Eight teams enter the divisional round of their respective conference and move one step closer to the Super Bowl, but four of them will end their seasons here. Our games on tap were the Chiefs-Colts, Patriots-Chargers, Rams-Cowboys and Saints-Eagles.
Chiefs vs. Colts
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes picked apart a white-hot Colts defense in a 31-13 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs’ defense silenced its critics with an impressive display. Colts QB Andrew Luck looked uncharacteristically flat early on in the game and struggled to even make complete passes. Luck was held to 203 passing yards and threw two touchdowns against one interception. Colts running back Marlon Mack ran for less than 50 yards and left the game early with a hip injury.
Mahomes, who joins quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only players with 50+ touchdowns in a single season, showed off his impressive passing ability yet again. Mahomes threw for almost 300 passing yards and ran in the end zone for a touchdown.
For a team who was 9-1 when their regular season ended and convincingly defeated a solid Texans team in Houston, I really expected better from the Colts. It’s a real shame that this game didn’t live up to the potential of being a high-scoring shootout. With two outstanding quarterbacks like Mahomes and Luck and a couple of heavily criticized defenses, this game could’ve been one for the ages.
Sadly, however, Luck didn’t come out in full force and Mack was a non-issue for the Chiefs. I am happy to see Mahomes break the playoff curse over Arrowhead, however. Mahomes is truly a different breed and I can see him leading his squad to a Super Bowl in his first season as a true starter.
The Colts are facing a brighter future now with a healthy Luck and the tandem of Mack and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. They managed to turn around a disastrous start of the season. Indianapolis will likely return to dominance and duke it out with Houston for supremacy in the AFC South for years to come.
Rams vs. Cowboys
The Rams edged out the Cowboys in a closely-contested 30-22 victory in Los Angeles.
Sensational Rams RB Todd Gurley took back seat to fellow RB CJ Anderson, who rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns against a Cowboys defense that ranked 5th in rushing defense this season. Gurley, who was dealing with a knee injury, got plenty of relief from Anderson’s performance. Not only was the Rams’ rush too much for the Cowboys, but even star RB Ezekiel Elliot was held to under 50 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Dallas QB Dak Prescott didn’t do enough to support a lack of production from Elliot. The Cowboys failed to convert many of their third down opportunities. Prescott played decently and actually managed to limit his fumbles, but in the end, it wasn’t enough and the run-game dependent Cowboys fell just short. The Cowboys still look dangerous going into next season, especially with WR Amari Cooper linking up with Prescott. The Cowboys also have a solid defensive unit and offensive line.
The Rams will go on to play the Saints in what should be an offensive skirmish. The QB duel is looking lopsided in New Orleans’s favor, but the run game could be on the side of the Rams.
Patriots vs. Chargers
There isn’t much to say here; the Patriots came in and did their thing as they manhandled in a 41-28 massacre.
The Patriots really do make it look easy don’t they? In New England’s first six possessions, they scored five touchdowns. QB Tom Brady threw for almost 350 yards, WR Julian Edelman was unable to be contained by the Chargers’ defense and RB Sony Michel had three rushing touchdowns. It was absolute offensive dominance from New England from start to finish; the Chargers never stood a chance.
At the very beginning, the Chargers managed to go blow for blow with the Patriots. QB Philip Rivers and RB Benjamin Allen led a quick drive and tied the game up early in the first quarter, but it was only downhill from there. The Chargers managed to get a few meaningless touchdowns in the third quarter, but their effort was in vain. Rivers’ record against Brady is horrid and the freezing conditions at Foxborough didn’t mix well for a Chargers team used to playing in the cozy confines of Los Angeles.
This was the worst game of the divisional round by a long shot. Complete dominance from one team is something I would expect to see in the regular season and not in the heat of the playoffs, but sometimes that kind of thing happens. It’s quite a shame.
Saints vs. Eagles
QB Nick Foles won’t be leading Philadelphia to another Super Bowl this year as the Eagles blew a 14-point lead in a 20-14 loss to the Saints.
Foles didn’t have the greatest of games, but he did go for 201 yards and scored a touchdown. However, Foles went 18 for 13 and threw an interception. Foles could have secured the Eagles’ second consecutive spot in the NFC Championship, but his late-game pass to WR Alshon Jeffery went horribly wrong. The pass intended for Jeffery slipped through the receiver’s fingers and conveniently into the hands of Saints’ cornerback Marshon Lattimore for an interception. New Orleans wasted no time in killing the clock and punching their ticket to the NFC Championship game versus the Rams.
The Saints got off to a rocky start early on as QB Drew Brees threw an interception on his first pass attempt. The Eagles would go on to score two touchdowns, leaving the Saints in a 14-0 hole. However, after a Foles interception and a fake punt, the Saints managed to convert two fourth-downs and score a touchdown. Once the Saints got a hold of the lead in the third quarter, they never looked back.
Honestly, I expected the Eagles to hold their own against the Saints and I was not disappointed. Had Jeffrey’s late-game blunder not occurred, we could be looking at an NFC Championship between the Eagles and Rams, but we’re getting the outcome that was expected by most fans at the start of the year. The Saints and Rams are the top dogs in the NFC and have been that way since last year. When these two teams meet on the second-largest stage, it should be a game to remember.
