Tag: AFC Wild Card Game

Chargers fans are still furious Brandon Staley played now-injured Mike Williams in a meaningless game

The Chargers could’ve started the playoffs healthy if not for Staley’s ridiculous decision-making.

As one of the hotter teams down the stretch of the 2022 NFL season, the Los Angeles Chargers could’ve begun their playoff run with all their valuable horses in the stable. Instead, with the team’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars looming on Saturday, they might be without vital playmaker Mike Williams. And head coach Brandon Staley seems to be the one likely at fault.

You see, the Chargers had nothing to play for during their regular season finale against the Denver Broncos. Already locked in as the AFC’s No. 5 seed, Los Angeles probably would’ve been better served to rest essential starters ahead of a hopeful deep playoff run. That didn’t happen.

And when Mike Williams injured his back during the matchup — a problem dating back to the start of his career — folks weren’t happy with Staley’s recklessness in a game that meant nothing.

As it unsurprisingly turns out, Williams now appears to be a game-time decision against the Jaguars:

Thanks to the prowess of Justin Herbert, the Chargers may well leave Jacksonville and advance to the Divisional Round anyway. But it’s definitely going to be more challenging if one of their top weapons in Williams can’t go. And should that happen, you have to think Staley will regret his late-season decision-making — when his team had nothing to play for — if L.A. gets eliminated.

NFL fans reminisced about David-Goliath QB playoff battles ahead of Dolphins’ backup facing Josh Allen

Allen vs. an overmatched backup isn’t the first time a vastly inferior QB had to try and pull off an upset.

The Buffalo Bills are about to have the challenging task of slowing down one … Skylar Thompson?

That’s right. Since Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out of the team’s third matchup with Buffalo this season in the AFC Wild Card Game, Thompson gets the daunting task of trying to beat juggernaut Buffalo on the road. With Human Terminator Josh Allen as the opposing quarterback. Woof. Good luck, young man.

On paper, this massive “David vs. Goliath” QB battle had FanSided’s Matt Verderame wondering about other noteworthy postseason signal-caller mismatches where the lesser player won. Of course, no one expects Thompson to beat, let alone come close to Allen and the Bills.

But you never know in the playoffs:

This got NFL fans thinking: What other massive underdogs successfully pulled off upsets over established superstars behind center? In a deep dive of modern NFL history, the answers do not disappoint.