Josh Allen booked another playoff date with Patrick Mahomes while Jayden Daniels and Saquon Barkley stole the show once again – Sky Sports NFL host Neil Reynolds has the final say on this weekend’s divisional round…
After the Wild Card weekend, the intensity and tension of the divisional round games heated up, and it did not disappoint.
We’re filled with great matches, amazing stories, legacies, and career-defining moments early and late in career. We’ve seen it all.
Some old stories of presidents
Let’s start in Kansas City, where the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Houston Texans had an all-too-familiar feeling. It must be playoff time again, because Patrick Mahomes is taking shots at Travis Kelce, those two combined for over 100 receiving yards and over 16 yards per reception when Kelce only averaged 8.5 during the regular season.
Make no mistake, the Chiefs are a defensive football team now. They gained just 212 yards of offense, the fewest for a winning playoff team since 1991, and relied on those eight sacks from CJ Stroud to advance to the next round.
It’s an amazing period of success for the Chiefs as they prepare to play in the AFC Championship for the seventh straight year. Mahomes is a very big part of that, but Andy Reid has also been a big factor in how this team has been able to develop over all these years through all these championships to get to where it is now, led by a defense with enough strength. Plays from “Magic Man” Mahomes.
They are very capable of winning the Super Bowl for the third year in a row.
A Cinderella story crashes in Detroit
I’d like to say something dramatic at the beginning of this section about a star being born, but Jayden Daniels was already on his way as the Washington Commanders’ rookie quarterback before leading his team to Saturday’s stunning 45-31 rout against the Detroit Lions. .
Thus ended the magical season for the Lions. Daniels was so cool, so calm, and looked like the veteran who was chasing the Super Bowl rather than Jared Goff, who was really struggling in the bright lights. It’s been flipped and reversed with these two quarterbacks.
Detroit turned it over five times, leading directly to Washington’s 21 points, a high number in a game decided by 14 points. It was an amazing game, with over 1,000 yards of offense. There were six touchdowns and 42 points in the second quarter — the latter a playoff record — with five of those touchdowns within six minutes.
The teams went back and forth but it was Jared Goff who made the key mistakes: a one-time Washington pick-six and an end zone interception before halftime. Daniels played with ice in his veins, was calm, and made all the big plays in all the big losses, a major reason why the Chiefs, who won just four games a year ago, are just 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl.
As for the Lions, their Cinderella season has been shattered into a thousand pieces. What’s next for them? Ben Johnson is the new coach of the Chicago Bears, and Aaron Glenn could be leaving as well. What’s next for Dan Campbell on the coaching side? Will the Super Bowl window still be open?
Stars I will be in the snow
I was happy to see a snowy game in Philadelphia on Sunday. I love him. It’s just a great backdrop for NFL drama, especially come playoff time.
It must have been a first for Matthew Stafford. In 2013, he led the Lions against the Eagles in a blizzard in a game that saw LeSean McCoy rush for over 200 yards for the Eagles. On Sunday, Stafford was playing against the Eagles in a snowball game, and a Philadelphia running back gained over 200 yards — this time it was Saquon Barkley.
Barkley broke Rams hearts in Week 12 by rushing for 255 yards and this time carrying for 205 yards, scoring on runs of 62 and 78 yards, taking advantage of huge holes created by a great offensive line.
The blow for the Eagles was the injury to Jalen Hurts, who suffered a knee injury. He was sacked seven times on the night while throwing for just 128 yards, after throwing for just 131 yards the week before. Should we worry about that? Will this lack of passing catch up or will Barkley lead this team all the way to New Orleans?
The Rams showed great fight and almost won the game in the end, and the Eagles relied on a late defensive stance. Sean McVay’s team goes into the offseason with a lot of excitement and optimism about heading into 2025.
Another lost season for Mar Jackson
We end with the most anticipated game of the weekend as the Baltimore Ravens take on the Buffalo Bills.
It was 27-25 in Buffalo’s favor in the final two minutes, Lamar Jackson had just produced late heroics to throw a likely touchdown pass to Isaiah, and a two-point conversion would tie up a tense game in frosty conditions — and Mark Andrews dropped the football!
His tight end has been very reliable, catching 11 touchdowns in the red zone this year, but this time he was dropped when he fell backwards toward the goal line. Absolute heartbreak for the Crows. Another lost season for Jackson, who won’t be too comfortable being named MVP for the third time before the Super Bowl.
Mistakes killed the Crows in this close match. Lamar threw an interception and lost a fumble, and Andrews also lost a fumble on a fumble in the fourth quarter. But I think Lamar was magical when they needed him on the right flank, so he shouldn’t be criticized too much. This remains a fact, he has yet to reach the Super Bowl in what has been an impressive personal career.
Buffalo’s MVP candidate, Josh Allen, was able to play within himself with just 127 yards passing and no touchdowns, while scoring on a pair of runs. The Bills were balanced, and while they gave up over 400 yards of offense to Baltimore, they came up with big defensive plays when they needed to.
Buffalo certainly seems capable of going to Kansas City and giving the Chiefs a real run for their money. This is a defining moment for Allen. He played against Mahomes three times in the playoffs, and each one ended in a win for the Chiefs. Can he guide the Bills all the way to the Super Bowl?
What’s next?
It’s the NFL Conference Championship on Sunday, January 26 – live Sky Sports NFL – With the Philadelphia Eagles first hosting the Washington Commanders in the NFC title game from 8 p.m., then the Chiefs take on the Bills from 11:30 p.m.
Super Bowl LIX will be held on Sunday, February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Live on Sky Sports NFL.
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