PHILADELPHIA – Saturday will hardly go down as basically the most memorable installment of NFL divisional spherical playoffs, although they in all probability helped set the stage for some compelling theater in subsequent weekend’s championship spherical.
The Kansas metropolis Chiefs’ 27-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars by no means felt as shut as a consequence of the closing rating would level out and was predominantly outlined by the ankle damage suffered by okay.C. QB Patrick Mahomes, the league’s presumptive MVP for the 2022 season.
Conversely, possible MVP runner-up Jalen Hurts, who missed a pair of late-season begins earlier than returning (and trying rusty) in Week 18 with a youthful throwing shoulder, appeared to recapture his mojo as a consequence of the Philadelphia Eagles steamrolled the mannequin the prolonged island Giants 38-7.
A healthful Hurts and mangled Mahomes – anticipate every day updates on his ankle for the following eight days – will probably dominate the subplots heading into the championship spherical on Jan. 29. however Saturday did current rather extra to sift by way of than the plain winners and losers:
WINNERS
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No. 1 seeds: By prevailing, the best-seeded Chiefs and Eagles snapped a current hex for prime-seeded teams, which had misplaced 4 in a row coming into Saturday’s movement – the inexperienced Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans each one-and-accomplished inside the divisional spherical final yr. nonetheless, no No. 1 seed has gained the great Bowl since Philadelphia did so 5 years in the past and simply one (2020 Chiefs) has performed on great Sunday for the rationale that NFL expanded to the 14-crew postseason subject starting inside the 2020 season. for the rationale that start of the 2018 advertising campaign, prime seeds are an combination 9-eight.
The Kelces: Chiefs TE Travis Kelce and Eagles C Jason Kelce, each perennial All-professionals who’re amongst the numerous best to ever play their respective positions, each emerged victorious … leaving their prolonged household with a dilemma for subsequent weekend, however the type any mother or father would want to have. Travis Kelce accomplished the day with 14 receptions, two for touchdowns, and ninety eight receiving yards – extending his playoff file of video games with at the very least ninety five yards to seven. Jason Kelce anchored an offense that rather extra carefully resembled the one which helped underpin a thirteen-1 start to the common season. The Eagles accomplished with 416 yards, most on the underside, and Hurts was hardly ever touched inside the pocket.
Patrick Mahomes: The presumptive 2022 league MVP improved to 5-zero in divisional spherical video games regardless of struggling an ankle damage that prevented him – in the direction of his wants – from ending the fundamental half whereas he underwent testing. regardless of clearly being hindered bodily, each from a mobility standpoint and mechanically when trying some passes, Mahomes accomplished 22 of 30 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. he is one win away from main okay.C. to a third great Bowl look in 4 years.
Chad Henne: The 15-yr veteran and longtime Chiefs QB2 has an 18-36 file as an NFL starter, principally chop up between his time with the Miami Dolphins and Jaguars. however Henne’s success as a reliever continues to be instrumental to Kansas metropolis’s playoff fortunes. Two years in the past, Henne – to borrow some baseball parlance – bought the save in a divisional spherical defeat of the Cleveland Browns after Mahomes suffered a concussion. Saturday, Henne bought a maintain when Mahomes missed a pair of second-quarter collection. The second “possession” solely required a half-ending kneel-down from Henne. however on the completely different, he led a ninety eight-yard touchdown drive – the longest in Chiefs playoff historic previous – capped by a 1-yard TD move to Kelce.
‘Injured’ Eagles: Hurts, TE Dallas Goedert – the duo hooked up for a sixteen-yard TD on the sport’s opening drive, and Philadelphia by no means regarded again – All-professional RT Lane Johnson, DE Josh Sweat and S C.J. Gardner-Johnson all gave the impression to be in midseason type after their collective array accidents contributed to Philadelphia’s struggles over the previous month. however this squad seems to be primed and ready as a consequence of it prepares to host the Dallas Cowboys or San Francisco 49ers with a spot in great Bowl fifty seven on the highway.
okay.C. floor sport: although the Jags had been the crew that actually needed to play keepaway Saturday, it was the Chiefs who dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for better than 35 minutes. Rookie RB Isiah Pacheco (12 carries, ninety five yards) spearheaded a floor sport that churned out one hundred forty 4 yards – emblematic of how the submit-Tyreek Hill offense has developed – on 30 makes an try.
Philly floor sport: It stole the souls from the Giants to the tune of 268 yards, at 6.1 per clip. whether or not it is Dallas’ leaky run protection or the Niners’ stout group, the Eagles’ subsequent opponent can have loads to ponder.
Atlanta: If the Buffalo funds beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon, the ATL will host the AFC title sport – a situation the NFL outlined weeks in the past after Buffalo FS Damar Hamlin’s on-subject collapse at Cincinnati in Week 17. the following cancellation of the funds-Bengals sport – which stripped Buffalo’s inside observe to win the best seed inside the AFC playoff bracket – led the league to choose a impartial website if Chiefs and funds had been to fulfill inside the postseason for the third straight yr. The NFL introduced Friday that extra than 50,000 tickets have already been purchased for a doable sport at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Championship Chiefs: For the fifth consecutive season – coinciding with Mahomes’ complete stint as a consequence of the starter – Kansas metropolis is by way of to the AFC championship sport, the third time one crew has managed such a streak. (the mannequin new England Patriots personal the file with eight in a row between the 2011 and 2018 seasons.) it is going to even be 5 in a row at Arrowhead Stadium … if the funds lose Sunday.
