Tag: AFC Wild Card Game

Rex Ryan crushed Chargers’ Brandon Staley’s coaching for all the wrong reasons

Ryan’s logic couldn’t be more silly or contrived.

Ever since the Los Angeles Chargers capped off the third-largest playoff collapse in NFL history, head coach Brandon Staley has seemingly been under fire from all comers. For curious decisions like playing the injured Mike Williams in a meaningless game; for letting the now-fired Joe Lombardi constrain one of the sport’s brightest quarterbacks in Justin Herbert; for allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to continue the Chargers’ curse at always being the third-best at being the worst. It’s all very, very bleak.

While Staley’s job in L.A. seems, inexplicably, safe for now, it’s no wonder football people have connected Sean Payton to the Bolts’ job.

In the aftermath of the Chargers’ latest epic “Chargers-ing,” ESPN analyst Rex Ryan discussed what’s been wrong with Staley’s tenure thus far. Rather than deservedly critique Staley for being generally overzealous or limiting his best player, Ryan took it a step further. He equivocated Staley’s now-infamous aggressive nature on fourth down to disrespect of coaching legends that have come before.

Yes, it’s as silly of an argument as it sounds, and there’s no way Ryan actually feels this way — if he’s a serious person, anyway:

If Ryan had simply leaned on the middle portion of his argument — that Staley’s decision-making can occasionally be needlessly reckless — this point of contention would hold up. But to make the reach to Staley actively asserting he’s better than Hall of Fame coaches like Bill Walsh and Bill Parcells and denote that his decisions make it seem as if he’s also bigger than the game of football is so contrived. Never mind that Ryan’s statement is tantamount to “never evolve, do it the way it’s always been done” None of the pioneers he lauds approached the game in that fashion. They were/are so great because they were willing to push the envelope instead of following the crowd.

Plus, is it really that “offensive” Staley goes for it on fourth down (the Chargers were fifth in the league with 31 attempts in 2022) more than most? Or is someone looking for a hot soundbite hyperbolizing a situation in a Football Guy way?

I don’t know that any of the “Bills” would care much about the former, but I’ll let you decide whether running it on fourth down a lot, somehow, tarnishes the reputation of pro football.

Bengals’ Sam Hubbard yoinked a scoop-and-score 98-yard fumble TD, and NFL fans were dumbfounded

It’s the LONGEST fumble return for a TD in NFL playoff history!!!

For much of Sunday night, the defending AFC champions, the Cincinnati Bengals, were barely holding their own. Despite backup quarterback Tyler Huntley starting for the hated Baltimore Ravens, this AFC Wild Card Game matchup was all knotted up at 17 points apiece near the end of the third quarter.

But fortune finally smiled in the Bengals’ favor on a Tyler Huntley QB sneak. As the Ravens’ backup signal-caller tried to reach over the line, Cincinnati’s Logan Wilson punched the ball out of Huntley’s hands right into the arms of Sam Hubbard. The defensive end proceeded to take the ball for a 98-yard fumble return touchdown going the other way, giving the Bengals an eventual 24-17 lead when they needed it most. (Oh, and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews came so close to catching him.)

In the wildest playoff potential 14-point swing and twist, Hubbard’s score is the longest fumble-return TD in NFL postseason history:

I don’t … know that I’ve ever seen a defensive player score a touchdown like that? Let alone in the postseason? Will I stop writing question marks? I don’t know? I’m so astounded by this late-game turn of events!

The Bengals were on the ropes for three quarters against an injury-depleted rival. Hubbard’s wild touchdown morphed those dire circumstances into a big-time playoff win for the reigning conference champions.

NFL fans crushed the refs for gifting the Bills a controversial game-icing first down

It sure looked like Devin Singletary was clearly short of the line.

Seemingly against all odds, the Miami Dolphins went into Western New York on Sunday and gave the Buffalo Bills all they could handle. Even with backup Skylar Thompson at the helm of the Dolphins’ offense — who played an admirable game in his own right — the Dolphins never stopped coming.

They got into Josh Allen’s head, who turned the ball over three times. After a Tony Romo jinx, defensive tackle Zach Sieler revved the party up with a wild big-man score. And, in the end, despite egregious time management miscues on their final offensive possession, the Dolphins still had a faint chance of extending this instant classic to overtime.

