by Ryan Mercier
Bills Squeak Out First Playoff Win in Years
The last time the Buffalo Bills won a playoff game, people in America were loving Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio. So, yeah, it’s been a while. First and foremost, credit to head coach Sean McDermott for bringing a winning culture back to Western New York and kudos to QB Josh Allen on a great season.
However, the Bills better tighten things up if they expect to be in a Super Bowl any time soon. Buffalo let the Colts waltz down the field with ease twice in the fourth quarter when the game should have been locked up. Not only was the defense suddenly MIA, but Allen fumbled with under four minutes remaining. It was done in the hideous manner which harkened back to last year’s meltdown against the Texans.
A win is a win in the playoffs but it was a rocky ending for a team with championship hopes.
Cam Akers, Rams D Steal Spotlight from Quarterbacks
It was a murky decision from head coach Sean McVay as to why John Wolford was the starting QB and not Jared Goff, but minutes into the game it didn’t matter anymore. Wolford took a bad hit and was knocked out of the game. Goff became the relief pitcher, Frankenstein thumb and all.
Forget the quarterbacks, though. The Rams defense essentially held the Seattle Seahawks to 13 points for the game, save for a meaningless TD at the end. Rookie RB Cam Akers was stellar on the offensive side of the ball all day too, racking up 176 total yards and 4.7 yards per rush.
This might be one of the rare NFL games where the stats don’t lie at all. All QBs involved were awful, Akers was awesome, and both teams combined to go 5-for-29 on third downs. Los Angeles has a recipe for more playoff success after being an inconsistent squad all season.
Imagine a playoff game recap involving the Seahawks in which Russell Wilson’s name doesn’t even need to be uttered. Truly bizarre.
Brady, Bucs Advance Despite Gutsy Effort from Heinicke
Tampa Bay won its first playoff game in a while, too, but this night somehow still belonged to Taylor Heinicke. The passing stats can sort of tell the Tale of Heinicke, but add in the important 3rd down conversions and being Washington’s leading rusher to really understand his incredible night. Some of those runs made no sense. He also showed a tremendous amount of guts coming back into the game after being injured.
As for the winner, Tom Brady adds yet another playoff victory under his belt and the first one without Bill Belichick. It felt like one of the more consistent offensive efforts from the Bucs despite having big issues in the red zone. Washington’s defense held up to the test when backed up near the goal line but was also torched for over 500 yards.
The Buccaneers will face another top defense no matter what in the Divisional Round, heading to New Orleans or hosting the Rams. What will the old man have in store?
Struggling Actor Sports 