In this series of articles, I will be highlighting the best NFL games of the weekend as we get into the playoffs. In the Wild Card Weekend, we had lot of good games with great plays. Here are the highlights.
Commanders vs Buccaneers
The Commanders beat the Buccaneers on a game winning field goal.
Washington started the game with a well put together drive to the Tampa Bay 20-yard line, but they took a chance on a fourth and two and could not convert. Then, starting from their own eight-yard line, Jayden Daniels led a 17 play, nine-minute drive that ended with him finding Dyami Brown in the endzone. They ended the half with a field goal with the score tied 10-10.
Powered by multiple chunk plays down the field, the Commanders took it down to the four-yard line in the red zone but had to settle for a field goal. Down four, Washington took a risk by going for points on a fourth and goal at the three-yard line. Daniels’ pass was incomplete, and the Commanders came away with no points.
Washington caught a break off a fumble and only needed four plays to score another touchdown. This touchdown came on a fourth down and put them up by three points.
With the game tied, Washington just needed points, and they got it. Zane Gonzalez hit a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Commanders their first playoff win since 2005.
Washington will travel to Detroit to take on the top seeded Lions in the Divisional Round next weekend.
Tampa started off strong with points on the board with a field goal. After that, they punted twice. They finished off the half with a touchdown to Mike Evans. They scored a touchdown out of halftime to take the lead. With the ball and the lead, Baker Mayfield fumbled the ball.
Despite this, the Bucs were still able to tie the game with just under five minutes left in the game. This proved to be too much time as the Commanders were able to run out the clock and get into field goal position to get the win.
Texans vs Chargers
The Texans move on in the 2025 playoffs to face the Chiefs next weekend.
The Texans began their playoff game on the wrong foot with a fumble on their first play of the game. They punted twice after that without gaining much yardage. C.J. Stroud was then picked off on a pass attempt that he was trying to throw away.
All the momentum started to swing when Stroud saved a botched snap, ran to the sideline, and fired a 34-yard pass to Xavier Hutchinson on a third and 16. From there, Nico Collins took over and found the endzone on a pass from Stroud to score their first points of the day. They ended the half with a field goal as well.
Out of the half, Collins had an explosive 41-yard gain, but Joe Mixon fumbled and lost the ball on the next play. On the next trip to the red zone, Derwin James seemingly picked off Stroud in the end zone, but it got overturned, leading to another field goal for the Texans.
After a punt, Houston got good field position off a pick but had to settle for yet another field goal, going up 23-6. With ten minutes left in the game, the Texans looked to mostly run out the clock on this drive. Mixon put the nail in the coffin by running for a 17-yard touchdown on a fourth and one to go up by 20 points.
The Texans will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs next week in the Divisional Round.
The Chargers started the game hot and were attacking the Houston defense with an equal run and pass attack on the first drive. JK Dobbins was stopped on a third and one and they hit a field goal. On the next drive, Justin Herbert was sacked on a second and 19, and they had to kick another field goal.
The rest of the half ended in four punts and an interception.
On their first possession they get a chunk play from Ladd McConkey plus fifteen yards from a facemask penalty. Three plays later, on a fourth and two, Herbert throws a pass short of the first down marker and they turn it over on downs.
Later in the third quarter, Herbert threw a pick six on the first play of their drive. They got the ball back after the touchdown and Herbert’s pass gets deflected for a pick once again.
With the ball back, Herbert was sacked two times in a row, but on third and 26, he found McConkey for an 86-yard touchdown. Cameron Dicker’s extra point attempt was then blocked and returned for PAT Conversion of two points.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Herbery threw his fourth interception of the game, leading the Texans to be able to kneel out the clock. Herbert’s four interceptions in this game surpassed his season total of three.
Bills vs Broncos
The Bills blow out the Broncos to move on to the Divisional Round.
Buffalo started the game with chunk plays to Khalil Shakir and James Cook leading them to the red zone. On third down on the eight-yard line, Josh Allen overthrew his receiver leading the Bills to kick a field goal.
After the field goal, they came out with a 13 play, 81-yard touchdown drive capped off by a James Cook rushing touchdown. On their final drive of the first half, Allen is sacked leading to a Buffalo punt.
Out of the half, the Bills once again drove down the field, but the possession stalled when Allen was sacked once again. They kicked another field goal.
On the next drive, on a fourth and one just outside of the red zone, Allen finds Ty Johnson in the very back of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown. They then completed a two-point conversion attempt to go up by 14 points.
Three plays into the next possession, Curtis Samuel took off for a 55-yard touchdown reception, putting the Bills ahead by three touchdowns. After a field goal, Buffalo definitively put away the Broncos.
The Bills will host the Ravens next weekend in the Divisional Round.
The Broncos and Bo Nix started the game off with a bang. Nix connected with Troy Franklin for a 43-yard touchdown pass to take an early lead. After this, not much went right for them. They punted twice in a row and ended the half with a missed field goal.
After two more punts, they made it into the red zone but couldn’t convert on a fourth and two. With one final drive of the game, down 24, the Broncos were once again unable to convert on a fourth down, this one being fourth and 17. With a turnover on downs, the Bills were able to kneel out the clock.
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