All they had to do was stop the Bills from getting a first down as they tried to ice the clock. Simple, right? Not necessarily an easy task, but it’s a straightforward path to getting the ball back. Unfortunately, the officiating crew on hand had different ideas.

With the Dolphins’ season on the line, Devin Singletary took a third-down handoff running on the left side and gained a rather generous Herculean seven yards to ice the game in a 34-31 Bills win. That is to say, Singletary seemed to be well short from various angles, but he was strangely awarded the controversial first down anyway.

Let’s take a closer look at a still image of Singletary as he was stood up by Dolphins defenders:

The yellow broadcast line isn’t official, but there’s a lot of evident space between Singletary and where the down marker is. Since the initial call on the field was a Singletary first down, any review had to be clear to overturn. Oh yeah, you know how this one ends: The call stood because there wasn’t enough evidence to push it the other way.

Now, the Dolphins would have had to make a likely fourth-and-short stop with the Human Behemoth Allen potentially putting himself in position for a simple QB sneak. And even then, they’d still have to get a tying long field goal with mere seconds remaining on the clock. Not a sure thing and, yes, improbable, but it feels like Miami was robbed of the first step in that game-tying path on Singletary’s “first down.”

Instead of a last-gasp desperate stop/offensive heave, the Dolphins’ season ends with a clumsy whimper instigated by what resembles poor officiating.

Dolphins DT Zach Sieler’s wife was in tears after her husband scored an unlikely TD vs. the Bills

You LOVE to see wholesome reactions like in the postseason.

One of the more underrated aspects of the playoffs is how family members of players react to monumental moments. There’s almost nothing better than seeing a loved one revel in a big play in a clutch performance, especially when they get emotional.

On Sunday afternoon, all chaos broke loose once Tony Romo jinxed Josh Allen and the Miami Dolphins’ Zach Sieler scored an awesome big-man touchdown to stun the Buffalo Bills. It was a shocking moment — on Allen’s third turnover of the afternoon — befitting a potentially massive upset of a genuine Super Bowl contender in Buffalo.

In reaction on Twitter, Sieler’s wife, Hannah, posted a wholesome reaction video from the stadium in Buffalo. She was brought to tears by her husband scoring on the unthinkable, momentum-shifting play, and it was just the best to see:

Oh man, that is special. One can only imagine the wave of emotions going through Sieler’s mind as he romped his way into the end zone. Once he learns how his wife reacted — ideally in a Dolphins’ win for the couple — I’m sure he’ll be elated and over the moon.

The Dolphins defense scored an awesome big-man TD after a wild strip sack of Josh Allen

BIG. MAN. TOUCHDOWN!!!

No one in their right mind expected the Miami Dolphins to put up much of a fight on Sunday afternoon. Especially with third-stringer Skylar Thompson entrenched as the starter. That is, no one except the Dolphins, who used the aftermath of a fight between Josh Allen and Christian Wilkins as a spark to regain momentum.

After Miami, somewhat inexplicably for a massive and shorthanded underdog, fought back from a 17-0 deficit, it kept coming in the second half. And on a first-down play on the Bills’ first possession of the third quarter, the Dolphins’ Eric Rowe sacked Josh Allen, forcing a fumble.

In the ensuing madness, as everyone on the field scrambled for the ball, Miami’s Zach Sieler — a listed 304-pound man — wound up scooping and scoring to give his team an unthinkable 24-20 lead. (Let’s also not forget that Tony Romo had a pre-play jinx.)

Just a bonkers play all around for a very large human being:

The fumble was Allen’s third turnover of the afternoon. In a game where all the Bills likely had to do was play their game and show up, the only thing that would’ve kept the Dolphins hanging around was a sloppy spate of Allen turnovers. And that’s precisely what happened for a quarterback who had 18 giveaways (!) in the regular season.

It’s pretty much a developing worst-case scenario for the Bills in their playoff opener.

A late hit on Josh Allen led to a potential momentum-shifting Bills-Dolphins fight

Don’t mess with the QB, Miami! No one would let this slide.

