NFL Game Recaps: 2022 Playoffs

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Chiefs 38, Eagles 35

The Philadelphia 76ers were not a good team during Michael Jordan’s reign in the 1990s, so their fans did not have to experience the heartache of seeing a great team lose to arguably the best basketball player of all time. Their fans also didn’t have to endure the officials ruining potential victories for their team by calling everything Jordan’s way. Jordan, like the other all-time greats, always got the calls, but this never hurt Philadelphia’s basketball team.

It’s been about 25 years since Jordan’s playing days in Chicago came to an end, but Philadelphians finally experienced the Jordan phenomenon. This, however, occurred with their football team. The Eagles had the superior roster in the Super Bowl and were winning for most of the evening, but the game was eventually locked at 35 with about five minutes remaining. Patrick Mahomes drove down into field goal range, but appeared to be stopped on a third-and-8 inside the red zone. However, the officials decided to extend the drive with a very ticky-tack defensive holding infraction on James Bradberry. It was a penalty that shouldn’t be called in the first quarter of a preseason game; let alone the final minutes of the Super Bowl. Bradberry said the flag was legitimate after the game, but this was likely to avoid being fined by Chairman Roger Goodell. The reality is that Bradberry barely touched JuJu Smith-Schuster, but Mahomes frantically pointed to his receiver, begging for the flag, and the official obliged. Mahomes, like Jordan in his prime, got the call, and this allowed Kansas City to kick the decisive field goal with just seconds remaining.

It’s a shame that this flag was thrown because it robbed everyone of what could have been one of the most spectacular finishes in Super Bowl history. The Eagles would have been in position to deliver a game-winning drive with 1:54 on the clock and one timeout available. At the very least, they could have driven into field goal range and sent the game to overtime. Instead, the Chiefs were able to drain the time down to six seconds, forcing Jalen Hurts to attempt a helpless Hail Mary from his own 36-yard line.

Playoff games should never be decided by officiating, but this is the second game in a row involving the Chiefs that this happened. The Bengals lost because Mahomes had his feet tangled with Joseph Ossai when both were out of bounds, and now this atrocity occurred. What could have been one of the most memorable Super Bowls in history will now be infamous for its one-sided officiating. The Eagles were flagged for the double the penalties as the Chiefs were, and they had a potential touchdown opportunity removed from them prior to halftime when a very sketchy DeVonta Smith reception reversal ruined a drive. The officiating was deciding the game even before the Bradberry call, so that infraction made things so much worse. If there’s a silver lining, perhaps the NFL will investigate ways to improve its officiating problem this offseason. It’s unlikely this will happen, but with “#NFLRigged” trending on Twitter for the second time in three weeks, perhaps that’ll be the push Chairman Goodell needs to hire better referees.

Mahomes got the call he needed, allowing him to claim his second MVP trophy. However, Mahomes didn’t post the sort of brilliant stats many are used to seeing from him, as he failed to even reach 200 passing yards. Mahomes, however, completed all but six of his passes, going 21-of-27 for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran well, scrambling six times for 44 rushing yards. Mahomes appeared to aggravate his sprained ankle just prior to halftime, but the extended intermission – featured by a dreadful musical performance by Rihanna – gave Mahomes the time he needed to heal.

What’s remarkable about Mahomes’ performance is that he wasn’t 100 percent. However, his offensive line gave him all the time he needed. Philadelphia’s usually ferocious offensive line looked helpless trying to get to Mahomes. The Eagles inexplicably failed to record a sack, and it was so blatant that they were desperate to pressure Mahomes that they began blitzing him in the second half. This proved to be fatal, as Mahomes always found the open man when this occurred. Mahomes, as a result, now has two Super Bowl trophies in five years as a starter. If he wins a third one in the next couple of seasons, that’ll put him on pace to match Tom Brady’s seven championships.

Hurts, meanwhile, was robbed not only of a potential victory, but an MVP award yet again by Mahomes. This time, it mattered much more than some regular-season award. Aside from committing a lost fumble returned for a touchdown by linebacker Nick Bolton in the opening half that allowed the Chiefs to hang around – Kansas City would have been down 24-7 at halftime had this turnover not occurred – Hurts was absolutely brilliant. Not only were his passing stats superior to Mahomes’ – 27-of-38, 304 yards, one touchdown – he also did some major damage on the ground, scrambling 15 times for 70 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Hurts, as usual, converted a handful of short-yardage opportunities with his patented successful sneaks.

As for the offensive play-makers, it was the usual suspects for each team. The Eagles were lead in receiving by Smith, who caught seven of his nine targets for 100 yards. He just barely missed out on a touchdown, but inexplicably drifted out of bounds after catching a 45-yard pass. A.J. Brown was right behind him with six grabs for 96 yards and a touchdown. Dallas Goedert was next with six receptions for 60 yards. No other Eagle recorded more than 20 receiving yards.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, had just two players tally more than 20 receiving yards. Those were Travis Kelce (6-81), who scored a touchdown, and Smith-Schuster (7-53). Mahomes’ other touchdowns went to a pair of players who caught only one ball: Kadarius Toney (5 yards) and Skyy Moore (4 yards).

