NFL Game Recaps: 2018 Playoffs

Patriots 13, Rams 3

This was an incredibly frustrating Super Bowl. Neither team could get anything going offensively for most of the evening. The Rams played tremendous defense, limiting Tom Brady on third down with some great plays and pressure. Brady converted just 3-of-12 third-down opportunities. Meanwhile, Jared Goff was completely flustered. At one point, he was 5-of-15 for only 52 yards. Goff even forgot the snap count on one down. It was an ugly game to say the least.

The winner of this game, which was either 3-0 New England or 3-3 for the longest time, would be the team to put together a successful drive. That was the Patriots, as Brady connected on some long passes to Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. The latter took New England down to the 1-yard line, setting up a Sony Michel touchdown run. This put the Patriots up 10-3. The Rams had one more chance, and they actually advanced into scoring territory. However, Brandin Cooks dropped a touchdown, while Goff lobbed up an interception, which Stephon Gilmore snatched on the very next play. The Patriots had some nice runs to eat up the clock and ice the victory.

Brady had a mediocre stat line, going 21-of-35 for 262 yards and an interception. He also fumbled on a strip-sack, but a teammate recovered. He wasn’t sacked in the two playoff games preceding this one, but the Rams were able to put some heat on him to disrupt drives. Brady was sacked just once, but the Rams were able to force some poor throws, including one on the opening drive, which was intercepted. Brady was nearly picked on a second occasion when he fired behind his receiver, but the potential interception was dropped. Brady did not have a good game, to say the least.

However, Brady came through in the clutch when it mattered most. He led the Patriots on a five-play, 69-yard drive to clinch the Super Bowl victory. He did this versus one of the top defenses in the NFL to win his sixth championship, becoming the only player in league history to win that many Super Bowls.

Brady finished 21-of-35 for 262 yards and an interception. He was lucky not to be picked twice, but his fourth-quarter performance offset his early struggles.

Edelman won the MVP, and rightfully so. The Rams had no answer for him until they double teamed him late in the game. Edelman caught 10 of his 12 targets for 141 yards. He and Rob Gronkowski (6-87) were the only Patriots with more than 15 receiving yards. Both Adam Schefter and Nate Burleson proclaimed Edelman to be Hall of Fame-bound following this victory, but that was just a silly overreaction. Edelman has just two 1,000-yard seasons and only 30 career touchdowns. Gronkowski, who will actually be going to the Hall of Fame, may have played his last game ever, though he refused to address that in the post-game celebration.

The Patriots ran well versus the Rams, who had trouble stopping the run in the regular season. This was prevalent at the end of the game when the Rams were trying to get the ball back with slightly more than four minutes remaining in regulation. Thanks to some big runs by Michel (18-94, TD) and Rex Burkhead (7-43), the Rams were down 10 with about 1:10 remaining once they regained possession again. However, it must also be noted that it’s possible that the Rams knew they didn’t have a chance with Goff struggling so mightily.

And yes, Goff was atrocious. He had one of the worst performances of a quarterback in Super Bowl history. He went 19-of-38 for 229 yards and an interception, and those numbers don’t tell the entire story. As mentioned earlier, Goff forgot the snap count on one play. He also threw the ball way too late. On one occasion, he had Cooks open for a touchdown, but threw the ball seconds after he should have, allowing a New England player to break up the pass. Goff also nearly tossed a second pick, but linebacker Dont’a Hightower dropped the ball. Goff had a deer-in-the-headlights look that we saw from him when he was a rookie.

It was an embarrassing performance on Goff’s part, and the Rams have to be wondering if they have to worry about something like this carrying over into 2019. As I’ve repeatedly said in my Overrated-Underrated Teams page, where I’ve had the Rams listed as overrated all year, Los Angeles was able to benefit from a very easy schedule, with its big wins coming at home. The Rams never even had the lead in the NFC Championship, so it’s clear that the wrong team had represented that conference in the Super Bowl. This should have been Patriots-Saints, which would’ve been a much more exciting game. Instead, we saw an inferior and overrated Rams squad see its quarterback get exposed. Sean McVay was able to hide Goff’s warts all year with some brilliant coaching, but that was not something he was able to do in this game with Bill Belichick on the other sideline.

Cooks had a killer drop in the end zone, but he was the most productive Ram on offense. He caught eight of his 13 targets for 120 yards. As mentioned earlier, he should’ve scored a touchdown, but Goff threw the ball too late. Robert Woods (5-70) was the only other Los Angeles player with more than 28 receiving yards.

Goff’s utterly horrible performance saved Todd Gurley from being the goat in this game. Gurley was nowhere to be seen for most of the opening half, getting just three carries for 10 yards. He finally reappeared following intermission, but didn’t do much overall. He gained 35 yards on 10 attempts. Gurley is insanely talented, but he’ll be strongly criticized for being a no-show in the playoffs. C.J. Anderson (7-22) was given too much work. Anderson nearly made a critical mistake in the fourth quarter when he fumbled, but he was lucky to have the ball trickle out of bounds before the Patriots recovered.

The Rams will have a difficult time reaching the Super Bowl again next year. They were incredibly lucky this season, and they may not be able to retain Ndamukong Suh. Their defense won’t be as good, so Goff will need to play much better in 2019. This could be a challenge with the possibility of Andrew Whitworth retiring.

A couple of random notes: The Super Bowl halftime show was horrible. Adam Levine sung like a man having diarrhea, while other idiots shouted into a microphone. The NFL really needs to revamp its halftime show because it’s an abomination right now.

The commercials, meanwhile, were better, but only by default. There were too many “CBS cares” and “Google cares” commercials, where Silicon Valley snobs needed to tell everyone that they are good people so that everyone forgets that they are responsible for so much poverty in California. There were some great ads, however, including the Game of Thrones commercial where the Mountain killed the Bud Knight, while a dragon torched the Bud Light King’s jousting match. I counted five good commercials, which is a higher number than usual.