As the Buffalo Bills cruised along in their AFC Wild Card matchup, the Miami Dolphins were looking for an opening. Anything that might rattle the AFC East champions enough to crack open the door and come back from a multiple-score deficit on the road. With third-stringer Skylar Thompson playing quarterback for the Dolphins, finding any extra edge would be paramount.

We saw a perfect example of the Dolphins’ strategy after a late second-quarter Josh Allen interception. While Miami’s Xavien Howard picked the stud QB off on an errant deep toss, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins took some apparent liberties with Allen after the throw.

Allen, understandably, took exception to Wilkins’ antics, and a moderately-sized fight eventually broke out between the two divisional rival teams:

Nice play and hands by Howard!

Not a nice play by Wilkins!

But at least Allen is a rather large quarterback — a listed 6-foot-5, 237 pounds — and can defend himself, even against 300-plus-pound men like Wilkins. Once the physical exchange happened between these two, there was no way the Bills would let Wilkins get off unscathed.

Again, I totally understand the response. Look at how fast they swarmed him. Once more, a lesson to all defenders: Don’t touch the QB away from the play or between the whistles.

If this is how the Dolphins want to win this game, by getting in the Bills’ head, I don’t think it’s a very sustainable strategy. Though, Miami started to stymie Buffalo more after this whole mess, going on a 14-0 run — picking off Allen again — to close the first half and stay within a three-point margin.

So, I guess playing outside the margins a bit couldn’t hurt to try for an underdog like Miami. But then again, given this incident — it seems like it would hurt to try! At least in the moment when Wilkins received the full wrath of the Bills’ team for getting into it with Allen.

NFL fans blasted Charles Woodson and Michael Vick for carelessly pushing Lamar Jackson to risk his health

This was some really bad TV.

Lamar Jackson’s health has loomed over the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff prospects for over a month since he sprained a PCL ligament in his knee. On a grander scale, Jackson’s future in Baltimore — with no long-term deal in place whenever the Ravens’ season concludes — has hovered as a specter over the team’s entire 2022.

But, likely knowing people’s conversations about his status behind the scenes,  Jackson took control of his narrative as the Ravens got set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round. Since Baltimore leadership hasn’t exactly stumped much for its franchise QB of late — more or less speaking in vague terms since his knee injury, leaving their talisman open to criticism — it was only fair Jackson stood up for himself.

With Jackson officially sitting out from the Ravens’ playoff matchup with the Bengals on Sunday night, FOX analysts/ex-players Michael Vick and Charles Woodson shared some thoughts about the electric talent during Saturday coverage.

At no risk of hyperbole, I assure you: The two men realistically could not have shared more careless thoughts as absurd Football Guys to push Jackson to play and risk his long-term well-being for a team that’s offered him zero stability moving forward. That’s not even to say Jackson is sitting out over a financial dispute. If Jackson says his knee is unstable at age 26 (!) and that he isn’t fit enough to play, then his words are enough. Why on Earth would he lie? And don’t think I’m overlooking host Charissa Thompson seeming to irresponsibly suggest Jackson is sitting out purely because he doesn’t have a contract.

What a truly terrible segment of television:

I’m still aghast at how casually Woodson seems to question Jackson’s commitment to the Ravens in the name of winning what is a meaningless football game in the grand scheme of someone’s life. That goes double for Vick to back Woodson’s sentiment up without a second thought, as if either man is in a reasonable position to critique Jackson’s personal risk assessment.

Never mind that we, once again, have been having (who am I kidding, had?) a larger conversation about NFL player safety in the wake of Damar Hamlin’s collapse from cardiac arrest. Which happened only weeks ago. With Vick and Woodson acting as the poster boys, it’s as if significant segments of the football world already forget the various egregious screw-ups in that scary situation because it’s the playoffs. And the playoffs, to many people, take precedence over young men taking their safety into their own hands. Heaven forbid. I’m not surprised discussions have quickly shifted, to some, about wins and losses. I guess it’s just how pro football proliferates shamelessly, and that remains disappointing.

What are we doing here?

