. To say that both Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady put on a passing clinic is an understatement to their potentials.
Stafford threw for 366 yards with two touchdowns and Brady threw for 329 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Kupp and Evans are two of the best receivers this league has to offer. But we got a case of choking. Falcons style choking. The Rams were up 27-3 at one point, but completely collapsed, allowing Tom Brady to get the Buccaneers back into the game, scoring 24 unanswered to tie the game.
Miraculously, the Los Angeles Rams drove down the field with enough time to have Matt Gay kick the game-winning field goal and lift the Rams past the defending champions. This year, a new champion will be crowned. The NFC Title game is set to be San Francisco vs Los Angeles.
Bills @ Chiefs: This was the best game of these playoffs so far. These two teams put on a show that would easily rival your favorite movie or show. Dominance, perseverance and downright aggression are the only words to describe this amazing matchup. Allen vs. Mahomes is now seen as a “must-watch” game, no matter the setting.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw for 329 passing yards and four touchdowns, all of them to the legendary receiver Gabriel Davis, who caught the ball eight times, went for 201 yards from the air and caught all of Allen’s touchdown passes, the final two of said passes coming within the final two minutes of the game.
Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 378 passing yards and three touchdowns, and even ran for 69 yards and a touchdown. Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill proved he could maneuver past anyone, and that no one could catch him. He had 150 receiving yards on 11 receptions for a singular touchdown reception.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, a collective 18 points were scored by both teams. It took Mahomes 13 seconds to drive for two passes for 45 yards to set up the game-tying field goal by Harrison Butker. The game was headed to OT.
The Chiefs won the toss and expertly picked apart the Bills defense. In the end, Travis Kelce caught a beautiful pass in the end zone to send the Kansas City Chiefs to their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game this weekend. Buffalo put up a great fight and have nothing to be ashamed of. The AFC title game is set to be Cincinnati vs Kansas City.