Of the running backs, Isiah Pacheco was most successful on the ground. He rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries, picking up big chunks of yardage with ease. Jerick McKinnon did well, too, gaining 34 yards on only four carries. He also caught three passes for 15 receiving yards. Kansas City’s offensive line must be praised for its run blocking, as well for its elite pass protection.

As for Philadelphia’s runners, Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell split the workload evenly on the ground, with Gainwell outgaining Sanders, 21-16. Gainwell was predictably better as a receiver out of the backfield with four catches for 20 yards. Sanders saw one target, which initially was called a fumble returned for a touchdown, but was ruled a drop by instant replay.

For more thoughts on this game, check out my Live Super Bowl LVII Blog.

Chiefs 23, Bengals 20

For a while, it didn’t seem as though the Bengals would be very competitive in this game. Joe Burrow was sacked on three straight dropbacks in the first quarter, and as this was occurring, there were two procedural penalties on the first couple of drives. The Chiefs appeared to go up 10-0, though an Isiah Pacheco touchdown was negated by a penalty.

Kansas City’s lead was just 6-0 instead, so this allowed the Bengals to get back into the game with some positive drives. As this was happening, the Chiefs’ receivers began going down like flies. Kadarius Toney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman all suffered injuries, so Kansas City’s lesser receivers struggled to separate. This disrupted drives for Patrick Mahomes, who performed better than anyone could have imagined after suffering a high ankle sprain just eight days earlier.

Mahomes, however, made a big mistake while being up 20-13 and driving down the field. The ball slipped out of his hands, and Cincinnati was able to pounce on it. Following a leaping Ja’Marr Chase 35-yard catch on fourth-and-6, the Bengals scored to tie the game at 20. They were then able to possess the ball again in the final couple of minutes with the chance to break the tie at the very end. When Hayden Hurst converted a third-and-16 with a 23-yard reception, this seemed like a certainty. However, Chris Jones sacked Joe Burrow, forcing a punt and a great return by Skyy Moore. Still, the Chiefs didn’t seem to have enough time to score prior to the end of regulation, but that changed on a Mahomes scramble. Running out of bounds to move the chains, Mahomes was tackled a bit too late by Cincinnati defensive end Joseph Ossai. The 15-yard penalty put Harrison Butker in position to win the game from 45 yards, and he was able to drill the decisive kick.

Mahomes truly had a heroic performance. A week ago, it wasn’t even clear if he would play. Yet, despite losing three receivers, he went 29-of-43 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He nearly threw a third to Kadarius Toney, but the ball barely hit the ground. Mahomes wasn’t 100 percent – he couldn’t scramble aside from the final run at the end – but he was still unbelievable as a passer, dissecting Cincinnati’s secondary with ease at times.

Burrow, conversely, was not nearly as sharp. He made some great throws, but the pressure he saw in the pocket really affected him. He went 26-of-41 for 270 yards, one touchdown and two ugly interceptions. The first pick was telegraphed, as a Kansas City defender was able to step in front of his receiver. The second was a reckless deep shot into double coverage. Burrow was missing three offensive linemen, so it’s difficult to blame him for this loss, but he should have been able to perform better.

The Bengals also struggled to run the ball, which didn’t help Burrow. In fact, Burrow was the team’s leading rusher with 30 yards on four scrambles. Samaje Perine (5-22) outgained Joe Mixon (8-19) and scored a touchdown.

The top rusher in this game, aside from Burrow, was Pacheco, who mustered only 26 yards on 10 carries. However, Pacheco made a great play in the fourth quarter when he broke free from a Germaine Pratt tackle to pick up 18 yards on a reception. Pacheco was big in the passing game with five catches for 59 receiving yards.

Pacheco finished third on the Chiefs in receiving, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling leading the way with everyone else sidelined. The former Packer caught six of his eight targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. Next was Travis Kelce, who snatched seven of his eight targets for 78 yards and a score.

Tee Higgins paced the Bengals in receiving with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, following by Chase, who caught six balls for 75 yards. Tyler Boyd (2-40) was another receiver who was knocked out with an injury.

It must be noted that there were some very questionable calls in this game. The Ossai personal foul was legitimate, but the officials also missed two Kansas City holds on the play, as well as an obvious block in the back on the preceding return by Moore. The officials also mysteriously gave the Chiefs a redo on a third down earlier in the final quarter, though that didn’t end up being consequential.

Eagles 31, 49ers 7

The comparison between Tom Brady and Brock Purdy has been made often during Purdy’s late-season run. Like Brady in 2001, Purdy was a late-round, first-year starter playing a high level of football for a championship-caliber team. What many don’t remember is that Drew Bledsoe, the man Brady replaced, was forced into action against the Steelers in the AFC Championship that year when Brady got hurt. Purdy would also suffer an injury in the championship game, but unlike the Patriots, the 49ers didn’t have a viable replacement because Jimmy Garoppolo is still injured.

Purdy was forced out of action when Haason Reddick hit his elbow in the first quarter, forcing a fumble. Instead of Garoppolo, Josh Johnson was the replacement. Johnson is a long-time journeyman backup, but was unprepared to battle the top pass rush in the NFL. Johnson was guilty of three delay-of-game penalties, as there seemed to be communication issues between him and the coaching staff. The 49ers were also guilty of other infractions, ultimately being whistled for 11 of them for 81 yards.

