Tag: AFC Playoffs

Steelers wins prove they are Super Bowl contenders

The Steelers have beaten five teams with winning records in 10 games this season.

In a league where any team can win on any given week, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to find ways to get it done. Despite very modest preseason projections, the Steelers sit at 8-2 after 11 weeks and atop in the AFC North.

But with any team that has success, critics try to find ways to pick that success apart. For the Steelers, the criticism has been about the strength of Pittsburgh’s schedule so far.

However, if only takes a few minutes to look at the current NFL standing and understand this argument doesn’t hold water.

Of the Steelers’ eight wins, five of them have come against teams currently with a winning record, The Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers are all over .500. No other team can make the claim they’ve beaten five teams with winning records already this season.

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Previewing Kansas City’s AFC Championship Game vs. Ravens on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr and John Dillon look ahead to Baltimore #KCvsBAL

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs’ AFC Championship game with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs are the number three seed traveling to Baltimore to play their first road AFC Championship during their six consecutive years in the game. We check in with this week’s press conferences featuring comments from head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and defensive tackle Chris Jones as they recapped last Sunday’s Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills. 

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. shared his thoughts on their victory last Sunday as they overcame the Bills’ high-powered offense at Highmark Stadium. Chiefs Wire managing editor John Dillon discusses Kansas City’s goals ahead of the next big road battle with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, emphasizing Mahomes playing his first postseason game as a visitor. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s comments on Mahomes and the Chiefs defense during his press conference.

Listeners can look forward to being well-informed about the Chiefs’ mindset as the team seeks one more victory to return to their second consecutive Super Bowl. 

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Sunday’s kickoff:

Chiefs fans react to hilarious Justin Reid clap back on Twitter

#Chiefs fans went ballistic after Justin Reid dropped this legendary reply to a troll on Twitter.

The Kansas City Chiefs put together a remarkable performance to sneak past the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday night, and tensions ran high on social media platforms after the game.

Bills Mafia was, understandably, distraught when Buffalo was dismantled by Kansas City at Highmark Stadium, and took their frustrations out on players and fans in Chiefs Kingdom.

Justin Reid, whose exceptional play helped buoy Kansas City’s defense, was one target that the Bills’ faithful went after on Twitter as they tried to cope and ease the pain of yet another tough playoff loss at the hands of the Chiefs.

When one fan saw Reid’s post-game message on Twitter, they tried to detract from his performance, saying the safety is a “great tackler” but that he “can’t guard a soul.”

Reid, who didn’t allow a catch in Sunday’s contest, was quick to clap back, offering a humorous reply that had Chiefs fans buzzing on Twitter.

Check out some of the top reactions from Kansas City’s fans below:

Bills Wire AFC divisional round Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen

Bills Wire AFC divisional round Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen:

The Buffalo Bills were eliminated in the AFC divisional round after their loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening.

The Bills could not find a way to win after going down early in the fourth quarter. The Bills did not complete the comeback as the Chiefs won 27-24.

There are a handful of Bills players who could have won this week’s Bills Wire Player of the Game.

We are awarding it to quarterback Josh Allen, who was 26 of 39 for 186 yards and one passing touchdown to receiver Khalil Shakir. In addition, carrying the ball, Allen ran 12 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Allen ran for those two touchdowns in the first half before connecting with wide receiver Shakir. Allen did everything he could to win this frosty divisional matchup against 2023 Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Allen found the end zone with his feet at the beginning and end of the second quarter, both times to give Buffalo a lead. Unfortunately, the Bills could not prevent Kansas City from scoring nor could they find a way to tie or take the lead at the end of the game.

The Bills are now eliminated from the 2023 NFL playoffs.

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WATCH: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes warms up ahead of kickoff vs. Bills

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was seen warming up in the snow ahead of Kansas City’s playoff matchup against the #Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs are getting set for their matchup against the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday evening. The highly-anticipated tilt is expected to be one of the best games on this weekend’s schedule and will decide which team has to travel to the Old Line State to face the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game next week.

The NFL’s reigning MVP, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, was seen warming up for Kansas City’s consequential matchup against Buffalo before kickoff, throwing passes in the snow as he prepared for action in primetime.

While the forecast in Orchard Park, New York isn’t calling for a significant amount of precipitation, the weather conditions could be something to watch if snow starts to creep in at game time.

Fans should expect the Chiefs’ decorated quarterback to put on a show against Buffalo’s defense as Kansas City endeavors to reach its sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game.

Lamar Jackson leads Ravens to AFC Championship Game

The NFL should simply hand the MVP award over to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after his AFC Divisional Round performance.

The NFL should simply hand the MVP award over to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after his AFC divisional-round performance.

