With the regular season complete and playoff hopes high, teams are eagerly awaiting playoff action – though not every team may be happy with where they stand in terms of seeding.
Miami was in dire straits as a playoff spot was threatened, so they turned to Skylar Thompson as their seventh-round rookie quarterback – not an exceptional performer, but just good enough. He helped them survive.
Houston Texans
On Sunday, as the NFL season came to a close, some teams adjusted their power rankings while others saw their playoff hopes slip away. Although two seeds in both conferences are guaranteed, much of the remaining playoff picture remains uncertain as teams vie for seeding and draft position.
DeMeco Ryans and rookie QB Brian Stroud led the Texans from NFL laughingstock to AFC South champion with their combination of efficiency and mistake-free play. Ryans did an outstanding job of allocating the ball to his best players, which bodes well for Ryans’ play calling skills as well.
As for the Dolphins, their struggles persisted despite DeVon Achane’s impressive run for 55 yards and one touchdown on eight attempts – although their second-half play had little offensive momentum compared to first half performances. As long as this trend holds true, however, they will remain competitively within reach of making the playoffs; but their wild card round advancement will require assistance from others.
Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco saw his hopes of leading the Cleveland Browns to victory and playoff glory dashed when they were defeated by the reigning Super Bowl champion Houston Texans, 45-14 in a wild-card playoff game played at subzero temperatures. A series of pick-sixes proved devastatingly effective as Texas scored multiple touchdowns against them on offense to secure their win over Cleveland in this wild card playoff contest.
Flacco was hit nine times and was sacked four times, setting an NFL playoff game record not seen since Rich Gannon of the Raiders’ Super Bowl XXXVII victory. Myles Garrett may also make the short list for Defensive Player of the Year after recording three tackles, one sack and two interceptions in this game.
Pittsburgh’s win ensured that they will host Cincinnati in a wild-card game without needing to flip coins (much to Mike Tomlin’s displeasure). Cincinnati will extend their playoff drought, now 24 years, making it still the longest in the league.
Kansas City Chiefs
At minus-10 degrees and feeling like an Arctic animal, going sleeveless during an outdoor game probably isn’t the smartest move – yet that is exactly what some Miami Dolphins players did during Saturday night’s loss to Kansas City Chiefs.
The defending Super Bowl Champions moved onto the AFC Divisional Playoffs with an easy 26-7 win over an injury-depleted Dolphins squad, in spite of cold conditions that made matters even harder for Miami. Tyreek Hill managed just one big play (a 53-yard touchdown reception).
Mahomes was efficient with his red zone offense against an excellent Dolphins defense, yet still struggled against their inefficient red zone offense. A brutal hit from DeShon Elliott during the third quarter broke open a piece of Mahomes’ helmet requiring official replacement; as such, this loss to the Chiefs left them needing to work hard in order to return to playoff contention next season.
Miami Dolphins
KANSAS CITY — NFL’s wild-card weekend offered many electrifying moments and stunning gaffes, but none was colder than the AFC Championship rematch between Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. In what was both franchise history’s coldest contest as well as one of four coldest in NFL history, defending Super Bowl champions outplayed sixth seeded Dolphins to prevail 26-7 and advance into AFC divisional round play.
Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins marked their inaugural signature victory this season against an elite opponent, though not without struggle in big games – they had previously fallen to Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Eagles and Cowboys before pulling off an incredible 22-20 win against them with Jason Sanders field goal on Sunday afternoon.
Tannehill found it difficult to sustain drives against a Chiefs defense missing four edge defenders and fielding three new pass rushers; as a result, only one third-down conversion (a two-yard touchdown pass to Drake) was successful during the game.
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