Patriots 37, Chiefs 31

Football is a game of inches, and that proved to be the case in this game. The Patriots had one final chance to come back from a 28-24 deficit, and with a third-and-10, Tom Brady threw an interception. The game was over. However, Dee Ford lined up offside by an inch or two, and that drew the flag. The decisive pick was nullified, and Brady had one more chance. Of course, he made the most of it. He launched a perfect pass to Rob Gronkowski, who made a catch over Eric Berry to move the Patriots inside the Kansas City 5-yard line. The Patriots scored a touchdown on the very next play, as Rex Burkhead plunged into the end zone. And just like that, the Patriots prevailed 31-28 to advance to their ninth Super Bowl in the Brady-Bill Belichick era.

Except, Patrick Mahomes didn’t get the memo. With 39 seconds and one timeout remaining, Mahomes fired perfect strikes to Spencer Ware for 21 yards and Demarcus Robinson for 27 yards to put the Chiefs into field goal range. Harrison Butker drilled a 39-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they would never see the ball again. The Patriots won the coin toss and drove right down the field. Brady masterfully converted a third-and-9 to Julian Edelman for a gain of 20 yards to move into Kansas City territory. The next third-and-long saw Brady hit Edelman with a 15-yard dart. And if that wasn’t enough, Brady moved the chains on third-and-10 once again with a laser to Rob Gronkowski for 15 yards. Following a 10-yard burst from Burkhead, the Patriots scored on a touchdown run on a 2-yard Burkhead plunge. The Patriots ended up prevailing after all, as Brady had yet another legendary performance.

Brady finished 30-of-46 for 348 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was the result of an Edelman drop. Brady was amazing. There’s really nothing else to say about him. What is worth mentioning was that Brady’s pass protection was perfect. The Chiefs barely hit him, and Brady didn’t take a single sack. This was surprising, as the Chiefs harassed Andrew Luck last week even though Indianapolis has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. Yet, Ford, Justin Houston and Chris Jones were invisible in this game, save for the one occasion in which Ford was flagged.

The Chiefs couldn’t exactly focus on putting lots of attention on harassing Brady because they had such great issues stopping the run. Sony Michel ripped right through Kansas City’s soft defense, gashing them for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Burkhead (12-41) served as the short-yardage back, scoring twice, though he failed on a fourth-down conversion. Though Burkhead had the game-winning touchdown, it’s unclear why the Patriots gave him so many touches. Burkhead is a slow plodder who doesn’t do anything well.

As mentioned earlier, Edelman and Gronkowski were huge during the overtime drive. Edelman reeled in seven of his 10 targets for 96 yards. He made one blunder in this game, as a ball bounced off his hands and into the arms of a Chiefs player. Edelman nearly made another mistake, which I’ll discuss later. Gronkowski, meanwhile, seemed vivified after looking like a corpse all year. He abused Kansas City’s defense, which has struggled against tight ends all year. He logged six receptions for 79 yards. Brady’s sole touchdown was thrown to Phillip Dorsett, a 29-yarder, which was his only catch of the evening.

Moving on to the Chiefs, they would have won had they not struggled so much offensively to begin the game. Despite Mahomes’ late heroics, the Chiefs converted just three first downs in the opening half. The Patriots brought a ton of interior pressure to harass Mahomes, who took four sacks. One of those sacks took the Chiefs out of field goal range after Mahomes missed Damien Williams for an early touchdown. Another sack resulted in a fumble right before halftime following a return to the 40-yard line, negating another chance at three points.

The Chiefs made the appropriate adjustments in the second half and held two leads of four points. Mahomes was stellar following intermission, going 12-of-23 for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, Mahomes went 16-of-31 for 295 yards and three scores.

Bill Belichick is a master of erasing one aspect of an opposing offense. Tyreek Hill torched the Patriots the first time, so Belichick made sure that Hill wouldn’t beat them again. Hill caught only one pass for 42 yards. Travis Kelce (3-23) didn’t do much either, save for scoring a touchdown.

Rather than Hill and Kelce, Mahomes’ primary targets were Sammy Watkins (4-114) and Damien Williams, who hauled in five of the eight balls thrown to him for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Williams continued to shine as Kareem Hunt’s replacement; he also gained 30 yards and another touchdown on 10 carries, giving him three scores in total.

I mentioned Edelman’s other gaffe earlier. That play was one of four horrendous calls that occurred in this game that, like the NFC Championship, featured some abysmal officiating. This game didn’t feature a game-deciding call like the Nickell Robey-Coleman non-pass interference, but one infraction helped the Patriots immensely. New England scored a touchdown on a fourth-quarter drive that saw the Chiefs commit a roughing-the-passer penalty. The official claimed that Brady was hit in the helmet, yet the defender just touched his shoulder pad. The Chiefs should’ve been able to review the call, but the NFL has archaic rules that don’t make any sense.

This was one of four abysmal calls in this game. Another involved Edelman, where he was flagged for a muffed punt. Replay showed that Edelman almost certainly didn’t touch the ball, but one angle made it seem like the ball grazed one of his thumbs. It was if there was 95-percent certainty that Edelman didn’t touch the ball, yet the officials overturned the call when it wasn’t completely clear cut that Edelman didn’t touch the ball. It was probably the right call, but the NFL violated its own rules by overturning a call that was 100-percent evident. Later, Chris Hogan dropped a pass that remained a reception even though the ball hit the ground. This was also reviewed and not overturned even though Hogan clearly lost control of the ball after he hit the ground. Meanwhile, the Chiefs also benefited from poor officiating, as the Chiefs hit a big play near the end of regulation, thanks to an uncalled offensive pass interference, which was overly blatant.

That said, three of these calls clearly didn’t decide this game. The Brady phantom pass interference call played a part in the win, but New England may have found a way to win regardless, even though it took Ford to be inches offside and the overtime coin toss to favor the Patriots.

Rams 26, Saints 23

The Rams may not go down as the best team of all time, but they certainly should be seen as the luckiest team of all time, as they had no business winning this game. They prevailed in overtime, but this contest never should have gone to an extra session.

