NFL Fieldhouse: 2019 Wild Card Weekend recap

The 2018 NFL Wild Card games have concluded and the divisional matchups are set. Now that the first set of games are all said and done, it’s time to analyze everything that has happened and predict what will come next in the NFL world.

Colts vs. Texans

The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Houston Texans in Houston by a score of 21-7. In a game that I thought would be a hard-fought battle at first, the Texans couldn’t seem to solve the combination of QB Andrew Luck and WR T.Y. Hilton, who caught five passes for 85-yards. Colts RB Marlon Mack rushed for 222-yards and two touchdowns. 

The Colts’ offensive line also stepped up big and allowed Indy to jump to a 21-0 lead by halftime. The rest of the game belonged to the Colts’ defense, which was great at preventing Houston from converting on third downs.

For Houston, it’s another playoff implosion. Texans QB Deshaun Watson didn’t play nearly as well as he had during the regular season. Watson was sacked three times during the game. In addition, Watson also missed his target on some crucial passing situations, such as a botched opportunity to pass to WR DeAndre Hopkins in the end zone to secure a late first-half comeback.

The red-hot Colts will go on to face the offensive power-house Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round, and what a show that will be.

Seahawks vs. Cowboys

My Seattle Seahawks fell to the Dallas Cowboys 22-24. The Cowboys rode on the coattails of RB Ezekiel Elliot in Saturday night’s victory. Though Seattle had the league’s best rushing offense this year, the Cowboys seemed to have the ground game figured out more than the Seahawks.

The game truly wasn’t decided until Dallas recovered an onside kick attempt by Seattle with a little over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. 

Elliot, who led the league in rushing yards this season, was utilized to drain the game away and cling on to a narrow lead. 

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was by no means perfect, but it was enough when combined with the efforts of Ezekiel Elliot and a staunch defense. Prescott showed how clutch he can be when he converted a third-and-14 with a 16-yard run late in the game, essentially securing a Dallas victory. Prescott also passed for 226-yards.

Seattle’s league-leading rushing offense fell completely flat against an admirable defensive performance by Dallas. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, like RB Chris Carson, had his effectiveness minimized as well. 

The Cowboys wisely kept a close eye on Wilson to ensure that he wouldn’t gain too many yards with his legs. The Seahawks tried to stick to a run-first strategy that was largely ineffective against a defense as productive as Dallas.

The Cowboys will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. It’ll be fun to watch two of the leagues best RB’s in Elliot and Todd Gurley face each on this grand of a stage.

Chargers vs. Ravens

The Los Angeles Chargers managed to hang on for dear life against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chargers escaped with a 23-17 win.

In a season full of record-setting QB performances league-wide, the Ravens vs Chargers game went against the grain and instead featured inefficient offensive play and stout defensive performances.

The Chargers didn’t rely on QB Philip Rivers this time around, who threw for only 160-yards, and instead depended on rookie kicker Michael Badgley to kick field goals until the second coming. 

RB Melvin Gordon and fullback Derek Watt contributed touchdowns to the offense and gave the Chargers’ defense some breathing room. The Chargers managed to hold their own for quite some time against a revitalized Ravens’ offense, at least until the second half of the game.

Ravens rookie QB Lamar Jackson, who played a large role in Baltimore’s playoff push this season, was stifled by the Chargers’ defense until late in the game. Despite calls from Ravens fans for veteran QB Joe Flacco to step in, Jackson led a furious comeback but just nearly fell short. 

However, when push came to shove late in the fourth quarter, Jackson fumbled the ball and gave the Chargers a ticket to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.

Eagles vs. Bears

The final Wild Card game was between the defense-heavy Chicago Bears and the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks to a late-game blunder by Chicago’s kicker, the Eagles escaped the Windy City with a 16-15 win.

Once again, Nick Foles is taking the mantle of starting QB while usual starter Carson Wentz deals with another injury. 

It took him a while, but Foles got into the rhythm of the game and led a game-winning drive to send the Eagles back to the NFC Divisional Round, though Philly didn’t make it look easy. Careless errors nearly cost them the game at points, especially interceptions and penalties.

What really sent the Eagles to the next round were the Bears themselves. Chicago’s defense, which consists of Pro Bowl talents like Khalil Mack, Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson and was ranked first in the league, was great but the effort wasn’t enough to help the offense. 

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, similar to Foles, started off slow. Eventually, Trubisky found his footing and started sending great passes to WR Allen Robinson. All the Bears had to do to get the win was deliver one more late-game field goal to make the score 18-16. However, Bears kicker Cody Parkey’s attempt hit the post and the crossbar of the uprights, an ironic coincidence considering that Parkey hit the post four times in one game this season.

The Eagles will play the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans in the NFC Divisional Round.