By Lucas Camacho
The Football playoff field has been whittled down once again, and not only four are left standing. Here is a quick analysis of the Divisional Round games before we head to the Conference Finals.
TEXANS 10 – RAVENS 34
Heading into this season, rookie quarterback CJ Stroud had all the look and swagger of a Hollywood star. He led the Texans to the playoffs with an impressive win against the Colts and swiped the division title out from under the nose of the Jaguars. With a Hollywood type script, the Houston Texans looked to go far. However, in the words of Samuel L. Jackson: “This ain’t that kind of movie.” Texans ran into a brick wall Saturday in the form of the mighty juggernaut that is the Baltimore Ravens. Stroud threw for 175 yards but no touchdowns. That wasn’t enough as Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson pounded the Texans on the ground by running it himself for 100 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans failed to score in the second half, and they couldn’t stop the Ravens from scoring in the second half. Add that up…and it means you lose. Going forward, the Texans have the foundation to remain a dominant force in their division and the NFL, but they may need to get some reinforcements for the offense in the draft in a few months. As for Baltimore, ever since they survived a scare in overtime against the Rams, the Ravens have been rolling and it doesn’t look like anyone can slow them down…
PACKERS 21 – 49ERS 24
In a similar story to CJ Stroud, Jordan Love took over as starting quarterback from departing NFL legend, Aaron Rodgers. The Packers managed to squeeze into the playoffs by snagging the last wild card spot, and then followed that up with a huge upset win over the Cowboys on the road. Unfortunately, also like Stroud, Love’s Cinderella-type movie came to an unfortunate end on Saturday night at the hands of the 49ers. It’s hard to believe that quarterback Brock Purdy was the last pick in the 2022 draft, throwing an impressive 252 yards and a touchdown. Despite those stats, Purdy seemed to be off during this game. Fortunately, having Christian McCaffrey to steamroll through the Packers’ defense makes up for that. Going forward, the Packers seem to have some issues with their defense, as their inability to hold a lead has haunted them all year long. As for the 49ers, all attention will be on star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. He suffered another shoulder injury with about 5:35 left in the first quarter. As of this writing, there has been no news that would say that Samuel will miss the NFC Championship game. Also bear in mind, the 49ers have been a force all year…but only when they have Purdy, McCaffrey, and Samuel healthy ALL AT ONCE…
BUCCANEERS 23 – LIONS 31
One Cinderella-type story made for Hollywood that will continue is the story of the Detroit Lions. What started with a season opening upset win over the Chiefs in Kansas City for their banner raising ceremony continued with a victory at home over the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, who experienced a sort of career renaissance in his time with the Buccaneers, couldn’t overcome two costly interceptions including the one to end the game. Detroit is a city where they have clung to far-fetched hopes of one of their sports teams winning a championship. This year somehow feels different. The Lions’ offense seems to have a steady rhythm, but their defense will have to tighten things up a bit before they tackle their biggest test yet: a trip to San Francisco for a showdown with the top-seeded 49ers. As for the Buccaneers, they have what it takes to stay dominant in their division as long as their rivals continue to languish. However, Mayfield’s future as the quarterback may come under scrutiny after this loss as the Buccaneers continue to find themselves after Tom Brady’s retirement.
CHIEFS 27 – BILLS 24
Many Dodgers fans might be able to sympathize with the fans of the Buffalo Bills. Every year, the hype says they can go all the way…only to fall flat. That’s why Dodgers fans for generations have always said “wait until next year”. However, Bills fans are probably wondering why next year hasn’t come already. The Bills, a team that famously came up short in four straight trips to the Super Bowl in the early 90’s, saw their season cut short once again by a familiar foe: the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, played well enough until the infamous playoff woes finally caught up to the Bills. Watching Tyler Bass’ potential game-tying field goal with 1:47 left in the game go wide right felt reminiscent of the heartbreaking missed kick of Scott Norwood in Super Bowl XXV. Going forward, it’s time for soul-searching for the Bills. They were lucky to get the division over the Dolphins, the Jets are expecting to get Aaron Rodgers back, and the Patriots will start a new era with the number three pick in the draft. The window for the Bills to continue winning their division is starting to close. As for the Chiefs, they’re playing well at the right time. Commentators Jim Nance and Tony Romo commented that the Chiefs haven’t played better all year than right now during the game (all due respect to both of them, but that isn’t a high bar to clear after the year the Chiefs have had). However, they haven’t gotten back to the Super Bowl yet, and now they have to face a team with no real flaws: the mighty Baltimore Ravens. If the Chiefs do play like they did when the Raiders beat them on Christmas Day…then Lamar Jackson will take more than just the MVP from Mahomes: the Ravens may take the Super Bowl title from them, too.