The Rams and Saints participated in a fifth quarter because the officials made one of the worst non-calls in NFL history. The Saints were in the red zone near the end of regulation, and Drew Brees appeared to have Tommylee Lewis open for a completion. Instead, cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman crashed into Lewis before the ball got there. It was one of the most obvious pass interferences you’ll ever see. There was no flag thrown for some reason, which gave the Rams a chance to tie the game with one final drive, which they did with a 48-yard field goal that looked like it was sailing wide right, but went inside the uprights. Had the pass interference been called, the Saints would’ve run out the clock with a chip-shot field goal to prevail by three.

The Rams continued to be very lucky in overtime. Dante Fowler hit Brees as he released the ball, which popped into the air. It sailed right into the arms of safety John Johnson, who was on the ground after colliding with a receiver. It was like Johnson was a magnet who attracted a metallic object. On the ensuing drive, C.J. Anderson appeared to be losing the ball, but somehow held on to it. The Rams then tried a 57-yard field goal, which Greg Zuerlein drilled through the uprights.

Los Angeles prevailed, but New Orleans would’ve won if it wasn’t for horrible and potentially crooked officiating, as well as tons of luck. The Saints should put this game under protest to the NFL and demand for the final 100 seconds to be replayed. It would be the correct decision for the league, which suffered a black eye as a result of this game. NFL officials cannot be trusted going forward, and at the very least, the league should make everything review-able because the men asked to officiate games right now cannot be trusted. They are either inept or corrupt, and I’m not sure which one is worse.

While the Rams were aided by some of the worst officiating of all time, it should be noted that Jared Goff made some clutch throws. That didn’t look like it would happen early, when the Rams had a grand total of 15 yards in the opening quarter. They had such great issues dealing with the Superdome noise. However, following a successful fake punt, the Rams caught fire. They probably would’ve scored a touchdown on the drive had Todd Gurley not dropped a pass on third down, but the Rams found the end zone on the ensuing drive, thanks to a terrific pass from Goff to Brandin Cooks. Goff later had a tremendous connection to Cooks on third down to move out of unfavorable field position, which set up another field goal. Goff then led a last-second scoring drive at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.

Goff finished 25-of-40 for 297 yards, one touchdown and an interception, which wasn’t his fault. Those numbers don’t look great, but Goff was much better following intermission; he was 13-of-20 for 183 yards and a score in the second half and overtime.

As for Gurley, it was shocking that he barely played. He was on the field early, but dropped two passes, one of which turned into an interception. He was the barely seen, though he managed to score a touchdown to save his DFS owners. Still, it was strange to see Anderson have way more touches than Gurley (17-5). Gurley, who played just three snaps in the third quarter, was limited to 10 yards and a score on four carries, while Anderson rumbled for 44 yards on 16 attempts. The only explanation is that Gurley still isn’t feeling right because of his injury. He’ll have two weeks to recover for the Super Bowl.

Cooks, who came up with a couple of clutch grabs, led the Rams in receiving. He hauled in seven of his eight targets for 107 yards. Josh Reynolds (4-74) was next on the list, while Robert Woods (6-33) paced Los Angeles with 10 targets. Goff’s sole touchdown went to Tyler Higbee (4-25).

As for the team that should have won this game, Brees had a similar stat line to Goff, going 26-of-40 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned, unfortunate interception in overtime. Brees was hot to begin the afternoon, but had some sketchy throws at times. Most notably, Brees had Ted Ginn wide open for a big gain on third down, but threw way behind him and was nearly picked as a result. That said, Brees put the Saints in position to win, connecting with Ginn on a 43-yard bomb, but the officials did a good job of ensuring that this would all be for naught.

The Saints can blame the horrible refs for this loss, but perhaps they need to look at their own play-calling as well. It’s puzzling as to why Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara’s usage on the ground wasn’t so heavy. Kamara saw tons of targets – he caught 11-of-13 possible balls for 96 receiving yards, but he had just eight carries for 15 yards. Mark Ingram (9-31) didn’t see many more opportunities. The Saints never trailed in this game, so it’s puzzling as to why they ran only 17 times with their two talented backs.

Aside from Kamara, Ginn led the Saints in receiving with three catches for 58 yards. Michael Thomas (4-36) didn’t have nearly as productive of a game as he did in the first matchup, which was predictable, given that Aqib Talib was on the field for the Rams this time.

Saints 20, Eagles 14

It’s been a great run for Nick Foles and the Eagles, and it certainly looked like that would continue. Philadelphia jumped out to a quick, 14-0 lead against the stunned Saints, thanks to a Drew Brees interception and a terrific pass from Foles to Jordan Matthews. The Eagles had complete control of the game in the early going, as the Saints looked discombobulated. Alvin Kamara didn’t even have a single touch on the first two drives. New Orleans looked thoroughly unprepared to play. Foles, meanwhile, began 8-of-9 for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Everything changed during a sequence in which the Eagles suffered several injuries. Defensive linemen Fletcher Cox and Michael Bennett and offensive linemen Jason Peters and Brandon Brooks got hurt. Bennett and Cox eventually returned, but Cox eventually had to leave the game again. The Eagles simply weren’t as good without their best defensive player and two of their four great blockers. Cox’s absence sparked the Saints’ offense, while Peters and Brooks getting hurt ensured that the Eagles would never score again after they established their 14-0 lead.

Once Cox was gone, Brees suddenly discovered that he had lots of time in the pocket. He made several big plays in the second half, including a first-down connection to Michael Thomas on a third-and-16. However, one of the key plays of the game came when he was off the field when the Saints converted a fake punt on fourth-and-1. This, along with the injury imbalance, helped spark New Orleans to establish a six-point lead late in the game. However, thanks to a missed field goal by Wil Lutz, the Eagles still had a chance to win the game, but a Foles pass to Alshon Jeffery went through the receiver’s hands and into the arms of Marshon Lattimore for the game-sealing interception. The Saints will advance to play the Rams in the NFC Championship.

Brees started slowly, but finished 28-of-38 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, which was the first play from scrimmage. That pick was an underthrown pass. Brees misfired on just four of his 19 attempts in the second half. The Eagles had no answer for him once they lost their best defensive player.