The 49ers were able to score once in the second quarter, as Christian McCaffrey broke through three tackles to sprint to the end zone. The 49ers began driving again while down 21-7 in the third frame, as Johnson converted a third-and-13 to George Kittle. However, disaster struck again for the 49ers, as Johnson suffered a concussion. Purdy re-entered the game, but threw just two checkdowns the rest of the way, as San Francisco didn’t threaten to score without a quarterback capable of passing the ball. The Eagles, meanwhile, took advantage of another turnover to ultimately prevail by 24 points.

It’s not much of a consolation prize, but Purdy can at least say that he didn’t fire an incompletion in a championship game. He went 4-of-4 for 23 yards and the lost fumble. Johnson, by contrast, couldn’t get anything going, managing to go just 7-of-13 for 74 yards. He also lost a fumble when he dropped a shotgun snap, setting up a quick Philadelphia touchdown.

Jalen Hurts didn’t post pretty stats either, going 15-of-25 for 121 yards and no passing touchdowns. He scrambled 11 times for 39 rushing yards and a score on a sneak. Hurts left some points on the table, as he missed some throws, including a wide-open A.J. Brown for a potential deep touchdown.

The Eagles did all of their scoring on the ground. In addition to Hurts’ sneak, Miles Sanders (11-42) and Boston Scott (6-21) combined to score thrice. Sanders notched two touchdowns, and yet he didn’t lead the team in rushing. That distinction was held by Kenneth Gainwell, who looked like the best back on the Eagles as he sprinted for 48 yards on 14 carries. He was also third on the team in receiving with two catches for 26 yards.

With Philadelphia doing everything via the rush, the receiving numbers were very suppressed. Devonta Smith, who made a terrific, one-handed catch on fourth down during the opening drive, led the team with two grabs for 36 yards. There was some question about whether Smith caught the ball or not, but the 49ers didn’t challenge. Brown was next with four catches for 28 yards. He was guilty of a drop.

Speaking of suppressed receiving numbers, only four 49er players caught passes. Deebo Samuel (3-33) and George Kittle (3-32) were atop the box score, followed by McCaffrey (4-22) and Brandon Aiyuk (1-10).

McCaffrey was the top DFS player in this game. In addition to his receiving numbers, he also rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. His score was a thing of beauty, as he completely embarrassed safety Marcus Epps with a crushing broken tackle.

49ers 19, Cowboys 12

Different year, different quarterback, different location, same result. The 49ers and Cowboys clashed in a playoff game for the second consecutive year, and San Francisco prevailed once again. Brock Purdy was starting for the 49ers this time, yet his inexperience didn’t matter. The defense was gashed in the second half, while the offense laid a huge egg, particularly after Tony Pollard suffered a high ankle sprain.

While Pollard was sorely missed, that doesn’t excuse Dak Prescott’s terrible quarterbacking. He threw two interceptions in the opening half, leading to six San Francisco points. the first pick was just a horrible throw, while the second was telegraphed in the red zone, negating a potential three points. Prescott didn’t throw a pick after that, but was fortunate to have a third potential interception dropped. Prescott also threw way short of the sticks on multiple occasions. He made a 1-yard, inaccurate heave toward Ezekiel Elliott on third-and-5, then tossed a 3-yard pass to Ceedee Lamb on third-and-8.

Despite all this, Prescott had one real final chance to tie the game at the end. He was guilty of a quick three-and-out, however, as he threw a possible pick-six that was dropped, then fired way behind a wide-open Michael Gallup deep downfield. This ineptitude, coupled with Mike McCarthy’s horrible time management and play-calling, doomed the Cowboys.

The 49ers didn’t fare well offensively for most of the afternoon, as Dallas’ defense did a fantastic job in the first half. However, the 49ers came alive on a drive toward the end of the third quarter. With the game tied at nine, George Kittle hauled in a one-handed catch where he tipped the ball to himself for a 29-yard reception. Kittle then drew a defensive hold on third down, and this set up a Christian McCaffrey rushing touchdown to give the 49ers an insurmountable touchdown lead.

Brock Purdy went 19-of-29 for 214 yards. There was nothing special about his stat line, but Purdy made some clutch throws. He was much more accurate in the second half, going 7-of-10 for 85 yards following halftime.

By contrast, Prescott attempted eight more passes than Purdy, yet compiled eight fewer passing yards. He went 23-of-37 for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Prescot had a clutch rushing attempt on a fourth down to move the sticks, but was mostly terrible against a defense that isn’t too far removed from allowing Jarrett Stidham to look like Joe Montana.

The one thing that can be used to defend Prescott is that Dallas’ offense was not the same without Pollard. Ezekiel Elliott, who continued to look like he was running in quicksand, did not do well to pass protect. He managed 26 yards on 10 carries. Dallas has to regret giving him a big contract.

Only one Cowboy skill player had a strong performance, and that was Lamb, who caught 10 passes for 117 yards. Dalton Schultz was next with only 27 yards on five catches, though he scored a touchdown.

Kittle was San Francisco’s leading receiver with five grabs for 95 yards. Deebo Samuel followed him with four catches for 45 yards.

Christian McCaffrey caught six passes, but for only 22 receiving yards. Luckily for those who rostered him this weekend, he scored the decisive touchdown as he ran for 35 yards on 10 carries. Elijah Mitchell (14-51) outgained him on the ground, doing so mostly late in the game when Dallas’ defense was gassed.