Sweep: The Eagles and Giants have been bitter rivals since 1933, however this was the fundamental time Philadelphia managed a three-sport sweep of current York in a single season. The Iggles improved their playoff file in the direction of large Blue to three-2, Saturday marking Philly’s third straight victory on that entrance.
Andy Reid: The Chiefs coach – previously of the Eagles coincidentally – tied hall of Famers Tom Landry and Don Shula for the second most playoff video games coached collectively with his thirty sixth, trailing solely invoice Belichick (forty 4). collectively with his twentieth postseason win, Reid additionally tied Landry for the No. 2 spot, eleven behind Belichick. lastly, Reid additionally pulled even with Landry by taking a crew into the convention title spherical for the tenth time (5 apiece with Philadelphia and Kansas metropolis) – sure, solely Belichick has accomplished that extra occasions (thirteen).
Penn State working again: The Eagles’ Miles Sanders, who used to again up Saquon Barkley in glad Valley, had a sport-extreme 17 carries and ninety yards, spearheading a floor onslaught that averaged 6.1 yards in Philly’s romp.
LOSERS
Penn State working again: With the Giants behind almost from the soar, professional Bowler and former Nittany Lion Barkley solely bought 9 carries (for sixty one yards) in what can have been his closing sport for the prolonged island.
Trevor Lawrence’s streak: Spanning his time at Cartersville (Georgia) highschool, Clemson and the earlier two weekends with Jacksonville, the No. 1 decide of the 2021 NFL draft entered the weekend with a 37-zero file in Saturday video games. Make it 37-1.
Chris Jones: The Chiefs’ perennial professional Bowl defensive deal with has now appeared in thirteen playoff video games … with nary a sack. it is hardly basically the most appropriate indicator of Jones’ influence, but nonetheless a statistical oddity given he had 15½ sacks all by way of the 2022 common season and has averaged zero.seventy five per sport over the previous 5 seasons.
Quarterbacks on the run: Saturday’s pairing of Hurts and the Giants’ Daniel Jones was the fundamental matchup of two quarterbacks who’d rushed for at the very least 500 yards inside the common season – and on this case, every topped seven-hundred. however Hurts did not ought to run a lot, and Jones definitely did not replicate his heroics (17 carries for seventy eight yards) from the wild-card ouster of the Minnesota Vikings.
Giants’ Cinderella run: Good luck discovering any “educated” who had large Blue inside the NFL’s quarterfinal spherical again in July. Rookie boss Brian Daboll is definitely deserving of Coach of the yr consideration as he and first-yr GM Joe Schoen extracted extra from a imply roster than merely about anyone can have anticipated. however now that the curtain comes crashing down, laborious decisions loom – particularly straightforward strategies to navigate the looming free agent standing of each Barkley and Jones. should be a fascinating offseason, particularly given Schoen, with better than $50 million in wage cap space, has the wherewithal to maintain each if he so chooses.
Philadelphia chain gang: The sideline sticks used for measurements and denoting down and distance on every play suffered a damaged chain on the 9:37 mark of the fundamental quarter, forcing an “administrative stoppage.” Eagles followers, naturally, booed lustily.
Jacksonville ball safety: Overcoming 5 turnovers in the direction of the la Chargers is one factor, however the Jaguars had been going to want an almost glorious effort to derail the AFC West champion Chiefs. did not happen. A Jamal Agnew fumble and Lawrence interception – which occurred over a three-snap span late inside the fourth quarter – basically price Jacksonville any shot of stealing a sport that was eminently winnable as a lot as that time.
Mahomes: He mentioned after Saturday’s sport that he’ll be ready to go for the AFC title sport. however when Mahomes is dealing with a extreme-ankle sprain, as reported by NFL community, eight days probably ought to not be ample to be effectively healthful – particularly when dealing with a protection the caliber of Buffalo’s or Cincinnati’s. this is hoping Mahomes is a miracle healer and that this setback does not in the end flip into the fundamental purpose for an aborted great Bowl run.
Minnesota Vikings: As one wisecracking reporter remarked after the sport, “They ought to be asking themselves how they misplaced to these guys,” which means, actually, the Giants.
Eli Manning: the earlier Giants star quarterback and two-time great Bowl MVP was in attendance Saturday evening time, watching his former crew from a set at Lincoln monetary subject. The Eagles’ sport day operations had some fulfilling with that, placing Manning on the precept video boards all by way of a break inside the movement – which immediately elicited thunderous boos from the dwelling followers. The board then toggled between Manning and great Bowl fifty two champion Eagles Malcolm Jenkins, Brent Celek and Torrey Smith. Cheer, boo, cheer, boo, cheer. Manning took all of it in stride, pumping his arms with every look.
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observe USA right now sports activities’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
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