I’d encourage football figures like Woodson and Vick — for two, and definitely not exceptions — to consider their words about player safety more carefully moving forward. Or, you know, maybe holster these sentiments internally for quality reflection on their part. It seems like they could use a step back themselves. But I know this league, and I know how people close to it think. It’s likely impossible for some people to dial back the backward “give it up for your team at all costs” opinions. They can’t help themselves.

So, yeah, I’m not too optimistic these kinds of outlandish football thoughts on a whim will stop being aired out any time soon.

NFL fans ripped Al Michaels and Tony Dungy for sucking the air out of Jaguars’ unforgettable win

Al and Tony treated a historic comeback like it was a random Thursday night.

If you had zero score context, you would’ve thought that Al Michaels — in a special return appearance to NBC — and Tony Dungy were calling a random, run-of-the-mill October game. But no, they actually had the call of the Jacksonville Jaguars shocking the Los Angeles Chargers in the third-largest playoff comeback in NFL playoff history.

Did the announcing pair sell the moment, adding relevant excitement or thrills to one of the more remarkable outcomes in the sport’s century-plus lore? Did they noticeably change their tone or have viewers on the edge of their seats as the Jaguars slowly inched their way back to drive a stake into the Chargers and continue that franchise’s curse? Perhaps they even discussed what might be on the line for Brandon Staley and his future in L.A. as the drama built in Jacksonville?

Dearest Readers, if they did, I must have missed it! And so did nearly everyone else watching the chaos unfold on Saturday night. It’s almost difficult to describe just how badly Michaels and Dungy whiffed on the dramatic moment. Their call of the game was that bad.

The football world wasn’t remotely happy with the guys in the booth.

8 steps to the Jaguars stunning Chargers in third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history

A step-by-step breakdown of how the Jaguars pulled off their stunning comeback.

After one half of play for the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday night, everyone in the NFL world started to pencil in the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Round. Trevor Lawrence looked like a pumpkin. Jacksonville’s defense couldn’t buy a stop. And Doug Pederson seemingly had no answers in front of a shell-shocked crowd while chasing a 27-0 deficit.

My, my, how quickly matters can shift in just over 30 minutes of play. Instead of surrendering and letting the perennially cursed Chargers cruise and advance, a 36-yard Riley Patterson field goal saw the Jaguars pull off the third-largest comeback in NFL playoff history to win 31-30 as time expired. And by the time the dust settles on this one, Brandon Staley might no longer be employed by L.A.

That’s because it’s the first time ever an NFL team has won a playoff game despite having a -5 turnover margin:

How did the Jaguars pull off the miracle? And how did the Chargers keep the door open for their own epic collapse? Let’s break the eight essential steps down — in order — as Jacksonville celebrates one of the wildest mid-January victories in pro football lore.

Trevor Lawrence threw 4 brutal INTs to start his NFL playoff career … in the first half

One of the NFL’s brightest young stars is gonna want a do-over.

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered their AFC Wild Card Game against the Los Angeles Chargers, riding a wave of success. Jacksonville, led by Trevor Lawrence and a playmaking defense, hadn’t lost a game since the first Sunday of December. Come the postseason, with “Golden Boy” Lawrence making his playoff debut, the Jaguars looked like a real force to be reckoned with.

That is, until Lawrence actually had to play against the Chargers’ defense. The Jaguars had three first-quarter possessions on Saturday night. And on each of them, Lawrence threw a brutal pick as L.A. capitalized by amassing a 17-0 lead. Through 15 minutes of play, the young QB had the same number of completions (3) as interceptions (also 3!) through one quarter.

You probably couldn’t imagine a worse start to a postseason career for a young star. (Hey, not everyone can be Brock Purdy.)

By the time the Jaguars could even catch their breath, they were down 27-0 after Lawrence had thrown a fourth pick (!) halfway through the second quarter, three to Asante Samuel Jr. That put Lawrence in the dubious company of some of the worst NFL playoff debuts ever for a quarterback:

Also, at one point, Samuel Jr. had as many catches (3) from Lawrence as his actual receivers (3). You read that right, don’t worry:

What was supposed to be a promising return to the postseason for a young Jaguars team on the rise instead turned into an early outright nightmare for the face of their franchise.