Bengals 27, Bills 10

Many NFL fans may have guessed that of the four games this weekend, the Bengals-Bills affair would be most competitive. That was hardly the case, as Cincinnati dominated this matchup from start to finish. The beginning of the game saw Cincinnati secure 10 first downs before Buffalo achieved even one. The end of the game saw the Bengals intercept Josh Allen, with Joe Burrow shouting, “Better send those refunds!” in regard to the NFL already selling tickets for their anticipated neutral-site AFC Championship in Atlanta.

Burrow was surgical in this game, completing his first nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared to throw a third score, but an apparent Ja’Marr Chase touchdown was overturned by replay review. Burrow did a great job of spreading the ball around in the Buffalo blizzard. He was incredibly accurate, with CBS color analyst Tony Romo remarking that Burrow only had one bad pass the entire afternoon. Burrow finished 23-of-36 for 242 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 31 rushing yards on six scrambles. There was a scary moment where Burrow grabbed his leg in pain, but he turned out to be fine.

The Bengals were also able to establish a strong rushing attack to keep the Buffalo offense off the field. Joe Mixon dashed for 105 yards and a touchdown on just 20 carries. This is how Cincinnati was able to win the time-of-possession battle by about eight minutes.

While Mixon gashed the Bills on the ground, Samaje Perine proved to be a quality receiving threat out of the backfield with five catches for 31 yards. Ja’Marr Chase led the Bengals in receiving with five grabs for 61 yards and a touchdown. Hayden Hurst was right near Chase with five grabs for 59 yards and a score.

As for the Bills, Allen wasn’t nearly as sharp as Burrow. He went three-and-out on the first two drives, and much of his production came late in the game. It was shocking that he couldn’t engage in a shootout with Burrow. Buffalo was incredibly disappointing with its 10-point output, as the team will need to search for another offensive weapon this offseason. Allen was 25-of-42 for 265 yards and an interception at the very end of the game. He salvaged his fantasy performance with 26 rushing yards and a touchdown on a sneak.

Speaking of disappointing Bills, Stefon Diggs caught only four passes for 35 yards. Gabriel Davis (2-34) was even worse, though he snatched an impressive sideline catch. Dawson Knox (5-65) was the only productive Buffalo skill player.

The Bills, once again, struggled to run the ball. Allen led the team in rushing, while Devin Singletary (6-24) gained most of his yardage in garbage time. James Cook (5-13) was even less of a factor.

Eagles 38, Giants 7

There was some major uncertainty regarding the Eagles entering this game. Jalen Hurts barely ran in his return in Week 18, while Lane Johnson was limited all week in practice. It was unclear how they would perform, even as big favorites against the Giants. Yet, it was apparent that there was nothing to worry about in the early stages of this game.

It didn’t take very long to establish a double-digit lead. Hurts torched the Giants mercilessly, with DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert making big plays. The defense, meanwhile, swarmed Daniel Jones, who was intercepted on a telegraphed pass. The Eagles led 28-0 at halftime, and they clamped down on New York in the second half, save for one throw-away drive.

Hurts went 16-of-24 for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also scrambled nine times for 34 rushing yards and a third score. Because of the massive halftime lead, Hurts didn’t need to do anything after intermission. He attempted just seven passes and scrambled only one following halftime.

Smith and Goedert were the stars for the Eagles, as mentioned earlier. Smith caught six of his 10 targets for 61 yards and a touchdown, while Geodert reeled in all five balls thrown to him for 58 yards and a score. A.J. Brown, conversely, was a big disappointment with only three catches for 22 yards. Brown looked a bit banged up toward the end of the game, but it didn’t seem like anything close to a major injury.

The Eagles ran all over the Giants, yet it wasn’t Miles Sanders who did all the damage. Sanders rushed well – 17 carries, 90 yards – but it was Kenneth Gainwell who was the real star. Gainwell dashed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts. Boston Scott (6-32) also vultured Sanders.

Both Sanders and Gainwell outgained Saquon Barkley, who was extremely limited outside of one 39-yard burst in the second half. He rushed for 61 yards on nine carries. Curiously, he caught only two passes for 21 receiving yards.

Jones had no chance in this game, as Philadelphia’s defense was way too overwhelming. He looked like a shell of the quarterback who was so dominant against the Vikings, going 15-of-27 for 135 yards and an interception.

Jones’ only viable target proved to be Richie James, who snared seven of his 10 targets for 51 yards. James had a great game outside of one play where he dropped a deep pass that could have gone for a touchdown. No other Giant logged more than 21 receiving yards.

Chiefs 27, Jaguars 20

The Jaguars blew a golden opportunity to win this game. It didn’t seem likely they’d prevail heading into this game, and especially after the initial drive in which the Chiefs went right down the field and scored a touchdown on a Travis Kelce reception. However, disaster struck for the Chiefs on their second possession when Patrick Mahomes’ ankle bent awkwardly. Mahomes had issues handing off the ball and eventually limped into the locker room. Chad Henne had to take over for the Jaguars, who suddenly seemed favored to win the game.

