NFL Divisional Round Recap
Just like that, there are four teams remaining in the NFL.
The Jaguars, Giants, Bills, and Cowboys all said goodbye to their playoff runs this past weekend.
Let’s recap the key takeaways:
Purdy Is Persistent
For the second season in a row, the Cowboys lost in late fourth quarter fashion to the 49ers.
Last season Dak Prescott couldn’t snap the ball in time, and this season they couldn’t successfully execute their last drive of the game to tie things up.
All season, Micah Parsons and the Cowboys defense have been more than dominant, but they were just no match for the 9ers offense who continue to remain consistent from start to finish.
Despite the Cowboys poor performance and many missed opportunities to score, Brock Purdy is just so incredibly determined and it shows in each and every play.
No one is out here arguing he is the best quarterback remaining, but we would be wrong to underestimate him.
Not knowing what next year will bring for this kid is exactly why he has been giving it his all each game since Garoppolo’s injury.
Hard work sure does pay off as Purdy is living proof of that and currently undefeated in the games he has played in this season.
As if Purdy doesn’t have enough motivation, “Mr. Irrelevant” lost to Jalen Hurts in college in a super close down to the wire game. 42-41. Now Purdy will not only be seeking a trip to the Super Bowl, but he will also be seeking revenge.
Joe Brrrrr
Joe Burrow and the Bengals took a trip to Buffalo this past weekend to take on Josh Allen and the Bills.
Let’s just say this Bengals team came to play, defeating the Bills 27-10.
Each week, we watch Joe Burrow blossom more and more. This past week he threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns and even tallied on 31 rushing yards.
Joe Mixon contributed tremendously rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown of his own.
The Bengals have so many weapons throughout their offense and they sure know how to utilize them.
It is prominent that Joe Burrow has his team under control and that they are not going anywhere without a fight.
Next week the Bengals meet the Chiefs in the AFC Championship for the second year in a row.
Currently, Joe Burrow is 3-for-3 against Patrick Mahomes and he has every reason to believe that after Sunday Night he will be 4-for-4.
This team is hungry for a SuperBowl and they are more than capable of getting just that.
The Bengals haven’t looked this good in quite some time, and with the Burrow and Chase bondage they are only getting stronger.
Mahomes Is Just As Good On One Leg
Trevor Lawrence has officially lost on a Saturday.
Lots of respect for the Jags as they weren't even playoff contenders not that many weeks ago.
They put up a good fight but only a few special teams can actually pull off a win against the Chiefs. Unfortunately, the Jags aren’t one of those teams… yet.
Although Patrick Mahomes suffered a right ankle injury on Saturday, he was able to defeat the Jags 27-20.
Mahomes threw for 195 yards, two touchdowns, and completed 22 of his 30 pass attempts.
His perseverance is unmatched as he played through the injury showing us he can still be the Patrick Mahomes we all know and love.
A big game awaits Mahomes this upcoming Sunday against the Bengals.
Will Burrow stop Mahomes from another SuperBowl appearance or will Mahomes defeat Burrow for the first time in his career?
Only Sunday will tell.
It’s A Philly Thing
The Eagles sure make winning look easy.
Going into Saturday night, fans actually thought that maybe this would be the time the Eagles would lose to the Giants.
We should know better than to ever doubt the Eagles.
This team is undisputedly unstoppable. There is simply no other way to put it.
Although we have been saying it all year long, each game it becomes more and more true.
The Birds defeated the Giants 38-7 as Hurts threw for 154 yards, two touchdowns, and of course rushed for a touchdown of his own.
Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown while Boston Scott also rushed for a touchdown.
DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert also tallied touchdowns as well.
Pretty even spread.
That is exactly why this team works, each player contributes one way or another and they all work together to get the job done.
The Eagles have an unlimited amount of weapons and standouts.
They are just as electric as Lincoln Financial Field on game days.
However, the Birds may have finally met their match, as this Sunday the 49ers travel to Philly for the NFC title.
If we know anything about the last time Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy matched, we know this is going to be one for the books.
Gia Sabatino is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu.
