NFL Divisional Playoff Round Recap

The Divisional round of the NFL playoffs featured an entertaining slate of matches.  Star players either produced or fell flat as the games went down to the last kick of the ball.

The Falcons beat the Seahawks 36-20.  Matt Ryan captained the Falcons’ offense, throwing for 328 yards and three touchdowns.  His counterpart, Russell Wilson, struggled to find a rhythm, throwing for 225 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.  Seattle’s ground game also never got going, with Russell Wilson with a team-high 49 rushing yards.  Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman combined rushed for 102 yards, more than the entire Seahawks team combined.  It was a dominant performance for the Falcons against a Seahawks team that never quite found their rhythm at all this year.

The Texans lost to the Patriots 16-34.  Brock Osweiler continued to disappoint the standards set by his massive contract, throwing for 198 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, resulting in a quarterback rating of 13.9.  Tom Brady also struggled, throwing for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, for a quarterback rating of 56.9.  Julian Edelman had a great day, catching eight passes for 137 yards.  Dion Lewis recorded a rushing touchdown and a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown.  This was an expected result with the Patriots gearing up as the favorite to win the AFC.

The Packers hung on for dear life to beat the Cowboys 34-31.  Aaron Rodgers delivered another legendary MVP-caliber performance, throwing for 356 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.  Ty Montgomery rushed for two touchdowns.  Jared Cook did all the right things and came up huge, catching six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, including a 36-yard reception to set up the game-winning field goal.  Mason Crosby hit from both 56 and 51 yards to win the game for Green Bay.  Dallas looks toward a bright future after Romo.  Dak Prescott threw for 302 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.  Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 125 yards.  Dez Bryant caught nine passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns.  The Packers overcame a very tough challenge and look very strong heading into their match against the Falcons.

The Steelers escaped Kansas City, beating the Chiefs 18-16.  Chris Boswell was responsible for all of the Steelers’ points, setting an NFL playoff record by kicking six field goals.  In the backfield, Le’Veon Bell carried the Steelers’ offense, rushing for 170 yards.  Antonio Brown recorded 108 receiving yards. For the Chiefs, Spencer Ware ran for 35 yards and a touchdown.  Overall, it was a very gritty performance by the Steelers, and they look to be the underdogs heading into their game against the Patriots.

Next week determines who heads to Houston to play in the Super Bowl.  All four teams put in strong performances, and the games may very well come down to last minute heroics.

Photo Credit: http://www.wsj.com/articles/packers-hold-off-cowboys-to-advance-to-nfc-championship-1484535412