This was when Jacksonville continuously shot itself in the foot. The Jaguars dropped a potential Chad Henne interception. They were then flagged for roughing the passer. They surrendered a big run to Isiah Pacheco, with Kelce then scoring a touchdown to cap off a 98-yard drive. On the ensuing possession, Christian Kirk dropped a 60-yard bomb.

Mahomes returned following intermission, yet the Jaguars were still in position to pull the upset because he wasn’t quite himself. However, Jamal Agnew fumbled inside the 5-yard line. The Jaguars were in Kansas City territory on the next drive, but Trevor Lawrence threw an interception on an underthrown floater. This ended Jacksonville’s chances of advancing to the AFC Championship.

Mahomes missed a chunk of the game and had to hobble around when on the field, yet he still went 22-of-30 for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Henne, in relief, was 5-of-7 for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Kelce was a monster for the Chiefs, as the Jaguars had absolutely no answer for him. He set a record for receptions made by a tight end in NFL playoff history, reeling in 14 of his 17 targets for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Kadarius Toney was next on the receiving list with five grabs for 36 yards. Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught a touchdown on his only catch, which was for six yards.

The Chiefs ran better than expected, with Pacheco dashing for 95 yards on 12 carries, including a 39-yard burst on Henne’s touchdown drive. Jerick McKinnon (11-25) was a big disappointment.

The top fantasy running back producer was Travis Etienne, who gained 62 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He also caught three passes for 18 receiving yards.

Lawrence was a big disappointment, coming up short when he had a great opportunity to beat Kansas City. He went 24-of-39 for 217 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was unlucky when Kirk dropped the aforementioned 60-yard reception, but he missed some receivers and was fortunate not to be picked on two other occasions.

Despite Kirk’s awful drop, he still caught seven passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, only trailing Zay Jones (5-83) on the stat sheet. Evan Engram (5-31) posted disappointing numbers.

Cowboys 31, Buccaneers 14

This was one of the most lopsided NFL playoff games in recent history. Excluding their first two drives, which were three-and-outs, everything that the Cowboys touched turned to gold, at least until they lined up for extra points. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, had a Murphy’s Law type of game, where every horrible thing that could have occurred transpired in this ugly blowout.

The first hint that Dallas would be getting all the breaks was when its third possession turned into a touchdown because of a bogus roughing-the-passer penalty. The Buccaneers fought back to drive into the red zone, but on a second-and-goal, Tom Brady recklessly fired a pass into the end zone that was intercepted. The heave was so bad that the ESPN announcers wondered if he was throwing the ball away. The Cowboys turned the give-away into their second touchdown, as an 80-yard drive was completed with a touchdown on a play-action bootleg rushing score by Dak Prescott on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Prescott continued to be hot, completing 11 consecutive passes during one stretch. The Cowboys were both lucky and good, as Prescott’s third passing touchdown was ruled complete even though Michael Gallup stepped out of bounds prior to catching the ball in the end zone. The officials correctly ruled it a score because Carlton Davis got a fingertip on the ball, which sailed right through his hands for what could have been a potential interception.

Brady, conversely, was a complete disaster. Despite having his offensive line intact for the first time all year, Brady didn’t trust his pass protection at all, opting to toss passes away quickly because he didn’t want to take a hit. Brady looked like he mailed it in, which makes me wonder why he even bothered trying to make the playoffs. If the Buccaneers were going to display this sort of poor effort, they should have just allowed the Panthers or Saints to try their luck against Dallas. And based on this performance, both teams would have enjoyed way more success.

At any rate, the Buccaneers, following Brady’s first interception, didn’t show any signs of being competitive, while everything Dallas did was perfect. Everything, that is, except for Brett Maher’s extra points. Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to miss four extra points in a single game. This, however, turned out to be completely irrelevant, as Dallas cruised to an easy victory.

Prescott, as mentioned, maintained a great completion streak in this game, as the Buccaneers couldn’t do a single thing to get him off the field following the first two drives. Prescott finished 25-of-33 for 305 yards and four passing touchdowns, as well as six scrambles for 25 rushing yards and a fifth score on the ground. If you exclude the first two drives, Prescott’s completion percentage was 83.3 (25-of-30).

Prescott had the most success throwing to Dalton Schultz, who caught seven of his eight targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb (4-68) found the end zone late in the game when he was wide open on a horribly busted coverage. Gallup (5-46) also scored.

Amazingly, Dallas was so successful offensively despite wasting 13 plays. Those 13 plays were Ezekiel Elliott runs, which turned into a mere 27 yards. Tony Pollard was predictably way better, as he dashed for 77 yards on 15 attempts.

As for the Buccaneers, Brady’s numbers don’t look that bad – 35-of-66, 351 yards, two touchdowns, one interception – but keep in mind that most of this came in garbage time. At halftime, Brady was just 11-of-23 for 96 yards and a pick. As mentioned earlier, Brady looked like he was just trying to avoid taking hits in this incredibly low-effort performance. It’s possible that this could be the last time we’ll ever see Brady throw a pass in the NFL.

Brady nearly had even better garbage-time stats, but just barely missed Mike Evans for a deep bomb. Evans was a huge disappointment with six catches for 74 yards, finishing only behind Chris Godwin, who hauled in 10 balls for 85 yards.

The Buccaneers got nothing on the ground, with Rachaad White leading the way with 41 yards on seven carries. Leonard Fournette looked even worse than Elliott with 11 yards on five attempts.

