Tag: Divisional Round

The NFC South has fallen a long way from its old self

Nick Shook described the NFC South as, “a division that was once known for its parity and is now stuck in a lower-grade version of it.”

Around the NFL writer Nick Shook ranked the NFC South as the worst division in football. The New Orleans Saints have spent the last few years performing below their standards, and the same can be said about the entire division over the same time period.

Shook described the NFC South as, “a division that was once known for its parity and is now stuck in a lower-grade version of it.” That’s a perfect description of the divisional transformation.

In 2017, the NFC South put three teams into the playoffs. This was before the addition of an extra wild card team when a division could only have three playoff teams. Those days have long passed.

There haven’t been even two NFC South representatives in the playoffs since 2020. The Buccaneers only made the playoffs the past two years because they won the division. Even the top of the division has been poor.

One thing other divisions have over the NFC South is a team that feels like a bonafide contender. The Falcons could be that with the addition of Kirk Cousins, but it’s hard to see that raising the division much higher in rankings. Right above the NFC South is the AFC West. As a reminder, the repeat Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs reside in this division.

In other words, it’ll take more than one team to change the division’s current reputation.

WATCH: Mitch Holthus calls end of Chiefs’ victory vs. Bills

Check out this video of Mitch Holthus’ electric calls at the end of the #Chiefs’ win over the #Bills on Sunday.

Few play-by-play announcers in the NFL are as beloved as Mitch Holthus, who has been the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs since 1994.

His electric calls have captivated fans for decades, and the performance he put together while broadcasting the Chiefs’ victory over the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs was nothing short of legendary.

The team posted a video of Holthus’ exuberant commentary from the final minutes of Sunday’s win, which is sure to get Chiefs Kingdom riled up ahead of Kansas City’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game this weekend.

Calls like these are part of what makes Chiefs football so special. Holthus is an absolute dynamo behind the microphone, and without his outstanding effort to bring fans a best-in-class broadcast, Kansas City’s games wouldn’t be the same.

Expect the long-tenured announcer to bring even more energy to the Chiefs’ next game, which could send them to Super Bowl LVIII.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling was PFF’s highest-graded WR in Divisional Round of playoffs

#Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded receiver in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a tough time making an impact for his team during the 2023 regular season but got back on the right track against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

His two catches for 62 yards helped the Chiefs stay on schedule in the hotly-contested AFC playoff matchup, and the experts at Pro Football Focus were impressed by his outstanding performance.

Valdes-Scantling graded out as the best wide receiver in the divisional round, an accomplishment that few fans expected of him after his dismal showings in the regular season.

While the Chiefs’ work in the postseason is far from over, Kansas City’s coaching staff should enter the team’s next matchup against the Baltimore Ravens with a newfound confidence in their highest-paid receiver.

Expect Patrick Mahomes to look Valdes-Scantling’s way on Sunday as the Chiefs endeavor to take down Baltimore to earn a second-straight Super Bowl berth.

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:

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had perfect passer rating when targeting Travis Kelce vs. Bills

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting TE Travis Kelce in Kansas City’s win over the #Bills on Sunday.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night to advance to their sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game. While their well-rounded performance on both sides of the ball was a collective effort, the standout showings from two of their biggest stars stole the show, according to the experts at Pro Football Focus.

Reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes was able to count on Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce in key moments throughout the game, and earned a perfect passer rating when targeting his favorite receiving threat against Buffalo.

The pair linked up for two scores in the divisional matchup and ascended to first place on the NFL’s leaderboard for postseason touchdowns scored between a quarterback and receiver duo.

Their chemistry has become the stuff of legend, and always seems to be a factor in hotly-contested playoff matchups when their team needs them most.

Mahomes and Kelce can add to their sterling postseason resumes against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game this weekend.

WATCH: Chiefs stars celebrate playoff win vs. Bills in locker room

The atmosphere in the #Chiefs’ locker room was electric after Kansas City’s win over the #Bills on Sunday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs earned a gritty road playoff win for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era on Sunday night when they traveled to Orchard Park, New York to face off against the Buffalo Bills.

While the outcome of the matchup was decided by a missed field goal by Bills kicker Tyler Bass in the game’s final minutes, Kansas City put together a dominant performance against Buffalo in all four quarters.

Chiefs players were on cloud nine in the locker room after their hard-fought victory and were seen celebrating their latest accomplishment in a video posted to Twitter by the team’s social media team.

Travis Kelce, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Drue Tranquill, and Patrick Mahomes can all be seen embracing and congratulating each other on a job well done, clearly excited that they had pulled off the playoff upset.

Their work is far from over, though, as Kansas City is now set to face the Baltimore Ravens in their sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance next week.

Washington holds a new record after Lions’ NFL playoff win

Another ugly record for Washington.

With the Detroit Lions’ win on Sunday, the Washington franchise was again in the news, but not for good reasons.

