NFL Game Recaps: Wildcard Round, 2024

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Rams 27, Vikings 9

The Chargers looked like they were completely overwhelmed with the ramifications of the Los Angeles wildfires. They were completely unprepared to battle the Texans, and yet they didn’t even have to switch locations. The Rams, conversely, had to move their home game to Arizona, but perhaps the two extra days of preparation did the trick because they played with amazing energy, seeking to win a game for all the victims of the horrible disaster.

The Rams wasted no time marching down the field in this contest, with Matthew Stafford throwing a touchdown to Kyren Williams to cap off the opening drive. The defense played to its peak ability as well, sacking Sam Darnold thrice in the opening quarter. The Rams were able to tack on a field goal to go up 10-0.

Not only were the Rams the far superior team in this game; they also had the better luck. Stafford appeared to lose a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, but the turnover was negated by replay review. Shortly later, in a 10-3 game, Darnold was strip-sacked. The Rams returned the loose ball for a touchdown, and this play stood.

This was never a single-digit margin from that point forward. The Rams didn’t do much scoring in the second half, but they didn’t need to because their defense kept swarming Darnold, who looked completely overwhelmed. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was also bewildered, as he inexplicably continued to call running plays despite being down 18 points in the fourth quarter. Before long, Stafford was kneeling down in victory formation.

The Rams probably would’ve had more offensive success throughout the second half had Tyler Higbee not gotten injured. Higbee had a monster first quarter, but left the game with a chest issue.

Darnold will not be re-signing with the Vikings. This was fairly obvious even prior to this game, but everyone will recognize that now. Minnesota can move forward with J.J. McCarthy, who will be playing on a rookie contract.

Redskins 23, Buccaneers 20

The Redskins dominated the time of possession in this game, but couldn’t quite pull away because of poor execution and play-calling in the red zone. The Redskins gave Brian Robinson Jr. far too many carries deep in Tampa Bay territory, and none of them worked. Washington settled for far too many field goals and even turned the ball over on downs on one occasion.

The Buccaneers, despite not having the ball nearly as much, were far more efficient in the first three quarters. Mike Evans dominated his matchup against Marshon Lattimore. Tampa Bay led 17-13 entering the fourth quarter.

Things flipped in the fourth quarter, as Tampa Bay imploded with horrible mistakes. The Buccaneers turned the Redskins over on downs, but gave the ball right back when Baker Mayfield lost a fumble while trying to get the ball to Jalen McMillan. The Redskins finally converted a touchdown off the take-away, with Jayden Daniels finding Terry McLaurin in the end zone. The Buccaneers took over, down 20-17, and drove down the field into the red zone. Bucky Irving ran for a 9-yard gain on a first-and-10, but a Mayfield designed run went nowhere, and the third-down play was ruined by a botched snap, forcing the Buccaneers into a tying field goal.

Tampa Bay made a huge blunder by kicking the field goal because it allowed the Redskins to seal the deal with a field goal of their own. Daniels hit Dyami Brown and Austin Ekeler for gains of 21 and 18 to set up Zane Gonzalez’s game-winning field goal, which hit off the upright and went through for the victory.

The Buccaneers only have themselves to blame for the loss. If Mayfield didn’t fumble and the snap wasn’t botched, the Buccaneers likely would have prevailed.

The Redskins will move on to the divisional round to battle the Lions. Their woeful run defense will be tested versus Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Eagles 22, Packers 10

The Packers had played sloppy football ever since shutting out the Saints on a Monday night. That erratic play continued in this game, and we saw signs of that immediately. The Packers lost a fumble on the opening kickoff return, allowing Jalen Hurts to throw a touchdown to Jahan Dotson to go up 7-0. Green Bay had some poor drives after that, including one possession that featured a terrific interception by Darius Slay.

Green Bay finally got its act together with a quality possession in the second quarter, yet another special-teams gaffe – a missed short field goal – ruined things again. Later, the Packers assembled their second solid drive of the half, but the possession concluded with another interception, with Love not seeing linebacker Zack Baun in coverage.

Despite these blunders, the Packers were able to hang around, trailing just 10-0 at halftime. They eventually drew to within 10-3, but had to overcome injuries on top of their mistakes. Elgton Jenins, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs were all knocked out in the first three quarters, and Josh Myers exited in the final frame. All of these offensive injuries ruined Green Bay’s chances of sustaining consistent drives, while the Eagles eventually got their act together, as Saquon Barkley reached the 100-yard mark in the final minutes.

Though the Eagles prevailed, Hurts didn’t play a very good game. He missed some routine throws, showing lingering signs of his concussion.