Bengals 24, Ravens 17

There was some question about which quarterback the Ravens would start heading into this game. Lamar Jackson was ruled out, but reports indicated that there would be a time share between Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown. There was no such thing, however, as Huntley looked healthy enough to beat the Bengals.

Huntley played well, but made two crucial errors to give the Bengals the victory. Huntley put together a great drive early in the fourth quarter in a 17-all tie, setting up the team at the Cincinnati 1-yard line. Huntley leapt over the line of scrimmage and reached the ball toward the goal line. Before it got there, however, the ball was dislodged and scooped by defensive end Sam Hubbard. He ran all the way for 98 yards for the longest fumble return touchdown in NFL playoff history.

This score gave the Bengals, not the Ravens, a 24-17 lead. Baltimore, however, had an opportunity to tie at the end of regulation. The team received possession across midfield with two minutes remaining, but Huntley’s foolish decision to huddle twice put the team in a very unfavorable time situation. The Ravens had to hurry as a consequence, especially when a holding penalty moved them back 10 yards. What should have been a great scoring opportunity turned into a Hail Mary attempt on the final play of regulation. The ball was deflected by a crowd and sailed near James Proche, who was only able to get one hand on the ball before it hit the ground. The Bengals consequently escaped with a 24-17 victory.

The Bengals prevailed, but may have lost a key player moving forward, as left tackle Jonah Williams suffered an injury in the second quarter. Williams’ absence would be enormous for a team already missing La’el Collins. Without great pass protection, Joe Burrow was only able to go 23-of-32 for 209 yards and a touchdown. He also scored once on the ground via a sneak.

Ja’Marr Chase generated nearly half of Burrow’s production, catching nine of his 12 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. Hayden Hurst was next with four grabs for 45 yards, though he lost a fumble in the second quarter. He nearly scored a touchdown, but was tackled inches shy of the goal line. Meanwhile, Tee Higgins (4-37) and Tyler Boyd (3-26) disappointed those who used them in DFS.

Joe Mixon also frustrated those who paid up for him. Mixon mustered only 39 yards on 11 carries. He caught three passes, but for only 17 receiving yards.

The Ravens had much more success running the ball, as J.K. Dobbins looked like the spry running back of old. He rushed for 62 yards on 13 carries, while also catching four passes for 43 receiving yards and a touchdown. Gus Edwards chipped in with 39 yards on 12 carries.

Aside from losing the fumble at the goal line and demonstrating horrible time-management skills at the end of the game, Huntley played rather well for an injured quarterback. He went 17-of-29 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and an early interception where he didn’t see Akeem Davis-Gaither. Huntley also scrambled nine times for 54 rushing yards.

Mark Andrews was Huntley’s favorite receiver. He caught five of his 10 targets for 73 yards. Demarcus Robinson (2-49) was next on the stat sheet, and he also scored a touchdown.

Giants 31, Vikings 24

Both the Vikings and Giants have engaged in mostly one-score games this year, so the rematch between these teams was destined to be a close battle. That said, the Giants had an opportunity to open up a 14-point lead in the second quarter when Daniel Jones rushed into the end zone, but an illegal shift penalty negated the score. A field goal put New York up 17-7 instead of 21-7.

Naturally, the Vikings erased this 10-point deficit and drew to within three points, though they had their own red zone gaffe. They converted a fourth-and-1 deep in New York territory, but a Christian Darrisaw false start forced Minnesota into a field goal. The kick knotted the game at 24.

The Giants broke the tie with a touchdown drive on the ensuing possession. This featured their own fourth-down conversion with Jones pushing through the line of scrimmage with a sneak and a subsequent Saquon Barkley touchdown. Minnesota had two chances to tie the game once more following this possession, and it really should have been one, but Darius Slayton dropped a third-down reception that would have moved the chains with about three minutes remaining. The Vikings were given good field position on the second drive, thanks to a bogus Dexter Lawrence roughing-the-passer penalty, but a fourth-and-8 attempt failed because Kirk Cousins threw a 3-yard pass. The Giants consequently prevailed in yet another one-score game, while the Vikings lost in one for the first time all year.

Jones had an enormous output. Not only did he have terrific passing stats – 24-of-35, 301 yards, two touchdowns – but he led his team in rushing with 17 scrambles for 78 yards. He also had a touchdown nullified by penalty, so his monstrous performance could have been even better. This was an easy matchup for Jones, but it’s still remarkable how much of a leap he has made with Brian Daboll.

Jones spread the ball around rather well, with four players receiving between six and nine targets. The sure-handed Isaiah Hodgins led the way with eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, which included a brilliant toe-tap reception near the sideline. Slayton was next, despite his gaffe, with four grabs for 88 yards. Daniel Bellinger (2-17) didn’t see many targets (2), but he caught Jones’ other touchdown.
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Barkley received just nine carries, but still put together a big performance. He rushed for 53 yards on those attempts, scoring twice in the process. He also caught five passes for 56 receiving yards.

Though Dalvin Cook outgained Barkley on the ground, he didn’t have nearly as strong of a game. He rushed for 60 yards on 15 carries. The Giants did a great job of bottling him up as a receiver, holding him to just 10 aerial yards on six catches.

