It was an exciting weekend of playoff football in the NFL. It featured back and forth contests, multiple comebacks, a defensive battle in New England, and a loss so bad that it ended the tenure of the league’s longest serving head coach. Above all, we are another week closer to seeing who will compete in the 60th Super Bowl.
The first wild card game might have been the most exciting of the weekend. The Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers battled from start to finish. With 2:39 left in the fourth
quarter, the Panthers took a 31-27 lead after a Bryce Young touchdown pass to Jalen Coker. In response, former Dawg and first time All-Pro Matthew Stafford led a seven play, 71 yard drive, capped by an incredible throw from Stafford and catch by Colby Parkinson. The Rams would go on to win 34-31, setting up a divisional round matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Stafford also put himself in the driver’s seat to win the MVP award this season.
Speaking of the Bears, they completed an impressive comeback on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers. Down 21-3 at halftime, the Bears went on a 28-6 second half run to stun their division rival and earn their first playoff win in 16 years. Running back D’Andre Swift scored Chicago’s first touchdown on the day with a six yard run in the fourth quarter. He would end his day with 54 yards on 13 carries.
Over in the AFC, James Cook and the Buffalo Bills defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road with a 27-24 victory. Cook went for 46 yards on the ground. The Bills will battle the Denver Broncos Saturday.
The San Francisco 49ers ended the Philly Dawgs’ quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions with a 23-19 win in Philadelphia. Despite 21 combined tackles, including three tackles for loss, by Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Smael Mondon, the Eagles’ offensive inefficiencies proved too much to overcome. The 49ers will face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
Nick Chubb, Kamari Lassiter, and the Houston Texans had a dominant victory on the road (I’m noticing a trend here) against the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6. Chubb rushed for 48 yards in his first playoff game since the 2020 season. Lassiter notched six tackles, including one tackle for loss.
This weekend of football should be as entertaining as last week. Best of luck to the remaining Dawgs in the playoffs seeking to hoist the Lombardi trophy at the end of the season.
