THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
In what will go down as truly one of the best weekends of playoff football - ever - we now know the teams that will play out the Conference Championships next Sunday night. If they serve up anything close to what we witnessed this past Saturday and Sunday, we will have seen drama and excitement at a level very few would have predicted.
After the somewhat predictable outcome of last week’s Wild Card games, with only one really living up to its billing as a 'one to watch', we had four games that will live long in the memory. There have been many outstanding individual games in the postseason over the last few years, not least in the Super Bowl itself, but to have four games of equal competitiveness and drama is unprecedented.
Each game had a field goal as time expired that in three cases was the winning play and in the fourth sent the game into overtime. In this, the wildest and most open season for a long time, it was only fitting that the accuracy of NFL placekickers would be the difference. Each one held their nerve.
Saturday’s double header saw the introduction of the two number one seeds from each conference. The luxury of a bye week and a chance to get players healthy is one that teams fight hard for all season, but some would argue the case for an extra week of momentum carrying into the postseason, and already having won one game that could keep rolling.
Cincinnati Bengals were enjoying this momentum as they headed into their AFC Divisional Round game against the Tennessee Titans. Having battled their way past the Las Vegas Raiders they knew that keeping the game close was key to causing an upset. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson got in some good practice throughout the game before his last second heroics, as he converted three chances to give his team a 9-6 half time lead. When the Bengals' Joe Mixon ran in from 16 yards the Titans knew they were potentially heading for an early exit, but you’re not number one seed without some fight and they had some left. By the end of the third quarter the score was tied after Ryan Tannehill found AJ Brown with a long scoring pass. The game was now tense and as the clock ticked down the Bengals intercepted Tannehill for the third time to set up the winning kick. “That’s a kickers dream, to have the game on your shoulders.” a beaming McPherson said after the game.
No sooner had that game ended, the next one started, and the other number one seed, the NFC's Green Bay Packers, renewed their rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers. It looked to be plain sailing as the Packers rolled down the field and AJ Dillon pushed the ball over for an opening drive score. The Niners could have rolled over in the Lambeau cold, but they are made of tough stuff and gave as good as they got, jabbing and moving. It was not until the third period that the scoreboard got some more points when the boot of Robbie Gould started to make its mark on the game with the first of his three field goals. The score was 10-3 to the home team, with the clock in their favor too, as the snow and the cold were making play difficult. The Niners blocked a routine Packers punt, and as the ball spun away it was gleefully picked up and run in by Talanoa Hufanga to tie the game. The San Francisco defense stood firm again and gave their offense a chance to get into Gould’s range. He made no mistake from 45 yards to win the game, “When a team gets hot its dangerous,” said winning quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo postgame. The future looks cloudy now for his opposite number Aaron Rodgers, who is now a woeful 0-4 against the Niners in the postseason. “I’ll have conversations in the next week or so and start to contemplate after that,” Rogers said.
With both top seeds now gone the Sunday matchups took on a different meaning with home field advantage now up for grabs, although it was proving to be a non-factor so far in this year’s playoffs. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Rams knew that they would host the NFC title game should they get past the defending champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their evergreen legend Tom Brady. The first half was near perfection from the Rams as they moved the ball well and built a substantial lead which was added to midway through the third quarter. When Matt Stafford ran in from a yard out it looked game over. When you have Brady as your leader that is never guaranteed and slowly but surely the Bucs chipped away the Rams' 27-3 lead. Los Angeles were forced into errors and turnovers and as the comeback was completed Bucs RB Leonard Fournette, activated from injured reserve, raced in to tie the scores with just 42 seconds left. Normally a team would now run the clock down and risk the gamble in overtime, but this is not just any season, and the Rams are not just any team. They clearly did not want any Bucs momentum to be carried into the extra period. Stafford stayed cool and picked his passes well to get the Rams into field goal range where Matt Gay booted the winning kick from 30 yards, “This is a tough team man, this is what we’re all about.” Stafford said, after he proved his big game capabilities.
With three walk-off-winning field goals in the books, everyone took a deep breath before the final game of the weekend, which had been billed as the best of the bunch. Could it live up to the hype after what had just been played out? Well, when you have got the two hottest properties on the QB ladder you know there will be fireworks. Josh Allen of the AFC's Buffalo Bills, and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs were not going to let the trio of games before them upstage their efforts. They were simply incredible in a game that flowed this way and that, a tidal surge of passing and running prowess. This game was worthy of being the AFC title game, if not the Super Bowl itself. It looked as if Allen had finally cracked the Chiefs' huge heart and resolve after his fourth touchdown pass, to Gabriel Davis, with just 13 seconds left. Mahomes, though, still had a final say and gave his kicker one chance to tie it up, which Harrison Butker duly took from 48 yards away. Allen then made his only bad call of the night, on the coin toss which he lost and gave possession to the Chiefs. In this mood they only need one. Mahomes took full advantage and his pass to Travis Kelce sent the Chiefs to their fourth straight AFC title game, all of them as hosts, “The guys didn’t flinch, you talk about an epic game, well, that’s how the players took it. They had tremendous respect for Buffalo, and they knew it was going to be a battle, and they kept going,” Andy Reid, the Chiefs coach exclaimed.
This really was edge of your seat, breathtaking football. The week before was named “Super Wild Card Weekend.” This could easily now be remembered as “Divine Divisional Round” and it sets up two mouthwatering games this coming Sunday.
Best get the popcorn in and book your place on the edge of whichever seat is your preference.
Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs 20.00 GMT
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams 23.30 GMT
