Wild Card Weekend in the NFL has come and gone, and there are now only eight teams remaining that can potentially claim this season’s Super Bowl trophy.
Saturday gave us a rarely before seen comeback led by one of the NFL’s rising stars, followed by another team earning their first road playoff win in franchise history.
Sunday delivered a 17-point victory for a team that had no right to make the playoffs, followed by another game played in sub-zero conditions that was settled by a field goal.
The following is a quick look at the path that each franchise took to reach this point, as well as a preview of the upcoming games that will decide which four teams will compete in their respective conference championship games.
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
The Chargers were not supposed to be here. They went just 9-7 on the season, but were a disappointing 5-7 late in the season before finishing the year on a four game winning streak. Despite that run of victories, they entered the final week of the regular season needing a Miami Dolphins loss, a Baltimore Ravens loss, and a victory of their own (over the Kansas City Chiefs) to qualify for the playoffs. With Kansas City resting nearly all of their starters due to having their playoff seeding locked in regardless of the final game, the Chargers needed a wild overtime period to seal their playoff berth.
Their reward was a first round visit to Cincinnati, where the Bengals had not lost a regular season game all year. Playing in a downpour of rain, the Chargers and Bengals both saw their aerial attacks grounded as they entered halftime with a 10-7 score in favor of the Bengals. However, the Chargers defense swarmed Andy Dalton in the second half, forcing three turnovers and allowing the Chargers to control the game and earn a 27-10 victory. The Chargers, now on a five-game winning streak, will now head to Colorado to take on the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos cruised through the entire season, amassing a 13-3 record during the regular season. All three of Denver’s losses came to playoff teams (and none by more than 7 points). Peyton Manning, in yet another chapter of his Hall of Fame career, set the NFL records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55). Behind Manning’s on-field coaching, the Broncos’ core of decent receivers seemed to morph into All-Pro talent.
While the Chargers will head to Denver as big underdogs, it was less than a month ago that the Chargers went into Denver and beat the Broncos for their only loss at home this season. For history to repeat itself, the Chargers and their 29th ranked passing defense will have to figure out how to slow Peyton Manning and the 1st ranked passing offense in the league.
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
The Colts quietly went 11-5 this season, winning the AFC South comfortably after the unexpected collapse of the Houston Texans. Outside of quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts didn’t seem to have many weapons once receiver Reggie Wayne went down with a season-ending injury, but sometimes a little (Andrew) Luck is all you need. The loss of Wayne gave receiver T.Y. Hilton an opportunity to shine, as he quickly became the go-to target for Luck. Having the league leader in sacks (Richard Mathis – 19.5) certainly helped the Colts along the way as well.
In the first round of the playoffs, Indianapolis saw Kansas City dominate the first half of play as the Chiefs took a 31-10 halftime lead. Early in the third quarter, the Chiefs scored again to stretch their lead to 28 points, and it seemed as though the Colts would be embarrassed in front of their home crowd. However, momentum inexplicably shifted towards the Colts as the defense buckled down and the offense began to move the ball. Over the course of the second half, a 38-10 score in favor of the Chiefs became a 44-38 score, still in favor of the Chiefs. Andrew Luck took the field with under five minutes to play, and found T.Y. Hilton for a 64-yard touchdown that would mark the final points of a 45-44 victory for the Colts. The game marked only the third time in NFL playoff history that a team fell behind by 28 or more points and managed to win the game.
Next up for the Colts is a visit to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots, who turned in a typical season for the franchise, finishing 12-4 on the season. Despite losing receiver Wes Welker to free agency, as well as receiver Danny Amendola and tight end Rob Gronkowski to injury, the Patriots found success behind the guile of head coach Bill Belichick and the grit of quarterback Tom Brady. Indianapolis may have the younger legs but as long as the duo of Belichick and Brady are in New England, the Patriots cannot be counted out.
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
The Saints, with the return of head coach Sean Payton from a season-long suspension, finished with a record of 11-5 this season. Drew Brees was overshadowed by Peyton Manning’s record-setting season, but he still completed the second-best season of any quarterback this year, as he finished with the second most passing yards (5,162) and the second most passing touchdowns (39) in the league. However, the Saints are not defined by only their 2nd ranked passing offense, as their passing defense also ranked 2nd in the entire NFL.
Entering the playoffs, the Saints were forced to go on the road to play the Philadelphia Eagles. With first-year coach Chip Kelly leading a rejuvenated Eagles squad, and the traditionally poor play of the Saints while on the road, many thought that New Orleans would not reach the next round. In a back-and-forth game, the Saints were able to slow the rushing attack of the Eagles enough to keep the game close. With three seconds left in the game, and down by two points, they rested the hopes of their season on the foot of kicker Shayne Graham. His 32-yard field goal flew straight down the middle, and New Orleans took a 26-24 lead as time expired. The Saints, before a stunned crowd in Philadelphia, celebrated the first road playoff win in franchise history.
New Orleans will travel to Seattle next, where the Seahawks and their 15-1 home record over the last two seasons wait for the Saints. The Seahawks, who finished with an NFC-best 13-3 record, have developed the most intimidating home field advantage in the league, only being marred by a late season loss to a tough Arizona Cardinals team that posted a better record than two playoff teams (Green Bay, San Diego). Can Drew Brees lead the Saints to another road playoff victory, or will Seattle’s top-ranked passing defense end the playoff run of New Orleans?
San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers
The 49ers finished the season at 12-4, winning their last six games to end the season. San Francisco boasts a formidable ground game, both on offense and defense, as they rank in the top four overall in each category. With the Seahawks spending much of the regular season as the hands-down NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl, the 49ers methodically pounded their opponents into submission all season long. San Francisco did not have a bad loss all year, as each of the four losses suffered by San Francisco came at the hands of a playoff team that reached the second round (Seahawks, Colts, Panthers, and Saints).
Despite winning four more games than Green Bay, the 49ers were forced to go on the road to play the NFC North champions. The game was played in frigid conditions, as temperatures reached 5 degrees (and entered negative readings once wind chill was factored in). The game itself was a back-and-forth affair that was tied 20-20 with five minutes remaining, when Colin Kaepernick marched the 49ers 65 yards to get within field goal range. Phil Dawson sent a 33 yard field goal attempt through the uprights as time expired to give the 49ers a 23-20 victory, and end Green Bay’s season for the second straight year.
The 49ers now head to Carolina, where the red-hot Panthers are riding a streak of 11 wins in their last 12 games. Earlier this season, the Panthers defeated the 49ers by a score of 10-9 in a physical game, and the rematch this weekend will surely feature some of the best defense that the NFL has to offer.
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