Cousins did well to make up for the lacking ground attack, at least until the final couple of drives. He misfired just eight times, going 31-of-39 for 273 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored a third time via a sneak.

Cousins actually vultured a touchdown from Justin Jefferson, who was tackled inches shy of the goal line on the opening drive. This is part of the reason why Jefferson finished with a meager stat line of seven catches and 47 yards.

As for Cousins’ other targets, T.J. Hockenson led the team in receiving by a long shot, catching 10 passes for 129 yards. Adam Thielen was next with three grabs for 50 yards. K.J. Osborn (2-20) and Irv Smith Jr. (1-3) both caught touchdowns.

Bills 34, Dolphins 31

If you look at the box score, everything says the Bills dominated this game. They outgained the Dolphins, 423-231. They averaged 5.9 yards per play, compared to Miami’s figure of 3.3. They achieved 25 first downs, which was much greater than the 16 first downs the Dolphins earned. Buffalo converted 9-of-16 third downs, whereas Miami was just 4-of-16 in that department. The Bills also had far fewer penalties with two compared to seven for the Dolphins.

By almost all accounts, the Bills should have demolished the Dolphins, yet the scoreboard told a different story. Buffalo was up by just three with Miami driving in the final four minutes. How did this happen? It was a bizarre sequence of fluky plays and turnovers. It all started when the Bills were up 17-0, but Josh Allen threw an interception on a deep attempt because of a miscommunication with John Brown. Khalil Shakir dropped a deep pass after that to negate a potential Buffalo score. Allen then fired his second interception, which was a deflection while he targeted Cole Beasley. This set up a touchdown for the Dolphins, who tied the score at 17 heading into halftime.

The weird plays continued in the second half. Allen had a third turnover when he lost a fumble on a strip-sack, with Miami scooping and scoring. The Dolphins were able to take a 24-20 lead with this turnover. It seemed at this point that the Bills would suffer a completely embarrassing defeat as a two-touchdown favorite, but that’s when Miami began making dumb mistakes. On a third-and-19, Skylar Thompson foolishly threw the ball up for grabs, which was intercepted easily, leading to a touchdown to put the Bills ahead. Miami also wasted some timeouts after that, thanks to its inability to manage the play clock appropriately.

And this brings us to the aforementioned Miami drive with four minutes remaining. Things looked promising for the Dolphins when Skylar Thompson converted a third-and-10 with a 25-yard pass to Jaylen Waddle. However, the Dolphins were ultimately faced with a fourth-and-1, which turned into a fourth-and-6 because of one of several delay-of-game penalties. Thompson had Tyreek Hill open in the middle of the field on that fourth-and-6, but he threw an awkward pass to Mike Gesicki instead. The pass fell incomplete, sealing the victory for the Bills.

Allen had an uneven game, going 23-of-39 for 352 yards, three touchdowns and the three turnovers. Not all of the give-aways were his fault, but Allen also missed some receivers, including Stefon Diggs for a huge gain on the opening possession. Allen also didn’t do much running, scrambling four times for 20 rushing yards.

Despite Allen overthrowing Diggs, the talented receiver still led the team with seven catches for 114 yards. He barely edged out Gabriel Davis, who hauled in six balls for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Allen’s other two touchdowns went to Beasley (2-35) and Dawson Knox (3-20), who made an impressive, one-handed catch in the end zone. However, Knox had a second score wiped away by replay review.

The Bills didn’t get much from their running game, though Devin Singletary clinched the win at the end with a 7-yard run and a very questionable spot by the officials. Singletary rushed for 48 yards on 10 carries, while James Cook gained 39 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts.

As for the Dolphins, no player posted impressive stats with the team scoring mostly off turnovers. There were a couple of issues, with one being Thompson’s play. Thompson made some nice throws, but struggled mightily for the most part. He went just 18-of-45 for 220 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Dolphins would have prevailed with competent quarterback play.

Another issue for Miami’s skill players were their drops. The Dolphins dropped numerous passes. Waddle (3-44) was responsible for a pair of drops, while Hill (7-69) let one slip through his hands as well. The same goes for Gesicki (2-15), who scored Thompson’s sole touchdown.

The Dolphins ran well versus the Bills in Week 15, but didn’t have nearly as much success in that regard in this game. Jeff Wilson Jr. mustered only 23 yards on 10 carries, though he salvaged his fantasy performance with a touchdown late in the game.

Jaguars 31, Chargers 30

Brandon Staley must be fired. This was the sentiment before this contest because of his idiotic decision to play his starters in a meaningless Week 18 game. As a result of his actions, Mike Williams was sidelined and Joey Bosa was banged up for this affair. This was irresponsible decision-making, and Staley didn’t seem to understand the error of his ways.

This negative sentiment could have been erased with a playoff victory, and it seemed as though the Chargers were well on their way to one when they established a 27-0 lead. The Chargers confused Trevor Lawrence with their zone looks, intercepting him four times. Not all the picks were his fault – the first one was the result of a deflection – but Lawrence was dreadful to begin the game. Asante Samuel Jr. snatched three of Lawrence’s interceptions, as he and the rest of the Chargers looked like they would run away with an absolute laugher.

