Winners of the Wild Card

01/17/2023 Winners of the Wild Card

By: Jeff Yoder

NFL Playoff Field Trimmed to 8 After Super Wild Card Weekend Thrillers

And then there were eight… The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend delivered two blowouts and four nail-biters in an epic weekend of playoff football. If you blinked, you missed something spectacular. The Jaguars pulled off one of the league’s most unbelievable comebacks in playoff history, and both NFC East underdogs — the Giants and Cowboys — pulled the upsets. Does that mean Tom Brady might be done for good? Four of the six games were decided by one score. And to top it off, all eight of the remaining quarterbacks have an average age of 25 years old. The veteran? That’s Dak Prescott (29). More on the youthful QB take over tomorrow. But first, let’s run back the first round of the postseason:

 

#5 Cowboys def. #4 Buccaneers (31-14)

A runaway in Tampa Bay! Tom Brady and the Bucs entered the postseason with a losing record (8-9), but they hosted the Cowboys in Round 1 on Monday night. Dallas stormed out to a 24-0 lead in the third quarter before putting it in cruise control. Dak Prescott (329 yards, 5 TDs) tossed 4 TDs and ran for another as he helped the Cowboys get their first playoff win since 2018. Cowboys kicker Brent Maher missed four extra points in a brutal outing, but it was Brady’s first-ever loss to Dallas (7-1) in his career. Could it finally be the last time we’ve seen Brady on the football field?

 

#2 49ers def. #7 Seahawks (41-23)

The biggest blowout of the weekend occurred in San Francisco with a second-half slaughter by the 49ers. The Seahawks marched into the Bay Area and took a 17-16 lead at the half, but the 49ers and QB Brock Purdy erupted for a 25-6 explosion to pull away. Purdy (332 yards, 4 TDs) was brilliant once more while his Christian McCaffrey (136 yards, 1 TD) and Deebo Samuel (155 yards, 1 TD) combined for nearly 300 yards of offense. San Fran plays host to Dallas on Sunday night.

 

#4 Jaguars def. #5 Chargers (31-30)

The comeback you had to see to believe! Everything went wrong for Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in the first half against the Chargers on Saturday after four turnovers put Jacksonville in a 27-0 hole. A touchdown before the half made it 27-7 before Lawrence and company reeled off a 24-3 second-half spurt, concluding with a 4th-and-1 conversion and a game-winning field goal as time expired. Lawrence (288 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INTs) and head coach Doug Pederson pulled off the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history, and they’re moving on to face the Chiefs in Round 2.

 

#2 Bills def. #7 Dolphins (34-31)

The Dolphins gave the Bills a scare in Buffalo despite rocking with third-string QB Skylar Thompson. Miami overcame a 17-point deficit in the first half with three turnovers and a flurry of points before the break, but Buffalo prevailed thanks to 392 yards and 3 TDs from QB Josh Allen. WRs Stefon Diggs (114 yards) and Gabe Davis (113 yards, 1 TD) carved up the Dolphins defense, and the Bills get a rematch with the Bengals in the next round after their game in December was canceled from the Damar Hamlin collapse.

 

#6 Giants def. #3 Vikings (31-24)

The only true upset of Super Wild Card Weekend came in Minneapolis where the young Giants got their first playoff win since Super Bowl XLVI in 2011. RB Saquon Barkley (109 yards, 2 TDs) and QB Daniel Jones (379 yards, 2 TDs) scored 17 unanswered in the first half to take a 17-7 lead, but the Vikings tied it up at 24-all in the 4th quarter before Barkley’s game-winning score. Jones dashed for 78 yards rushing as New York’s X-factor while the Giants defense stifled Kirk Cousins. Minnesota hasn’t won a postseason game since the Stefon Diggs walk-off TD against the Saints in 2019. But it’s the Giants heading back to Philly in Round 2.

 

#3 Bengals def. #6 Ravens (24-17)

Another AFC lower seed without their starting quarterback gave it everything they had. The Ravens — without QB Lamar Jackson — kept things tight with the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday night behind QB Tyler Huntly, but one play shifted the momentum early in the 4th quarter. With the Ravens on the goalline in a 17-17 game, Huntley extended for the touchdown, but Logan Wilson punched the ball loose. Sam Hubbard scooped the ball and took it 98 yards for the deciding touchdown (24-17). The Bengals survive, and they’re heading to Buffalo in Round 2.

 

Divisional Round Schedule

AFC: Jaguars at Chiefs (Sat. 4:30 pm ET)
NFC: Giants at Eagles (Sat. 8:15 pm ET)

AFC: Bengals at Bills (Sun. 3:00 pm ET)

NFC: Cowboys at 49ers (Sun. 6:30 pm ET)

 

Additional Storylines

B/R: Bucs Playoff Loss Signals Tom Brady’s Tampa Exit, So What Should He Do Next?

NFL:  NFL Divisional Round: Biggest Immediate Question for Advancing & Eliminated Playoff Teams

The Ringer: Jaguars Comeback, Staley’s Future & More Wild-Card Weekend Thoughts

 

Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images