The Eagles must fix their secondary, which is what I have occurring in my 2019 NFL Mock Draft. They’ve had issues covering No. 1 receivers all year. Thus, it was no surprise that Thomas had a huge performance. Thomas hauled in 12 of his 16 targets for 171 yards and a touchdown. No other Saint receiver had more than 44 yards. Second on the list was Ted Ginn (3-44). Keith Kirkwood (2-8) hauled in Brees’ other touchdown.

While Kamara didn’t have any touches in the early going, he managed to eclipse the century mark for total yardage. He rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries and also caught all four of his targets for 35 receiving yards. He appeared to score on a long receiving touchdown on a pass from Taysom Hill, but the play was negated by a legitimate hold by struggling guard Andrus Peat. Mark Ingram (9-53) didn’t do much outside of a 36-yard burst in the fourth quarter.

As for the Eagles, Foles had a mostly positive performance, cementing his status atop the 2019 NFL Free Agent Quarterback Rankings. As mentioned, he got off to a hot start, but struggled once he lost two offensive linemen. Foles faced tons of pressure after Brooks and Peters were knocked out of the game. That said, Foles looked like he was going to lead his team to victory before Jeffery had the ball slip through his hands.

Foles finished 18-of-31 for 201 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also scored on a quarterback sneak. His other pick was his fault, as it was an underthrown pass. The Eagles should be able to tag and trade Foles for a first-round pick, plus something extra.

Jeffery, despite the horrible blunder, still led the team in receiving with five grabs for 63 yards. He and Zach Ertz (5-50) were the only Eagles with more than 37 receiving yards. Meanwhile, Golden Tate (2-18) didn’t do anything after two early catches, while Nelson Agholor (1-6) made a huge mistake when Foles delivered a perfect, long strike to him that fell incomplete because Agholor didn’t look back for the football.

The Eagles need to fix their running game. Their leading rusher was Wendell Smallwood, who had 33 yards on 10 carries. Josh Adams was nowhere to be found, while Darren Sproles touched the ball just six times, which was very odd. With Jay Ajayi entering free agency, the Eagles will select someone near the top of the 2019 NFL Draft Running Back Prospect Rankings.

Patriots 41, Chargers 28

Throughout the Patriots’ great history, they had never scored three touchdowns on their first three drives of a playoff game. They did that in this contest despite battling the NFL’s No. 8 DVOA defense. In fact, they surpassed that feat, scoring four touchdowns on their first four possessions. The Chargers looked completely befuddled by what New England was doing, as their ineffective zone was picked apart by Tom Brady. By the time the Patriots went up 28-7 midway through the second quarter, they had achieved 19 first downs. The Chargers had run just 16 plays by that point!

This performance was unfathomable. Brady looked like, well, a 41-year-old down the stretch in some sluggish games. None of his players, save for Julian Edelman, could get open. Yet, Bill Belichick didn’t seem worried, as he chose to take possession first, which is very unusual for him. New England opened with a 14-play, 83-yard drive, spanning more than seven minutes to score a touchdown. This set the tone for the afternoon, as the Patriots basically did whatever they wanted to. They ran the ball easily against the Chargers’ terrific run defense, while Edelman made Pro Bowl slot cornerback Desmond King look completely inept. And if that wasn’t enough, the Patriots were aided by two ticky-tack pass interference/defensive holding penalties on third-down incompletions by Brady. The Patriots got all of the breaks on top of out-scheming the Chargers in every regard, which would explain their unprecedented offensive success.

The Chargers’ offense, meanwhile, scored on their opening possession as well, but just couldn’t keep up after that. Everything went wrong for them, from Philip Rivers not seeing Melvin Gordon open in the flat, to the Patriots being able to flood the backfield with pressure despite having just one viable pass-rusher, to a missed pass interference call on third down, to King muffing a punt to negate an offensive possession, to the officials missing a roughing-the-passer call on Rivers, which the veteran quarterback was irate about. All of that prevented the Chargers from maintaining possession to keep the red-hot Brady off the field.

Brady finished 34-of-44 for 343 yards and a touchdown. Had the Chargers been able to keep up, Brady’s yardage total would’ve been much greater; he had 233 yards by halftime. However, Brady was successful when it counted the most. He helped the team convert 30 first downs and was 7-of-14 on third down. Brady saw no pressure whatsoever despite the Chargers having two elite edge rushers.

Brady’s two primary targets were Edelman and James White. Edelman, as mentioned, made King look like a practice squad scrub rather than a Pro Bowler as he caught nine of his 13 targets for 151 yards. White, meanwhile, tied an NFL playoff record for catches in a single game with 15, which he turned into 97 receiving yards. The Chargers were weak to screens, and both Belichick and Brady exploited that liability.

While Edelman and White were great, neither found the end zone. Phillip Dorsett (4-41) caught Brady’s sole touchdown. Rob Gronkowski hauled in just one pass for 25 yards, but had some great blocks. He also drew a pass interference flag in the end zone even though he clearly pushed off Casey Hayward.

New England’s four other touchdowns came on the ground. Sony Michel scored thrice while rushing for 129 yards on 24 carries. Rex Burkhead (4-12) also plopped into the end zone. Burkhead saw his workload come late in the game, so it’s a good sign for the Patriots that Belichick stopped forcing the ball to him in crucial situations.

As for the Chargers’ numbers, Rivers’ stats were inflated by garbage time. He was 25-of-51 for 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He got off to a hot start with a touchdown bomb to Keenan Allen, but he struggled to maintain drives after that until very late in the afternoon. Rivers had a span in this game in which he was 4-of-14 for minimal gains, and his halftime stats – 7-of-16, 121 yards, one touchdown – were more indicative of how he performed. Rivers struggled for sure, but it didn’t help that a weak Patriots pass rush was inexplicably able to hound him. Rivers had zero time to throw on most occasions, and everything was difficult.

The Patriots are horrible against the run, yet Gordon was smothered in the backfield. He was limited to 15 yards on nine carries, but saved his DFS owners with a late touchdown. It’s unclear why Gordon wasn’t used in the passing game; he caught just one of his two targets for only 11 yards.

Allen (2-75) and Antonio Gates (5-41) both caught Rivers’ touchdowns. Tyrell Williams (5-94) led the Chargers in receiving, while Mike Williams (5-68) overcame the early drop to make some incredible catches. The latter Williams looks like he’s going to have a huge 2019 campaign.