The Packers showed so much promise just a few weeks ago, but countless injuries and poor special teams play derailed their chances.

Bills 31, Broncos 7

The Bills nearly lost to a Skylar Thompson-quarterbacked team in the playoffs two years ago. For a bit, it seemed as though history would repeat itself. The Broncos scored a quick touchdown on the opening drive when Bo Nix delivered a perfect bomb to Troy Franklin, making some of the fans in the stands nervous.

Buffalo managed to put together a scoring drive on the ensuing possession, but stalled in the red zone. The Bills needed to step up defensively so the offense could catch up, and they were able to do that by pressuring Nix and shutting down the run. Josh Allen, meanwhile, was able to lead a touchdown drive on the next possession to take the first lead of the afternoon. The Broncos went down the field just prior to halftime to potentially tie the game, but a 50-yard field goal was missed.

The Bills led just 10-7 heading into the third quarter, but it was all Buffalo following intermission. The Bills kicked a field goal on their initial drive of a half for the first time, but the ensuing possession was more fruitful. Allen took a deep shot toward the end zone on a fourth down, and Ty Johnson made a terrific diving catch to give the Bills a two-touchdown advantage. Buffalo then put this game away early in the fourth quarter when Allen launched a 55-yard bomb to Curtis Samuel.

Buffalo will take on the Ravens in the second round. The Bills’ fifth-ranked run defense will be tested.

The Broncos were an obvious fraud this year because six of their nine wins prior to Week 18 were against Group D and Group F teams. However, they have a bright future as long as Nix can develop.

Ravens 28, Steelers 14

The Steelers style themselves as a tough, defensive team, but there were no signs of that in the opening half. They looked pathetic when trying to stop Baltimore’s running game. The Ravens were so dominant with the rush that they scored a touchdown on a drive where they did nothing but run the ball on a 13-play, 85-yard touchdown stampede.

This game really turned on a decision that Mike Tomlin made in the second quarter. Pat Freiermuth caught a third-down pass and was tackled inches shy of the sticks. He was at his own 29-yard line, but given that the Steelers had gotten nothing out of their offense at that point, it made sense to go for it on fourth-and-inches. Instead, Tomlin punted. The Steelers, perhaps sensing that their head coach didn’t believe in their offense, gave up on the ensuing drive, which was that 85-yard possession that was nothing but runs.

Pittsburgh didn’t get on the board until the third quarter. Perhaps finally realizing that the Ravens have issues in their secondary, the Steelers began attacking downfield for the first time all evening. Mike Williams caught a deep pass, and then Van Jefferson scored a touchdown. The Steelers would’ve had a chance to get back into the game with a stop, but they didn’t get one. Derrick Henry sprinted into the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown to seal the victory for the Ravens.

The Steelers desperately need to find a new quarterback. Russell Wilson posted a decent stat line, but most of his production came in garbage time. He never gave the Steelers a chance to win despite being in a favorable matchup. Check out the 2025 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings to see which quarterbacks Pittsburgh can acquire this offseason.

The Ravens will take on the Bills next week, assuming the Broncos don’t pull a major upset. Buffalo is fifth against the rush, so Baltimore won’t have as easy of a time running in the next round.

Texans 32, Chargers 12

The Chargers entered this game dealing with the wildfires and were almost certain to be distracted during their preparation. That didn’t seem to be the case on the opening drive when they marched down the field and kicked to take a 3-0 lead. That quickly turned into a 6-0 advantage after John Metchie lost a fumble on the ensuing possession.

That was the last time the Chargers scored until late in the game. They pinned the Texans at their own 1-yard line on one drive, but the Texans went 99 yards to finally get on the board, as C.J. Stroud found Nico Collins to go up 7-6. The Texans added a field goal on the ensuing possession to go up four going into halftime.

The Texans were up seven in the third quarter when this contest was broken up by a defensive play. Justin Herbert threw high toward Ladd McConkey and was picked by Eric Murray, who took the turnover back for six. The Chargers finally scored after that when McConkey broke past the defense, but even that was deflating because the Texans scored two points on a blocked extra point. Houston then failed to relinquish possession on a 14-play, 74-yard drive that spanned seven minutes, concluding with a Joe Mixon touchdown, which sealed the victory for the Texans.

The Texans will be looking to repeat what the 2008 Cardinals accomplished. That Arizona team was miserable at the end of the year and given up for dead, much like this Houston squad, but won three playoff games to advance to the Super Bowl.

The Chargers will be criticized for this ugly loss, but it’s fair to wonder if this game would have gone differently if it weren’t for the wildfires.