Recap of the DivisionalRound Games in the 2023 NFL Playoffs

The divisional round of the National Football League (NFL) took place this past weekend. The storylines were played out and, for the most part, the teams playing the best football of late advanced. The early slate on Saturday between the Chiefs and the Jacksonville Jaguars (Jags) showed America that Trevor Lawrence is a guy and has emerged as one of the elite signal callers in the NFL. Doug Pederson and the Jags’ offense was creative in getting the ball in their playmaker’s hands, lining up Christen Kirk in the backfield to get a mismatch on a Chief’s linebacker to tie the game midway through the first. While Mahomes and the chiefs eventually outclassed their way to victory, Mahomes’ high ankle sprain he suffered early in the game could be a major factor in the AFC title game. The stage was set for Daniel Jones to make the jump, on the field, and in the hearts of faithful Giants. Instead, America got to see the Eagles blow the doors off of their NFC East foes. From the jump, Nick Sirani’s Eagles had the edge. All facets of their game were humming, the run game was gashing through the Giants’ interior with Kenneth Gainwell averaging 9.3 YPC on 12 attempts. Additionally, the play-action game was wide open when the Eagles’ air attack needed it. Complete domination from Philly. The Bengals and Bills had all the storylines. The two teams had their regular season contest rescheduled after Bills safety DeMar Hamlin suffered a cardiac episode on the field and had to be administered CPR several times. Hamlin remained in critical condition for several days following the incident and he has had the support of the football community since. DeMar was in Orchard Park for the Divisional tilt and Buffalo was rocking in the snow. While there was certainly a buzz in the air for the snow game and DeMar, the Bills came out flat and the Bengals looked like a championship-caliber team. Joey Burrow and Jamar Chase did their thing, Burrow was surgical, the Bengals converted big play after big play with Hayden Hurst and Jamar running free in the Bills’ secondary. For the Bills, the season from the halfway point was a steady downward slide. The defense seemed to figure out their offense as the season progressed, culminating in Josh Allen being 25/42 with one interception. Allen’s chemistry with Diggs was off and frustration boiled over on the sidelines. The Bengals were the more complete team, and they keep on dancing. The final game if the divisional round saw the Dallas Cowboys travel to the Bay Area to take on the 49ers. Nothing about this game was pretty. The two defenses flexed their muscles as it was 9-16 heading into the fourth. Dak did what Dak had been doing all season long: he gave the ball to the other team, throwing two crucial interceptions. On the other side, Brock Purdy and company kept the pocket clean and played good enough football to punch their ticket to the NFC championship game. The final four teams in the NFL have been set: 49ers and Eagles in the NFC, and the Bengals and Chiefs in the AFC. They will square off this weekend with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.