In the meantime, however, it’s clear that the Chargers must improve Rivers’ pass protection. Here are the 2019 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Prospect Rankings.

Rams 30, Cowboys 22

The Panthers and Raiders both had C.J. Anderson on their rosters this year, yet both franchises cut him without a second thought. When Oakland became the second team to release him this year, who would’ve thought that he’d be the hero for a team ready to advance to the NFC Championship?

Anderson steamrolled the Cowboys. Dallas had one of the top run defenses in the NFL entering this game, yet it looked completely gassed when trying to stop the rumbling back. Anderson gashed the Cowboys for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He also had the decisive run that clinched the game for the Rams at the very end. He handled more touches than Todd Gurley, as the Rams didn’t seem like they wanted to give him a full workload off his knee injury.

Despite this, Gurley also was very productive. He also trampled the Cowboys, accumulating 115 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries. In sum, Gurley and Anderson combined for 238 rushing yards. That’s unbelievable, as the Cowboys were ranked fifth in DVOA run defense entering this contest. They had just put the clamps on Chris Carson, yet they looked completely exhausted against Gurley and Anderson. A week off may have helped. The Rams had the luxury of being fresh, though the inept Jason Garrett had a chance to give his players some rest as well in Week 17. Instead, Garrett went all out to beat the Giants in a meaningless game. The result of this was a tired defense and an injured receiver who wasn’t able to play.

That receiver, of course, was Cole Beasley. He didn’t practice all week, but was active for this game. However, he caught just one of his two targets for 15 yards. He would’ve been completely healthy had Garrett not run him into the ground versus the Giants.

While the Rams won this game, Jared Goff was very inconsistent. He made some nice throws, but missed some passes as well, including an early touchdown. Goff converted a fourth down with a sneak and ran for a first down to put the Cowboys in a huge hole late in the evening, but he was not very good as a passer.

Goff finished 15-of-28 for 186 yards. He survived against the worst NFL team remaining in the playoffs, but he’ll need to perform better next week to give the Rams a chance to reach the Super Bowl.

With Goff struggling to be consistent, Robert Woods was the leading receiver with “just” 69 yards on six catches. Brandin Cooks (4-65) was right behind him. Cooks appeared to score a touchdown in the second quarter, but replay review showed that he dropped the ball in the end zone. No other Ram had more than 30 receiving yards. It’s clear that Goff really misses Cooper Kupp.

While Goff didn’t play very well, he was definitely better than Dak Prescott. That may not seem correct if just looking at the box score, as Prescott went 20-of-32 for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also scored on the ground. However, Prescott accumulated most of his stats in garbage time.

Prescott, quite frankly, was terrible for most of the evening. His incompletions were horrible. There were numerous instances where he had open receivers, but missed them. On one sequence, Prescott threw what should’ve been a pick-six, but the Rams player dropped the ball. Prescott then overthrew Amari Cooper on third down when he could’ve ran to move the chains. Another example was when Prescott fired way behind an open Michael Gallup. Had Gallup been able to catch the ball in stride, he would’ve picked up a 20-yard gain, putting the team in field goal range. Instead, Prescott took a sack to end the drive.

The Cowboys will likely give Prescott an extension soon, which will be a huge mistake. The same goes for Garrett, who really bungled this game.

Dallas’ game plan surrounding Ezekiel Elliott didn’t make much sense. Elliott struggled to find running room – 20 carries, 47 yards, one touchdown – so the Cowboys should’ve gotten him more involved as a receiver. However, Elliott caught just two passes for 19 receiving yards. Elliott had a chance for a decent gain on one pass, but Prescott was way off the mark on the toss.

Elliott was a part of three key plays in this game, all of which were fourth-and-1 instances. Elliott converted the first two. The Rams put every single player they had in the box to stop Elliott the third time, yet the Cowboys still ran right into the teeth of the Los Angeles defense. Elliott was predictably stuffed as a result. The Cowboys probably could’ve converted the play with literally any other call. That was a crucial moment in the game because the Rams scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to extend the lead to 30-15.

Prescott’s sole aerial score was thrown to Cooper, who made six catches for 65 yards. Cooper, who drew an interference flag on Aqib Talib, trailed only Gallup, who hauled in six balls for 119 yards. Thanks to Garrett’s incompetence, Cooper and Gallup were the only viable wide receivers Prescott had at his disposal.

Chiefs 31, Colts 13

If the Chiefs continue to play this well defensively, they’re going to win the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes made some great throws in this game, but the primary story was how dominant Kansas City’s stop unit was. The Chiefs limited the Colts to about 200 net yards prior to an irrelevant last-minute drive in regulation. They prevented Indianapolis from securing a single first down until 1:30 remained in the second quarter. They batted down three passes at the line of scrimmage. They sacked Andrew Luck three times despite him being protected by the offensive line in the NFL. And it could’ve been a better performance had the Chiefs not dropped two interceptions, one of which looked like it had a chance to be a pick-six.

We knew the Chiefs had an elite offense, but this defense, despite missing Eric Berry, was absolutely dominant. Maybe it was the unfavorable conditions in the weather, but perhaps the Chiefs have made the appropriate adjustments during their week off. We’ll find out next week when the Chiefs take on a better team.

Mahomes, as mentioned, made some brilliant passes. He missed some throws he should have completed, but was excellent overall. He was hot out of the gate, engineering a 90-yard touchdown drive in five plays on his initial drive. Following another possession that saw him lead his team into the end zone, Mahomes entered the red zone a third time, but twisted his knee in the pocket. You could hear a pin drop in the usually loud Arrowhead, as there was concern about their franchise quarterback being injured. Mahomes, however, was just fine. Not only did he produce better stats following that incident, but he also scrambled for a touchdown on an ensuing drive.

Mahomes finished 27-of-41 for 278 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown, but he rushed one into the end zone. Mahomes’ completion percentage would’ve been better, but his top two wide receivers both dropped passes on the second drive.

