Tag: Wildcard round

Beating the Raiders earned the Chargers right to get throttled by the Texans

All the big win to finish the season for the Charger did was lead to them getting dumped in the wildcard round by the Texans.

This time a week ago, the Chargers were set to face the Raiders in Las Vegas with something to play for. They had already clinched a playoff spot, but a win or a loss would decide whether they got the fifth or sixth seed.

The lower seed would have meant the headed to Baltimore to face the three seed Ravens. The higher seed would mean a trip to Houston to face the four seed Texans.

That was enough for them to go out and do what they had to do to win the game and ensure they got the highest seed possible. As the Texans looked like a much more favorable matchup.

In the end, it didn’t matter one bit.

Saturday the Chargers got beaten soundly and booted out of the playoffs. The Texans absolutely swatted them in a 32-12 whooping.

A pick six in the third quarter blew things open, giving the Texans a 20-6 lead. And it was 23-6 in the fourth quarter before the Chargers even scored their first touchdown.

Justin Herbert had a horrendous game, throwing one touchdown to four interceptions. Meanwhile the combo of JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards combined average just three yards per carry on 16 carries.

This is flipped from how the Chargers beat the Raiders to close out the season. With the Chargers scoring on seven straight drives, including three touchdowns to put the game away at 34-13 late in the fourth. An almost identical flipped score.

I guess that just shows you the talent gap between the Raiders and these playoff teams this season.

Steelers may find success in 2024 playoffs despite losing streak

The Steelers’ playoff hopes may hinge on a favorable wildcard matchup against the Texans, offering a chance to regain momentum in 2024.

Although fans of the Black and Gold are preparing to hit the panic button on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff aspirations, there may still be hope for a postseason victory in 2024.

If the Steelers’ season were to end today, they would be the fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture and would face the fourth-seeded AFC South divisional leader, the Houston Texans.

While many are skeptical about the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers’ ability to win their first playoff game this season, the Texans could be the perfect matchup to make this dream a reality.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have all the pieces to make a deep playoff run, but one thing the team is missing is momentum. After losing three consecutive games in a 10-day span, the Steelers’ morale has hit an all-time low in 2024.

Call it wishful thinking, but a victory over the struggling 9-7 Houston Texans in the wildcard round of the playoffs could be the perfect opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to regain their confidence and position themselves for the Super Bowl run fans once believed the team could achieve.

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What to know from Packers’ first injury report of wildcard playoffs vs. Cowboys

The Packers listed 19 players on the first injury report before playing the Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The Green Bay Packers released the team’s first injury report of the wildcard round on Wednesday. The team will release two more injury reports, including a final injury report on Friday with official playing status designations before Sunday’s playoff showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Here’s everything to know from the NFC Wild Card Round’s first injury report:

— The Packers injury report featured 19 players, but only one player — A.J. Dillon — didn’t practice in some capacity on Wednesday. The team held a walkthrough practice, so all participation statuses are estimations.

— Romeo Doubs, who left Sunday’s win over the Bears and needed evaluation at a local hospital, was a limited participant with a chest injury.

— Nine of the 19 players were full participants, including additions Zach Tom (finger) and Sean Rhyan (elbow).

— Receiver Chrisitan Watson (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity. Receiver Jayden Reed practiced in full. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks was removed from the injury report altogether.

— Cornerback Jaire Alexander is now battling an ankle injury, but he was limited Wednesday.

— Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (neck/concussion) returned in a limited capacity.

— Offensive tackle Luke Tenuta is no longer listed on the injury report, suggesting he was moved back to injured reserve. His 21-day window was up Wednesday.

— The Cowboys listed 10 players on the injury report, but five were non-injury related/rest days. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore did not practice because of a shoulder injury suffered Sunday. Guard Tyler Smith (foot) was a limited participant.