Tied 10-10 with the Houston Texans at halftime, the Ravens led an emphatic 24-0 scoring run in the 2nd half.  Jackson finished with a total of four touchdowns: two rushing and two passing.

The Ravens controlled the tempo of the game, winning the time of possession 37:35 to 22:25. In the third quarter, the Ravens capped off a 12-play, 93-yard drive to go ahead 24-10 in thrilling fashion.

Jackson seemed unbothered by the Texans’ blitzes, as he completed 16 of his 22 pass attempts with precision. His leadership created an aura of poise as Jackson connected with eight different receivers and rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries.

The Ravens will host the AFC Championship Game at M&T Bank Stadium next Sunday against the winner of the divisional-round game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

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WATCH: Lamar Jackson talks ‘growth’ at QB; Why this Ravens playoff run will be different

Lamar Jackson says this playoff run will be different from 2019

The Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs will begin on ESPN for the first time as the Houston Texans visit the Baltimore Ravens (Saturday, January 20, 4:15 p.m. ET) on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes, as the AFC South Champion meets the AFC’s top-seeded team.

Lamar Jackson enters the contest as the MVP favorite and, before the matchup, sat down with the great Chris Berman to discuss his “growth” as quarterback this season and how the Ravens’ playoff run will be different from 2019 when they were the No. 1 overall seed and were upset by the Titans.

In the first matchup between the two teams, the host Ravens won 25-9, holding Houston to 268 yards, while Jackson had two turnovers and 169 yards passing in his first game action in almost a year.  The 78.0 passer rating in C.J. Stroud’s NFL debut for Houston was his second-lowest of the season.

The pressure is on Jackson, who is 1-3 in playoff games and 0-2 at home.

Jackson is the leading candidate for NFL MVP and will start his first postseason game since the 2020 season. Jackson was injured and missed Baltimore’s lone playoff game last season.

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ESPN NFL Matchup: X’s & O’s film on the Texans offense

Here’s an exclusive look at the Houston Texans offense with ESPN NFL Matchup.

Darius Butler from ESPN NFL Matchup took a look at the Houston Texans offense on film this week. They like to use misdirection to create advantages for their skills players.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik deserve credit for leading the Texans to such an impressive offensive showing versus the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild.

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The Texans will need to move Baltimore Ravens linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen if they want to be effective in the AFC Divisional. Stopping Texans HB Devin Singletary is essential in this game. Let’s take a look at more Texans film below.

Previewing Kansas City’s divisional round game vs. Bills on Chiefs Wire Podcast

On the latest episode of @TheChiefsWire podcast: @EdEastonJr shared his thoughts on Saturday’s victory and looks ahead to Buffalo w/ @TheBillsWire’s Nick Wojton. #KCvsBUF

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week, we’re previewing the Kansas City Chiefs’ divisional round matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

We check in with this week’s press conferences featuring comments from head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and defensive end George Karlaftis as they reflect on the wild card victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs’ stars shined in big moments to get their postseason off to a roaring start.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. shared his thoughts on their victory last Saturday as they battled the historically low temperatures at Arrowhead Stadium. A look ahead to the eagerly anticipated road battle with the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, emphasizing Mahomes playing his first postseason game as a visitor. Bills Wire’s Nick Wojton breaks down the game from Buffalo’s perspective, including his predictions.

Listeners can look forward to being well-informed about the Chiefs’ mindset as the team seeks a monumental road victory in Buffalo. Bills Mafia is expected to be fully energized and loud. An opportunity to play in the AFC Championship game is on the line as the Chiefs seek to keep their incredible streak alive. 

Check out the link below to get your fill of Chiefs talk ahead of Sunday’s kickoff:

Bills Wire AFC Wild Card Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen

Bills Wire AFC Super Wild Card Weekend Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen:

The Buffalo Bills advanced to the AFC divisional round with a win against the No. 7 seed Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday afternoon and will welcome the No. 3 seed Kansas City Chiefs next weekend.

After taking a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter, the Bills staved off a Steelers rally in the final 15 minutes and won 31-17.

There are several players among offense, defense and special teams who could have won this week’s Bills Wire Player of the Game. We are awarding it to quarterback Josh Allen, who was 21 of 30 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, along with a 52-yard rushing touchdown:

Allen’s score was his fourth rushing touchdown in the postseason. Additionally, this was Allen’s second playoff game with no interceptions or fumbles — the first came in the Bills’ blowout wild-card win over the New England Patriots two years ago.

Allen found both tight ends in the first quarter for touchdowns, and his solo run for a touchdown midway through the second quarter energized the faithful fans who braved the snow. It was Allen’s longest rush in his entire career. His previous longest postseason rush was for 42 yards in his first playoff game, which came against the Houston Texans in the 2019 AFC wild-card round.

The Bills will use the next week to prepare Highmark Stadium to host the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the divisional round.

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