Those receivers, by the way, were Tyreek Hill (8-72) and Sammy Watkins (6-62). In addition to his drop, Watkins made another mistake with a lost fumble in the second half. Perhaps he was rusty after his lengthy absence. Hill, meanwhile, scored on a reverse run, a 36-yard burst in which he blew by befuddled Indianapolis defenders. As for Travis Kelce, he led the Chiefs in receiving yards. He hauled in seven of his 10 targets for 108 yards.

Damien Williams had a huge game. With Spencer Ware out, he handled most of the workload. He gained 129 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, and he also caught five passes for 25 receiving yards. Williams converted two fourth-and-1 runs and had a big gain to ice the victory in the fourth quarter. The only bad moment was when he had a touchdown vultured by a backup late in the game.

Moving on to the Colts, their offense was a mess for most of the afternoon. As mentioned earlier, they didn’t get a first down until the 2-minute drill right before halftime. They finally had something cooking at that point, reaching the end zone, but Adam Vinatieri missed a chip shot by hitting the left upright. This was one of two kicks Vinatieri botched in this game.

Luck was uncharacteristically inaccurate in this contest. He suffered through some drops, but several of his passes were oddly off the mark. He also had three passes batted at the line of scrimmage, and he took three sacks despite being protected by an elite offensive line. He also skipped some passes. It was so strange to see Luck play in such a funk like this.

Luck’s final numbers: 19-of-36, 203 yards and a touchdown. He also lost a fumble on a Dee Ford strip-sack. Luck should’ve thrown a second score in garbage time, but someone named Daurice Fountain dropped an easy catch in the end zone.

It didn’t help Luck that T.Y. Hilton looked banged up. Laboring through an injury, Hilton caught just four of his 10 targets for 60 yards. Fortunately for those who used him in DFS, Hilton scored on a garbage-time touchdown.

Only three other Colts had more than seven receiving yards: Dontrelle Inman (4-55), Eric Ebron (5-51) and Chester Rogers (5-30). Ebron dropped a third-down pass on the opening drive. The Colts need a better No. 2 receiver. I have them taking wideout D.K. Metcalf in my 2019 NFL Mock Draft.

Marlon Mack had a great matchup on paper, yet he did nothing. He rushed for 46 yards on nine carries. The Colts abandoned the run way too early, which would explain Mack’s poor output. It’s worth noting that Mack’s longest run was negated by a hold.

Colts 21, Texans 7

Allow me to state the obvious: Andrew Luck is back. Luck was terrific in this game. Battling a tough defense on the road, Luck was surgical in this contest, especially in the opening half. The Colts didn’t even punt prior to intermission. The Texans were lucky Indianapolis scored 21 points in the first half, as a red-zone trip was derailed because of a tipped-pass interception, while another three points weren’t tacked on because Indianapolis ran out of time just prior to the break, thanks to an earlier failed challenge.

The Colts were conservative in the second half and didn’t score as a result. This allowed the Texans to make things slightly more interesting, but they couldn’t convert a key fourth down to potentially make this a one-score game. This was one of many disappointing plays from Houston’s offense in this AFC South rubber match.

Luck finished 19-of-32 for 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. As mentioned, he was precise in the opening half. Had the Texans kept up, he would’ve posted a monstrous statistical game, as he was 16-of-22 for 191 yards, two scores and the pick prior to intermission. The interception occurred in the red zone when J.J. Watt tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage.

Otherwise, Houston had no answer for Luck. He began with a beautiful 38-yard throw to Hilton, putting perfect placement on the ball. This set up a touchdown to Eric Ebron. Luck was very well protected in this contest, as the Texans’ prolific line failed to sack him on a single occasion.

The big surprise in this game was how well Marlon Mack was able to run. The Texans are terrific against ground attacks, yet Mack exploded for 148 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Indianapolis’ superior offensive line was able to blast open huge holes for Mack, but he did a great job as well, evading Houston defenders with some impressive juke moves. It was believed that the Colts were desperate to improve their ground attack about a couple of months ago, but Mack now looks like a solid running back of the future.

Hilton once again made things miserable for the Texans. Houston has issues with speed receivers – here are the 2019 NFL Draft Cornerback Prospect Rankings – and Hilton, who caught five catches for 85 yards, would’ve had a bigger game had the Colts thrown more in the second half.

Hilton didn’t find the end zone, but Dontrelle Inman (4-53) and Ebron (3-26) did. Ebron should’ve hauled in both of Luck’s touchdowns, but a hard hit from safety Justin Reid dislodged the ball.

The Texans, meanwhile, need to improve a couple of things to give themselves a chance to make a deep playoff run. One is the coaching staff, as Bill O’Brien is one of the worst head coaches in the NFL. Watson has regressed under the inept O’Brien, who was very lucky to win some games this year. Two is the offensive line. Watson was constantly under siege and didn’t have a chance as a result. I have the Texans taking Ole Miss offensive tackle Greg “Mr. Reliable” Little in my 2019 NFL Mock Draft.

Watson finished 29-of-49 for 235 yards, one touchdown and an interception on a telegraphed throw on fourth down. He also scrambled eight times for 76 rushing yards. Those numbers don’t look awful, but they were aided by garbage time. Watson had 90 yards and an interception with no scores by halftime. Watson was also very fortunate not to be picked off three times, as the Colts dropped some possible interceptions of his.

Watson’s top target wasn’t DeAndre Hopkins, who caught five passes for only 37 yards. Hopkins had a great sideline catch in the early going, but seemed to get banged up around the middle portion of the game. He was also targeted once in the end zone, but Watson flat out missed him on a crucial fourth down.

Hopkins had fewer yards than two Texans. Keke Coutee led the way with 11 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Watson targeted Coutee a whopping 14 times. Coutee appears to be a solid slot receiver going forward.

Lamar Miller had more receiving yards than Hopkins as well, as he hauled in eight balls for 63 yards in garbage time. Miller didn’t have much running room against Indianapolis’ stout run defense, however, as he mustered only 18 yards on five carries.

Cowboys 24, Seahawks 22

When it was announced that Walt Anderson would be officiating this game, I received plenty of e-mails and Facebook posts warning me that the Cowboys would win. Anderson is a Texas native who has officiated in Dallas’ favor in the past. Sure enough, this contest partly came down to four crucial calls, all of which went the Cowboys’ way.