On Sunday, in the NFC Divisional playoff round, the Detroit Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Bucs 31-23, advancing to next Sunday’s NFC Championship game. It is the first time the Lions have earned a trip to the game in 32 seasons.

It now means the Cowboys have the second-longest drought of 28 seasons, and unfortunately, yes, Washington now has the NFL’s longest drought of 32 seasons since playing in a conference championship game.

It was the magical 1991 season when the Lions defeated the Cowboys in Detroit of the Divisional round earning a trip to face the Redskins at RFK, who had defeated the Falcons 24-7 in the mud during the seat-cushion game.

In that NFC Championship game, the Lions had future Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, but Washington had their own Hall of Famers (Art Monk, Darrell Green, and Russ Grimm, who was injured) and several big-time players making big-time plays like Wilber Marshall with his three sacks.

Charles Mann’s sack and forced fumble on the Lions’ initial series was recovered by Fred Stokes, setting the tone for the day. Mark Rypien completed 12 of 17 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and a 152.2 passer rating.

Washington held Sanders to 44 yards in his 11 carries, and Monk and Gary Clark both had second-half touchdown receptions from Rypien, while Green’s interception return for a 32-yard touchdown raised the final score to 41-10.

So now, it is Washington who has the longest streak in the NFL of not playing in a conference championship game since 1991 (32 seasons). It is no coincidence that the former owner began his era in 1999, and it ended as recently as this past July.

Now we hope the new Josh Harris ownership group, general manager Adam Peters, and the next head coach will be the ones to end this three-decades-long drought.

Swifties lambast Bills fans after barbs exchanged pregame

Swifties didn’t hold back in mocking #Bills fans who they felt had disparaged Taylor Swift before Buffalo’s loss to the #Chiefs on Saturday night.

Fans around the NFL saw the Kansas City Chiefs handle their business in nail-biting fashion against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. The Chiefs’ 27-24 win in Buffalo punched Kansas City’s ticket to a sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game appearance and left Buffalo’s fans speechless.

Some of the Chiefs’ newest devotees, the so-called “Swifties”, got their first taste of high-stakes playoff football during the hotly-contested tilt after exchanging barbs with the Bills Mafia in the buildup to the game.

Sparks flew at the matchup’s conclusion after Buffalo’s kicker, Tyler Bass, missed a field goal that could have evened the score with mere minutes remaining in regulation.

The Swifties were ruthless in their mockery of Bills fans who they felt had disparaged the good name of their favorite pop superstar, Taylor Swift, with their behavior and signs ahead of the game’s kickoff.

Check out some of the Swifties’ responses to Buffalo after the Chiefs’ hard-fought win on Sunday night:

Chiefs complain about snowballs, lack of hot water after win vs. Bills

Two #Chiefs took to Twitter to complain about a lack of hot water in the locker room and snowballs after Kansas City’s win over the #Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ hard-fought win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday night was decided by just three points.

In Patrick Mahomes’ first-ever road playoff game, the Chiefs marched into Buffalo with a chip on their shoulders and delivered a remarkable performance to beat the Bills against seemingly all odds.

Not all was well after their victory, though, as players from both sides of the ball had complaints about a lack of hot water in the locker room and fan behavior at Highmark Stadium after the game.

First, offensive lineman Donovan Smith took to social media to inform fans that the showers at Highmark Stadium weren’t working properly.

Then, defensive back Jaylen Watson posted about snowballs that were thrown at him during the matchup by Buffalo’s fans.

Watson wasn’t the only Chief to be pelted by Bills Mafia, either. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was hit by snowballs as he trotted off the field to greet fans.

Clearly, frustrations in Western New York boiled over after Buffalo’s crushing defeat. The league’s response to the tense postgame occurrences may be something for fans to keep their eyes on ahead of the Chiefs’ matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game next week.

Twitter reacts to Chiefs’ nerve-racking playoff win vs. Bills

Twitter shared its thoughts about the #Chiefs’ playoff win over the #Bills on Sunday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their sixth-consecutive AFC Championship Game after defeating the Buffalo Bills in nerve-racking fashion on Sunday night.

A 44-yard field goal attempt by Bills kicker Tyler Bass that missed wide right proved to be the difference in this hotly-contested matchup, and fans were polarized by the game’s stressful ending.

While Buffalo seemed destined to exorcise its playoff demons against the Chiefs, this defeat put many more skeletons in the Bills’ closet after Bass’ blunder so closely imitated Scott Norwood’s infamous 47-yard miss in Super Bowl XXV.

Fans of both teams took to social media in the game’s final minutes and after the final score was posted, making their thoughts known about the matchup’s final outcome. While Chiefs fans were elated to see their team advance, Buffalo’s supporters were distraught.

Check out some of Twitter’s top reactions to Kansas City’s win over the Bills on Sunday night: