The USFFL Wild Card week was a wild one. In the AFC all 3 home teams move on to Division Playoff round. In the NFC, two of the Wild Cards sent the home team away with a loss. All of the games were exciting, with two games ending with a score separation of a field goal or less. The USFFL has video broadcasts of the Rams – Giants, Texans -Steelers, Browns Chargers, 49ers – Seahawks, Chiefs – Colts, and Buccaneers – Saints.
Now for the recaps:
Los Angeles Rams 27 New York Giants 6
The LA Rams faced the NFC East Champs The NY Giants in Wild Card weekend action. The 13-3 Rams were hoping to avenge a Week 4 home loss to the Giants earlier in the season. This time around both teams would have their starting RB’s in the lineup, as compared to week 4 where Wayne Gallman and Darrell Henderson were both inactive.The visiting Rams took the opening kickoff, but were forced to punt after a 3 and out. From there, it was a game of field possession as both team punted three times to start the game. The Rams got onto the scoreboard first capping an 8 play 45 yard drive with a 47 yard field goal. The Giants followed with an 8 play 45 yard drive of their own and evened the score 3-3 on … a 47 yard field goal.From this point on, the Rams would score every time the took possession of the ball, with the exception of a 3 play drive that ended as the clock expired at halftime. On their 5th drive, LA marched 75 yards on 9 plays and punched in a 6 yard run by Darrell Henderson. NY would go on to miss a 55 yard field goal late in the second, and the teams went into the locker rooms with the visitors up 10-3.LA dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half and held the ball 18 minutes vs. 12 for the home team throughout Q3 and Q4. NY took he opening drive of the second half down the field, but stalled just outside the Red Zone, and NY kicker G Gano split the uprights to reach a 10-6 score. Unfortunately for the Giants, this would be their last contribution to the scoreboard.LA’s second TD came on another 75 yard drive, this time capped by a Cam Akers run. LA would go on to kick another field goal, and Cam Akers had another 3 yard run to finish up the scoring 27-6.Despite the score, the game was much closer that the final numbers would appear. In fact, if not for a Daniel Jones interception late in the third quarter, this game would have been much closer.Cooper Kupp led all receivers with 14 catches for 190 yards. Cam Akers had 2 running TD’s for the Rams.Great game Scott, this one was a lot of fun. Congratulations on a great season – you took the 6-10 Giants to a 10-6 record and won the NFC East.
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d49BPNg1SA
Houston Texans 34 – Pittsburgh Steelers 47
Houston 34 Pittsburgh 47 – Avenging an early season loss to Houston, their worst of the season, Pittsburgh overcame an early 10-0 deficit to advance in the playoffs. For the second time in three weeks the Steelers fumbled away a punt leading to a field goal and a 3-0 lead for the Texans. The Texans defense could not hold up for the entire game, and Pittsburgh rolls.
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IBGiQvd7h8
San Francisco 49ers 31 – Seattle Seahawks 34
After starting the year 14-0 the Seahawks entered the playoffs in a mini-slump dropping their last two games to their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks had a chance to revenge that last game of the year loss in the opening round of the playoffs. But San Francisco was red-hot in the first half with near perfect calls keeping the Seahawks entirely off-balance. On the other side the Niner defense had picked off Russ and helped San Francisco take a 24-10 halftime lead. On top of that, the Niners came out firing on the first drive of the second half and found themselves up 14, 1st and 10 at the Hawks 24-yard line. At this point there is 13:48 left in the 3rd QTR. Check out these stats from that moment: Jimmy Garrapolo 19 of 25 for 250-yards and a TD and Russell Wilson 10 of 20 for 104 a TD and two INTs.Then Jimmy G turned into Mr Hyde (Jimmy Hyde I guess, not Carlos Hyde, he is a Seahawk). On a guessed right look-in pass Jimmy threw a pick (2-5, 11, 12) and that turned the game around entirely. Seattle went on to score the next 31 points. Garrapolo’s stats from that pick forward: 3 of 11 for 40-yards and two picks, while Russ went 14 of 22 for 159 and two TD. It was a total turn-around. And the Seahawk season does not end on a 3-game losing streak. Rich had a fantastic year the dice just went ice-cold for him. Seattle moves on to face either New Orleans (who ended their playoff run last year) or the Rams (who dealt them their first loss of the season).
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJSeI2MStL8
Kansas City Chiefs 38 – Indianapolis Colts 24
Both teams were stymied on their first offensive possessions in this matchup. The Colts opened the game with a good drive to set up a solid FG opportunity (2-9), but the dice betrayed them on shank from kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. The Chiefs opened with an 11-play march into the Colts red zone, only to see WR Sammy Watkins fumble the ball back to the home team on a catch and run. After both teams suffered disappointment at the end of their first drives, the offensives engines woke up! The two teams exchanged touchdowns over the next four consecutive drives, the last one ending on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Tyreek Hill with just seconds left in the first half. The score was tied at 14 come halftime
The Chiefs would drive for a field goal on the opening drive of the 2nd half to extend to a 17-14 lead. The Colts came right back and drove into the Chiefs red zone as well, but their drive would also stall, and the Colts would settle for another short field goal attempt (2-10) that was once again shanked by the usually reliable Colts kicker, Blankenship. On the next possession, the Chiefs would drive across midfield and would eventually arrive at a 4th and 2 at the Colts 44 yard line. The Chiefs elected to go for the conversion but were stymied by the Colts defense. The Colts took over and drove inside the 10-yard line of the Chiefs, where the turning point of this game occurred on the final play of the 3rd quarter. On 2nd and Goal from the 8-yard line, Chiefs free safety Tyrann Mathieu correctly doubled the coverage on wideout T.Y. Hilton, leading to a big interception in the end zone by the defense to preserve the Chiefs lead at 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Six plays into their next possession, the Chiefs were staring at a 3rd and 10 right near midfield and took a chance on a dump pass to Mecole Hardman who capitalized on his A-rated YAC with “snake eyes” and a catch and run of 51 yards to the end zone, and just like that the Chiefs were up by two scores, 24-14 with just under 12 minutes remaining in this one. On the ensuing possession, Colts QB Phillip Rivers would throw his second interception in as many drives, giving the visitors the opportunity to run away with the game late, and that’s what the Chiefs did. Mahomes would throw two more 4th-quarter touchdown passes, both of them to Tyreek Hill, who ended up with 8 catches for 103 yards and three scores in this game. Mahomes finished with 4 touchdown passes and zero interceptions and the Chiefs added 30 rushes in the ground game for an additional 116 yards as part of an offensive assault that managed to put up 455 yards in this game, thanks in part to a 9-for-13 success rate on 3rd downs.
The Chiefs advance to the divisional round and will travel to Foxboro, Mass for yet another post-season battle with the Patriots.
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dETES-Ps4qY
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 – New Orleans Saints 28
Tampa at N.O. = This was an unusual game, as both teams had four turnovers, but none bigger than Tampa fumbling away a punt return after stuffing the Saints offense, allowing New Orleans to get a short TD for the first score of the game. Mike called a good game, and defensively, he was very accurate on knowing what I wanted to do, but I was fortunate to still get some good runs and completed passes when he had the play perfectly called, and many of those coming on clutch plays. This was a one score game for 3 and a half quarters, so a nail biter just about to the end. Saints win 28 – 14.
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNrmK64NojI
Los Angeles Chargers 30 – Cleveland Browns 31
No recap published
Broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtkZ5-ym_9g