Three of the four key officiating decisions were pass interferences. One was a non-call on a deep Russell Wilson ball. The Dallas cornerback mauled the Seattle receiver without turning around, yet there were no flags. Conversely, the Cowboys were gifted two fresh set of downs on a pair of third downs during their final offensive drive. Up three, Dallas was able to benefit from pass interferences. One was a hook by K.J. Wright. That call was possibly legitimate, but it was less egregious than the non-call interference. The next flag was a horrible joke, as Cole Beasley, playing on a balky ankle, stumbled around because of the injury to draw another interference flag. This, along with a questionable hold on a late drive, gave the Cowboys a 10-point lead with about two minutes remaining in regulation. That was enough, as the Seahawks had time for just one touchdown drive to at least give their supporters the cover.

The blatantly biased officiating was not a surprise, and neither was Ezekiel Elliott’s ability to run over the Seahawks. Seattle entered the game 17th in DVOA run defense, so Elliott was able to take advantage of that liability. He picked up 137 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while catching four passes for 32 receiving yards. Elliott was great, and his longest run of the game was a 44-yarder that set up a score right before intermission. The Seahawks never set the edge, allowing Elliott to break outside for a long gain. He was a monster, and his legs looked fresh from resting in Week 17.

The narrative exiting this game is that Dak Prescott led his team to victory, thanks to some timely runs. He certainly had a clutch scramble, picking up a first down on a third-and-14 toward the end of regulation. Had Prescott not gotten the 14-plus yards, the Cowboys would’ve gone up six rather than 10, and they likely would have lost. Instead, Prescott was able to sneak into the end zone one play later. As a rusher, Prescott had 29 yards and a score on six scrambles. He was inches shy of a second touchdown on the ground.

However, Prescott did not play particularly well as a passer. He was 22-of-33 for 226 yards, one touchdown and an interception. The numbers don’t look bad, but they don’t tell the entire story. Prescott had a potential pick-six dropped on the third drive of the game. He also missed some routine throws, as usual. His interception was an underthrown pass toward the end zone. Prescott wasn’t even playing a very good defense, so next round will be much more of a challenge for him.

Amari Cooper led the Cowboys with seven catches for 106 yards. He was the only Dallas player with more than 32 receiving yards. Michael Gallup (2-18) caught Prescott’s sole touchdown, while Beasley (3-28) hobbled around with his bum ankle. He suffered the injury last week in a game he shouldn’t have played. This was all part of Jason Garrett’s genius coaching.

As for the losers, it’s clear that priorities A, B and C for the Seahawks this offseason is to improve Russell Wilson’s protection. Wilson seldom had time in the pocket in this game. The pass blocking was a joke. Wilson took just one sack, but if he were less mobile, that number would’ve been five or greater. Here’s a list of 2019 NFL Draft Guard Prospect Rankings.

Wilson’s poor protection is the reason why the Seahawks couldn’t maintain drives, generating just 11 first downs. They were outgained 380-299, and a chunk of their yardage came on the final drive when Dallas played prevent. That said, Wilson led Seattle down in a hurry with a 53-yard bomb to Tyler Lockett, whom the Cowboys inexplicably left open deep downfield. The Seahawks scored once and needed a second touchdown because they were playing without an injured Sebastian Janikowski, who hurt his hamstring on a 57-yard attempt right before halftime. However, their punter had to attempt the onside kick, which helplessly sailed right to a Dallas player.

Wilson did what he could, going 18-of-27 for 233 yards and a passing touchdown. He also had 14 rushing yards and a score on the ground. It was a disappointing ending to a once-promising season, but it’s unlikely for the Seahawks to have another early exit next year if Wilson’s protection is bolstered.

Thanks to his deep catch on the final drive, Lockett was able to eclipse the century mark, catching four balls for 120 yards. He was the only Seattle player with more than 42 receiving yards. Doug Baldwin (3-32) was a disappointment, save for one play in which he made an amazing toe-tapping catch along the sideline in the third quarter on a fourth-and-6 to set up a touchdown.

Chris Carson could find no running room behind his abomination of an offensive line. He mustered only 20 yards on 13 carries. Rashaad Penny (4-29) actually outgained him, but only because of a 28-yard burst in the third quarter. Penny took a huge loss on the next play, ruining a promising drive.

Chargers 23, Ravens 17

There was great hype for the Ravens and particularly Lamar Jackson entering this game. Despite having two fewer wins than the Chargers, Baltimore was a three-point favorite. The Ravens were a popular Super Bowl sleeper pick, and all but one panelist on NFL Network’s pre-game show predicted that the home team would prevail.

As always, if everyone thinks something will happen, the opposite occurs. Jackson was atrocious in his first playoff start. He fumbled twice on the first two drives, though he was fortunate that his team recovered both. He was 2-of-8 for 17 yards at halftime. He went two real-time hours without a completion. His offense didn’t achieve a single first down between the 10-minute mark of the second quarter and the 8-minute mark of the fourth frame. His afternoon ended with another fumble, which was finally recovered by the Chargers. It was an epic failure of a playoff performance, and it reminded me of Vince Young’s sudden struggles early in his career. Young had a tremendous rookie campaign as well, but failed in his initial playoff start, coincidentally also against the Chargers.

Jackson was able to run right through bad defenses late in the year. He beat the Chargers in Week 16, but San Angeles did not bring its “A” game, as it was coming off a tremendous comeback versus the Chiefs. The Chargers were more prepared this time, and they were also the first team to have a second chance against Jackson. For Jackson to succeed in the NFL, he’ll need to take to coaching, study film extensively and improve his passing. Otherwise, he’ll be the next Young.

Jackson finished 14-of-29 for 194 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Most of his yardage and both of his scores occurred in garbage time when the Chargers went into a prevent. Jackson’s pick wasn’t his fault, as it bounced off Chris Moore’s hands, but he had another potential interception that was dropped. His lost fumble was a killer as well. Jackson struggled with the Chargers’ defense, which confused him. The Chargers put their Pro Bowl edge rushers in the interior and rushed Jackson up the middle, and he couldn’t make adjustments. It got so bad that CBS color analyst Tony Romo called for the Ravens to switch to Joe Flacco. Perhaps the Ravens should have, as Jackson was ineffective outside of garbage time.