During the broadcast, Tony Dungy said that whenever there is a wild comeback, the team with the lead begins making mistakes, and we saw a hint of that when Justin Herbert missed Keenan Allen for a touchdown, forcing the Chargers to settle for a field goal instead. Following that blunder, an ineligible man downfield negated a huge Charger play to put the team into scoring range. Cameron Dicker then missed a routine field goal. Joey Bosa being offside allowed the Jaguars to score a touchdown rather than be forced into a punt.

As the second half progressed, it seemed more and more apparent that the Chargers’ exhausted defense had no answer for Lawrence. The second-year quarterback deciphered the Chargers’ scheme and began firing terrific passes to all of his play-makers. On the penultimate drive of the game, it was the officials’ turn to make a mistake, as they missed a blatant false start by Jacksonville’s right tackle on a touchdown play. Bosa understandably slammed his helmet in frustration, prompting the irresponsible officials to flag him. The penalty allowed Jacksonville to go for two, which Lawrence converted by reaching the ball over the goal line.

The Chargers had one more chance not to completely embarrass themselves, but they went three-and-out after Herbert was sacked. A bad punt and a big Travis Etienne run on fourth down allowed the Jaguars to move into field goal range. Riley Patterson connected from 36 to complete the improbable comeback for Jacksonville.

Lawrence looked like he would be the subject of heavy criticism for a while, as some would question if he was worth the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He had an ugly first half, but was unstoppable to close out the game. He finished 28-of-47 for 288 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Conversely, Herbert could be the one deemed overrated now, but what he truly needs is better coaching. Staley is a disaster, and Sean Payton would be a colossal boost. Herbert went 25-of-43 for 273 yards and a touchdown against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.

Speaking of disappointments, Keenan Allen had an underwhelming stat line of six catches for 61 yards despite seeing 13 targets. He and Herbert inexplicably couldn’t get on the same page despite Al Michaels repeatedly referring to Allen as Herbert’s “main man.” Gerald Everett was the main man in this game, catching six balls for 109 yards and a touchdown despite missing a bit of action with an injury.

Elsewhere in the receiving corps, the Chargers were really in a pickle when DeAndre Carter (2-17) suffered an injury because they were already down Williams as a result of Staley’s mismanagement. Joshua Palmer (2-31) was an even greater failure than Allen.

Aside from Everett, Austin Ekeler did all the scoring for the Chargers. Ekeler found the end zone twice early on, but it’s puzzling as to why he caught only two passes for eight receiving yards. Ekeler is a great weapon in the passing game, but Staley seemed to forget this. Ekeler rushed for only 25 yards on 13 carries.

Etienne was the game’s leading rusher, and it wasn’t close. He dashed for 109 yards on 20 carries, including a 25-yard burst on the final drive to put Jacksonville into field goal range.

Etienne didn’t score a touchdown, with Lawrence’s four scores going to different players: Evan Engram (7-93), Christian Kirk (8-78), Zay Jones (8-74), and Marvin Jones (3-29).

49ers 41, Seahawks 23

The 49ers prevailed in what the scoreboard says is a blowout, but the Seahawks had them on the ropes for a while. Seattle led at halftime, 17-16, and were in position to take the lead in the third quarter when San Francisco was up 23-17. The Seahawks made a play in the red zone to set up a first-and-goal, but it was negated by an ineligible-downfield penalty. Two snaps later, the 49ers strip-sacked Geno Smith to take possession.

San Francisco took over and drove down the field to go up two scores. This was a tremendous swing that gave the 49ers complete control of this game. It only got worse when Deebo Samuel broke free for a 74-yard receiving touchdown after the Seahawks punted. Another Smith turnover – this one being an interception that he telegraphed – sealed the victory for San Francisco.

There was some question about Brock Purdy being able to lead the 49ers to a convincing victory in his first playoff start. Purdy, as some expected, had some shaky moments early in the game. He had Jauan Jennings wide open for a touchdown, but threw the pass late, causing the attempt to be broken up. Purdy also didn’t see a wide-open Samuel on another play. However, he improved as the afternoon progressed. He was nearly flawless in the second half, going 9-of-11 for 185 yards and two touchdowns following intermission.

Purdy’s final numbers were 18-of-30 for 332 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also scored once on the ground via a sneak. Granted, he was battling one of the worst defenses in the NFL, but he looked like a poised veteran after a couple of early blunders.

Samuel’s production had dropped since the Christian McCaffrey acquisition, but he exploded in this game. He caught six of his nine targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Aiyuk was next on the receiving list with three grabs for 73 yards, while George Kittle was a major disappointment with two catches for 37 yards, though he scored on a two-point conversion.

Speaking of McCaffrey, he scored the game’s first touchdown, which came on one of his two receptions. He gashed the Seahawks for 119 yards on 15 carries. He nearly scored a second time, but was tackled inches shy of the goal line on the play preceding Purdy’s sneak.

As for the Seahawks, Geno Smith played better than expected against the NFL’s best defense. He went 25-of-35 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and the two aforementioned turnovers. Smith did well to attack the 49ers’ cornerbacks, but the give-aways sabotaged a potential huge upset.

Smith targeted D.K. Metcalf way more than anyone else, and Metcalf came through with a huge performance. He caught 10 of his 13 targets for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Lockett didn’t do as well, catching six passes for 39 yards. Lockett dropped a pass, but also drew an interference flag.

Kenneth Walker had more success than anticipating versus the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense. He ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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