NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Recap
It was a surprisingly competitive Wild Card Weekend in the NFL. Let's break it down game by game:
49ers 41, Seahawks 23
What was expected to be a 49ers rout ended up being a 17-16 Seahawks lead at halftime. But in the second half, the 49ers outscored Seattle 25-6.
Geno Smith and DK Metcalf had great games, but the game effectively ended when Smith lost a fumble in the red zone late in the third quarter. Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, had a good game on paper with 332 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, but he looked a little shaky out there which could be a huge cause for concern for the Niners against better defenses.
Jaguars 31, Chargers 30
The Chargers got out to an absolutely dominat first half against the Jaguars, going up 27-0 in the second quarter with Trevor Lawrence throwing four first-half interceptions. But these are the Chargers, of course, so they let the Jags back into the game thanks to a non-existent run game and the defense being shredded.
The Chargers “Chargered,” and lost the game on a last-second field goal.
Lawrence was very impressive in his playoff debut and was flawless in the second half. The only good news for Chargers fans is that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is finally gone and Justin Herbert can be unleashed again.
Bills 34, Dolphins 31
A game that most people thought would be a dismemberment ended up being a nail-biter.
At first, everything went as expected, the Bills took a 17-0 lead and Josh Allen was on fire… until he wasn’t. A pair of Allen interceptions in the second quarter as well as an Allen fumble recovered for a Dolphins touchdown on the Bills’ first drive of the third quarter paved the way for a 24-20 Dolphins lead.
But while Miami had chances to win, the Dolphins couldn’t capitalize and came up just short.
Allen shook the rust off and threw two second-half touchdowns to lead Buffalo to victory.
Giants 31, Vikings 24
This game was great for offenses, but terrible for defenses.
Daniel Jones went bezerk with 301 passing yards, 78 rushing yards and two passing touchdowns, absolutely carving up the Vikings’ secondary.
Things weren’t much different for the Vikings’ offense, with Kirk Cousins throwing for 273 yards, two touchdowns and running for another. The game ended on fourth-and-eight when Cousins threw a checkdown well short of the sticks. But the biggest need for the Vikings this offseason is to fix their defense.
Bengals 24, Ravens 17
Another game that was closer than expected.
The Ravens came into this game missing star quarterback Lamar Jackson due to injury. But they still put up a fight and one could argue they actually outplayed the heavily favored Bengals on the road.
The Ravens’ defense was very good, allowing just 17 points to a powerhouse offense. The game turned when while tied at 17 apiece, Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled on a failed quarterback sneak for a touchdown and then watched as Sam Hubbard returned the fumble 98 yards for a touchdown. It was a 14-point swing from which the Ravens never recovered.
Cowboys 31, Bucs 14
This game was never close. After a couple of punts, the Cowboys went down and scored a touchdown, but Brett Maher missed his first of four extra points to make it 6-0.
The Buccaneers drove down the field and had a chance to take the lead but a terrible interception by Tom Brady ended that drive, and after that, it was pretty much over.
Dak Prescott was spectacular with 305 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. On the Buccaneers’ side, Brady looked shaky, the offensive line could not block, receivers were not getting open and the play design was terrible.
With so many question marks surrounding Brady’s future, will he want to go out like this?
Aaron Jurkowitz is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ahj5136@psu.edu.
