This week’s NFL Super Wildcard weekend was filled with some great moments. Although 4 of the 6 games were won by at least two touchdowns, we got to see some of the league’s most explosive teams on full display. Here is a full recap of the Super Wildcard Weekend.
The first game of the Super Wildcard had a very dramatic finish. Joe Burrow and the young Bengals faced off against the Las Vegas Raiders. Derek Carr threw 54 times for 319 yards and one touchdown. For Cincinnati, Joe Burrow threw for 244 yards. In the fourth quarter, Las Vegas attempted to make a big comeback and steal the win. Jamarr Chase kept up the pace on his stellar rookie season with nine receptions for 116 yards. The game came down to the final seconds, as the Raiders made a push late in the fourth quarter. On the final play of the game, Derek Carr threw an interception that ended the game and gave the Bengals the win. The final score was 26-19, and the Bengals earn their first playoff win in 34 years.
For the last 20 years, except for last season, the New England Patriots have dominated the AFC East. The Buffalo Bills have been the punching bag for those years, but this time around the Bills finally got their chance to bully the bully. Josh Allen led the Bills offense to a near-perfect night, as they scored seven touchdowns in the game. Josh Allen led the charge with 308 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 66 more yards. Allen also completed 21 of his 25 passes. Devin Singletary also ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns to add to the onslaught. The Bills forced Mac Jones into a lot of tough situations in the rookie’s first playoff game, as he threw two interceptions.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted the Philadelphia Eagles for their first matchup this postseason. Tom Brady, who came into the game with 34 playoff wins looked as comfortable as ever. Brady led the Bucs to a 17-0 lead by halftime. Tampa Bay got big contributions from Keshawn Vaughn and Giovanni Bernard who both scored rushing touchdowns with the absence of Leonard Fournette. Mike Evans also had a great game with the Bucs down a couple of receivers due to several different circumstances. Evans had nine receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown. Bucs did a fantastic job of containing Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense. Hurts threw for 258 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw for two interceptions and completed just 23/43 passes. Philadelphia did manage to score 15 points in the fourth quarter to lessen the deficit but was too much to overcome. Tampa Bay advances to the Divisional Round with a 31-15 win, and Tom Brady earns his 35th playoff career game.
The Dallas Cowboys hosted the San Francisco 49ers for their wildcard game, sparking a new chapter in a playoff rivalry that spans over several decades. Dallas’ biggest struggle throughout the game was turnovers, especially on big plays. Dallas committed 14 turnovers for a total of 89 yards. The 49er’s offense was steady and deliberate. They stuck to their guns as Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell combined for 168 yards. Jimmy G did a good job of managing and converting on big third downs. For Dallas, it took a while for everything to click but the Cowboys did eventually did get the game into striking distance. In the end, the Cowboys got the ball back with just seconds to spare and drove the ball down the field. Dak Prescott ran the ball up the middle with no timeouts and tried to get the ball set to spike the ball. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, the referee had to set the ball and time expired. The 49ers won the game 23-17 and advance to the divisional round.
After starting their seasons slow, the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves matched up against each other. The two teams faced each other just a few weeks ago and the Chiefs won 36-10. Speaking of slow starts, both the Chiefs and Steelers started slowly in this game. But in the second quarter, the Chiefs got going and never looked back. Patrick Mahomes tossed five touchdowns and threw for 404 yards in the game. Travis Kelce even got in on the fun and threw a touchdown his self. For the Steelers, it seems like this will be Big Ben’s final game of his career. He did throw a pair of touchdowns and 215 yards in the game for the Steelers. The Chiefs advance once again with a 42-21.
Monday night, the Cardinals and Rams faced off in yet another divisional rivalry game. From the start, things went very bad very quickly for the Cardinals and the Rams took advantage of every opportunity. Kyler Murray was under duress the whole game and threw two interceptions, one of which came from him attempting to throw a pass inside of his endzone. That pass was intercepted for a pick-6. Matt Stafford had a solid game, completing 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford also rushed for a one-yard touchdown. Cam Akers and Sony Michel combined for 113 rush yards and gave Los Angeles a balanced attack throughout. The Cardinals just couldn’t get right, as the Rams ran away with a 34-11 victory.