Baby, it’s COLD outside. Yes, that was snow that you saw that eventually obliterated the numbers and yard markers on the frigid fields of Lincoln Financial Field and Highmark Stadium, respectively, yesterday afternoon. I spent way too much time near both Philadelphia and Buffalo in past Januarys not to get triggered by such sights, so much that I actually threw caution to the wind and turned on the heat in my place for the first time in many months. (Word to the wise: if you actually plan to do that and expect instant results, you’d be best to do so with a unit far newer than the one I currently have–if you happen to need one, boy have I got some offers for you).
But the excitement of seeing some truly memorable playoff football being executed by the teams that battled those elements yesterday eventually created more than enough heat to warm the cockles of my heart and, at some point, my upper torso. Thank you, Saquon Barkley, Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen,
Do notice that only three of these standouts are quarterbacks–the Philadelphia Eagles yet again had to endure both subpar play and eventually yet another injury to Jalen Hurts (what is it with those ex-Crimson Tide passers and their fragility?!). But as Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp reminded, fortunately they have a transformational running back that yet again rose to the occasion:
The Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the NFC Championship Game after defeating the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, 28-22, in a game highlighted by windy, snowy weather that completely changed how the game was played in the second half.
Saquon Barkley had another epic game for the Eagles, rushing for 205 yards and two touchdowns, while a hobbled Jalen Hurts—who suffered a knee injury in the second half but continued to play, albeit at less than 100 percent—finished 15-of-20 for 128 yards and rushed for 70 yards and a score.
But good as Barkley was, he did have some help–not to mention a few hindrances.
You could pick any number of MVPs for the Eagles in this one. Barkley, who remained the fulcrum of Philadelphia’s offense and put the Rams away late. Kicker Jake Elliott, who missed a pair of extra points but buried all three of his field-goal attempts through the difficult conditions. A defense that forced two crucial second-half turnovers, sacked Matthew Stafford five times and came up with a late stand to preserve the victory.
BUT…
Hurts, alongside cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Isaiah Rodgers, suffered injuries. The Birds left a lot of meat on the bone, blowing huge scoring opportunities and settling for field goals rather than punching in touchdowns. The defense nearly blew a 13-point lead with 4:36 remaining. Hurts took seven sacks, a product of both holding onto the ball too long and the normally vaunted offensive line losing a number of one-on-one matchups.
And that left a door open for Stafford, who drove the Rams downfield twice in the waning minutes as the snow intensified and darn near completed an epic comeback that could have resulted in a tie game in the final minute. The Iggles did prevail, but momentum isn’t necessarily a given–especially given the juggernaut of an opponent they will be facing as they try for their second-ever Super Bowl. As THE ATHLETIC’s dynamic duo of Ben Standig and Jelani Scott chronicled Saturday:
In one of the most shocking NFL playoff upsets in recent memory, rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders knocked off the NFC’s No. 1 seed on Saturday with a 45-31 road win over the Detroit Lions. The win sends Washington to its first NFC Championship Game since the 1991 season. Daniels and the Commanders walked into the Lions’ den facing long odds against a high-scoring team that lost two games at Ford Field in 2024. Washington did not at all resemble an underdog by the game’s end, however.
If you thought that was exciting, it paled in comparison to the frenetics that went down in upstate New York in yesterday’s nightcap, as THE ASSOCIATED PRESS’ appropriately-surnamed John Wawrow wrote:
Josh Allen heard the “MVP! MVP!” chants directed at him from the stands, but Buffalo’s quarterback deflected the credit following the Bills’ hard-fought victory in the divisional playoff round.
This season’s Bills were thought to be thin on both sides of the ball. And it wasn’t one player or one unit that led to Buffalo beating Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 on Sunday night, ending its string of three straight losses at this stage of the postseason and moving on to play the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game next Sunday. It was everyone.
Allen rushed for touchdowns of 1 and 4 yards, but he threw for only 127 yards and rushed for 20. Buffalo finished with a modest 273 yards of offense that included rookie Ray Davis scoring on a 1-yard run.
The Bills made fewer mistakes than the Ravens on a snow-slicked field and hung on when the usually sure-handed and wide-open Andrews dropped a 2-point conversion pass from Jackson, allowing the ball to bounce off his chest with 1:33 left. Jackson connected with a sliding Isaiah Likely for a 24-yard touchdown to give the Ravens a chance to tie it.
Jackson rose to the occasion under trying circumstances and did his best to hide his frustration and disappointment of how fate and the elements have yet again denied him a Super Bowl appearance, Well, kind of, as ATHLON Sports’ Max Dible detailed:
Jackson spoke with reporters following his team’s 27-25 loss on the road to the Buffalo Bills, which included three Baltimore turnovers compared to none by the home team. Two of those turnovers were credited to Jackson himself, and the QB offered a harsh analysis of the entire team’s play — specifically his own.
“Turnovers. We can’t have that ****. That’s why we lost the game,” Jackson said. “As you can see, we moving the ball wonderfully. It’s just hold onto the ******* ball. I’m sorry for my language. This **** is annoying. I’m tired of this ****.”
So it will be Allen, and not Jackson, who will get his chance at retribution in Kansas City in what CBS Entertainment will refer to as the lead-in to the debut of WATSON. Just in time to run into another quarterback who despite competing in arguably the weekend’s least compelling game reminded the world that yep, he’s still pretty good, as SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’s Karl Rasmussen described:
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce connected for their NFL record 18th touchdown in the playoffs during the fourth quarter on Saturday. Their latest combined score came in truly breathtaking fashion.
On third-and-goal, Mahomes experly navigated a collapsing pocket as Houston Texans defenders looked to bring him down. Mahomes was eventually tripped up by Mario Edwards Jr. while he attempted to make a throw. While falling to the ground, Mahomes put a throw right on the money for Kelce, who was open in the end zone.
A truly mesmerizing display from the two-time MVP, as he used his unparalleled body control to keep the play alive and make an accurate touchdown pass to his most trusted target.
The theatrics left football fans in disbelief, as they struggled to comprehend how Mahomes got that throw off.
Decades ago a melodious Canadienne named Anne Murray warbled her salute to snowbirds. One of the lines in her hit song went as follows:
The breeze along the river seems to say
That he’ll only break my heart again
I suppose land animals like male sheep can identify this week. And given the history that certain bison have against brave Native American warriors, we should be on notice for another reminder going forward. After all, as Wawrow reminded:
Now the Bills head to Kansas City, where they’ve been eliminated twice in the past four years — more recently in an unforgettable finish three years ago, when Buffalo blew a three-point lead in the final 13 seconds of regulation and lost 42-36 in overtime.
See you all next Sunday, weather permitting.
Courage…