The Chargers sold out against the run, coaxing Jackson to beat them downfield. Neither Gus Edwards (8-23) nor Kenneth Dixon (6-13) found much running room, with Dixon fumbling in the first quarter to set up a Charger field goal. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing with 54 yards on nine scrambles.

With Jackson struggling to pass, the Baltimore receiving numbers were suppressed. Dixon led the team in receiving with three catches for 53 yards, while Willie Snead (3-50) was right behind him. Michael Crabtree (2-38) caught both of the garbage-time touchdowns.

As for the Chargers, they played a very conservative game to start. Philip Rivers didn’t even throw on a single occasion on an early goal-to-go situation. However, the Chargers opened things up as the afternoon progressed. Rivers was nearly flawless in the opening half, misfiring on just five of his 20 passes. He nearly made a big mistake in the third quarter when he had a potential interception that was dropped, but he was stellar overall.

Rivers finished 22-of-32 for 160 yards. The yardage number isn’t impressive, but Rivers was going against the top defense in the AFC. A big statistical afternoon wasn’t expected, but Rivers needed to avoid turnovers, which he did. Rivers even had a 9-yard scramble to pick up a first down, which is a very rare sight.

Rivers didn’t have time to go downfield very much, which would explain why no Charger receiver had more than 42 receiving yards. Mike Williams (2-42) led the team in that regard, while Keenan Allen (4-37) and Antonio Gates (4-35) were close. Allen, who had a drop, should’ve drawn a deep pass interference flag when a Raven corner shoved him out of bounds, but no yellow flag was thrown. Meanwhile, Virgil Green lost a fumble in the third quarter that gave the Ravens their first points of the game, so it’s a good thing that Hunter Henry will return to action next week.

There was a scary moment early in the game when Melvin Gordon injured his knee on a goal-line run. He was knocked out for a bit, but returned to action. Gordon then lost a fumble at the goal line, which was returned for a touchdown. Luckily for him, replay review saw that he was down by contact. Gordon rushed into the end zone on the next play. He finished with 40 yards on 17 carries and the score.

Eagles 16, Bears 15

The Nick Foles magic continues! The Eagles were down, 15-10, with five minutes remaining, and Foles had one more chance to lead his team to yet another playoff victory. Foles got everyone involved on the final possession. He connected with Dallas Goedert, who did a great job of breaking away from a tackle. The next pass went to Nelson Agholor, who eluded a defender with a great juke. Zach Ertz was next, and he made a great, leaping catch. Alshon Jeffery then hauled in a pass to take the Eagles down to the 2-yard line. And finally, on fourth down, Golden Tate used his quickness to get away from the slot cornerback. Foles found Tate in the end zone to take the lead.

But the game wasn’t over yet! Tarik Cohen had a great kickoff return, and the Bears were able to move into field goal range when Mitchell Trubisky made a clutch, back-shoulder throw to Allen Robinson in between two defenders. Cody Parkey had a chance to win the game with a 43-yard field goal, and he drilled it. Except, Doug Pederson called a timeout to ice the kicker. Parkey tried again, and the ball doinked off the left upright, ricocheted off the crossbar and then fell into the field of play. The field goal was no good, and the Eagles won in the postseason once again.

Foles was amazing for most of this game. He made one crucial mistake where he forced a bad throw into the end zone, which was picked off, but he was stellar otherwise, especially on the final drive. Prior to that, Foles put tremendous touch on a 28-yard pass, which he fit into his target in between three defenders. He also led a previous touchdown drive, hitting Goedert in the end zone after he and Jordan Matthews drew a deep pass interference. It’s amazing that Foles has the ability to come through in the clutch time after time, whether it’s at the end of games or during crucial third downs earlier in the contest.

Foles finished 25-of-40 for 266 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. The other pick wasn’t his fault, as linebacker Roquan Smith wrestled the ball away from Wendell Smallwood. Foles helped the Eagles convert 6-of-13 third downs, and he was 15-of-24 for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. Be fearful, New Orleans.

Foles spread the ball around well, with seven players seeing three or more targets. Tate (5-46) and Goedert (2-20) found the end zone, while Jeffery (6-82) and Ertz (5-52) were the leaders in receiving.

The Eagles predictably had trouble pounding the rock versus Chicago’s elite ground defense. Darren Sproles led Philadelphia with 21 yards on 13 carries. The Eagles tried to run the ball twice at the goal line at the end of the game, but failed on both occasions.

Moving on to the Bears, Trubisky was certainly not at fault for this loss. He played well and didn’t make any mistakes on the stat sheet. He put the team in position to win the game, but his kicker failed him. If you’re looking for 2019 NFL Draft Kicker Prospect Rankings, here they are.

Trubisky finished 26-of-43 for 303 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t scramble much – three rushes, nine yards – but that may have been because he limped off the field and went into the blue tent following a run in the opening half. He didn’t miss any action, but didn’t do anything on the ground after that. Still, Trubisky made some great throws and was clutch at the end of the game. It can be pointed out that Trubisky had two potential interceptions that were dropped, but like Foles, he performed on a high level in the second half, going 13-of-20 for 198 yards and a touchdown following intermission.

The Eagles have had issues defending No. 1 receivers all year, and that was certainly the case at Chicago. Allen Robinson had a monster game, hauling in 10 of his 13 targets for 143 yards and a touchdown. Taylor Gabriel (4-37) and Anthony Miller (3-34) were also key contributors.

Cohen, who had the aforementioned great kickoff return, didn’t touch the ball nearly enough, which was very confusing. He had just one carry (zero yards) and three catches (27 yards). It’s absolutely inexplicable that the Bears gave the ball to their top play-maker just four times.

Besides, it’s not like Jordan Howard was doing much. Howard carried the ball 10 times, but gained only 35 yards. The Eagles have improved tremendously against the run since Jordan Hicks’ return to the lineup.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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