The late nights and dreary eyes were all worth it, weren't they? What a sensational weekend of NFL action we were treated to, and surely it’ll go down in history amongst the best Divisional Round match-ups we’ve ever seen.
There were unbelievable, unforgettable moments for some, alongside heartbreak for one certain fanbase and their franchise as a whole. The Divisional Round had absolutely everything, so let’s get right into the thick of the action.
NFC
Atlanta Falcons 10-15 Philadelphia Eagles
The visiting Atlanta Falcons were considered favourites going into this one, but Philly weren’t having any of it. Defensively, the Eagles were absolutely brilliant, completely nullifying Matt Ryan and that insanely good offense.
Credit has to go to Nick Foles. After a shaky start, he managed to compose himself and lead Philly to the NFC Championship game, although he didn’t score a touchdown. I fully expect the Eagles to be just as reliant on the running game next week, and why not when you have Jay Ajayi and LeGarrete Blount to hand the ball off to?
As for Atlanta, it’s back to the drawing board. They’ve a solid spine to continue building from, and no doubt we’ll be seeing them in the post-season in 2019.
New Orleans Saints 24-29 Minnesota Vikings
Wow. Wow. Wow. It’s been almost twelve hours since this game finished and I still cannot believe what I witnessed. Minnesota came out firing, taking a commanding 17-0 lead into half-time. However, Drew Brees and New Orleans weren’t done. They roared back with three consecutive touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead earlier in the fourth quarter.
Then the sides traded field goals and it looked for all the world that the Saints would be the ones heading to Philadelphia next week. However, that’s precisely when the unthinkable happened. Case Keenum threw a beauty to Stephon Diggs, who somehow managed to evade TWO Saints defenders before running into the end zone for the walk-off victory. Moments like that is what makes the NFL play-offs so exciting, and seriously, both these teams deserve so much credit for putting on such a show.
As for New Orleans, it’ll be an interesting off-season. Brees is out-of-contract and who knows whether he plans on playing on…
AFC
Tennessee Titans 14-35 New England Patriots
Tom Brady’s Patriots were my lock of the week, and after a shaky start, they showed us all exactly why they made their seventh consecutive AFC Championship game.
Tennessee took an early lead thanks to an incredible one-handed catch from Corey Davis, then New England took control in the second quarter, with three unanswered touchdowns. After half-time, the onslaught continued as Tom Brady and company made it 28-7, before Rob Gronkowski got in on the action in the fourth, making it 35-7. Then Davis grabbed a consolation touchdown for the Titans, but it was too little too late.
What impressed me most about New England was their stern defence. That side of the ball has come in for scrutiny this season, but the way they managed to put pressure on the quarterback was impressive, and a warning sign to the rest of the pack.
Jacksonville Jaguars 45-42 Pittsburgh Steelers
Although Minnesota’s victory was the most dramatic game of the weekend, Jacksonville going into Pittsburgh and winning was more entertaining in my opinion. The Jaguars tore into an early lead before the Steelers came roaring back with the home crowd behind them.
The visitors managed to keep Big Ben at arms-reach, although the veteran did manage to throw for over 450 yards with a huge five touchdowns. That Jacksonville defence has been stern all season, but they were made to look amateurs here and they’ll have to improve before heading into Foxboro’ next week.
However, I was extremely surprised with the poise, accuracy and leadership that Blake Bortles showed. He only threw for 220 yards, but he got it done when it mattered most and that’s what play-off football is all about.
From minute one, it was an absolute shootout.
What a final four we have, and both the Conference Championship match-ups are mouth-watering prospects. Can Blake Bortles go to New England and do the unthinkable in the AFC? Who’ll come out on top in the battle of the back-ups in the NFC? We’ll see you next week to find out…
I’m sticking to my prediction of a New England and Minnesota Super Bowl, although both games will be extremely close.
