The Redzone Report

Recap:

The first NFL game of the weekend was the Indianapolis Colts Vs the Buffalo Bills. The Bills won their division for the first time since 1995, and they did not crack under the pressure of a home playoff game with approximately six thousand fans in attendance. Led by MVP candidate Josh Allen, who went a tremendous 26/35 with over 300 yards and two touchdowns, and Pro Bowl Wide receiver Steffon Diggs who had six catches, one hundred twenty eight yards and one touchdown, the Bills got their first playoff win since 1995, 27-24. Now for the Colts, their biggest question going forward is, was this Phillip Rivers’ (The Colts quarterback) last game in Indianapolis? Or does he come back next season and try to run it back. Only time will tell. However one thing we do know is that The Bills will face the Baltimore Ravens next week with another home game, with the hopes of making it to the AFC Championship game.

The Final Saturday game of the Weekend was between the Washington Football Team and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead by Tom Brady. After clinching a home playoff game in week 17, Washington Football team Captain and rookie of the year candidate Chase Young was quoted saying “I want Tom! I want Tom!”, referring to his upcoming Opponent Tom Brady, who many refer to as the GOAT(Greatest of All Time). As a response, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said in an interview later that week “You better watch what you ask for.”, and the media took off. All week the storyline leading up to the game was the up and coming star defensive player (Chase Young) vs the GOAT Tom Brady and his first ever playoff game as a Tampa Bay Buc. Unfortunately for Young, the Football team lost in a relatively close Saturday Night Showdown 31-23. However for Washington, a possible future star quarterback did emerge in Taylor Heinicke who was starting for an injured Alex Smith (The starting quarterback). Heinicke quickly became a fan favorite on social media with his agility, quickness and mind boggling backyard football esque plays. Meanwhile for the Bucs, this week they get to face for the third time this season their division rival, New Orleans Saints. The Bucs will try to right the ship this week as during the regular season they got embarrassed both times they played them.

The final day of Super Wild Card Weekend was just as, if not more, entertaining than the first. First up on the schedule were the Tennessee Titans vs the Baltimore Ravens. This was a rematch of last year's playoff game where the Titans spoiled the Ravens’s season and made many people wonder just how good Lamar Jackson (Ravens starting quarterback) was during his MVP season that year. While this was only Lamar Jackson’s third year in the NFL, many wondered if his play style of quarterback was sustainable enough to compete in the playoffs, as he had made it the previous two years, but was unable to deliver. Lamar Jackson took that personally this weekend as he went 17/24 with 179 passing yards and also added 136 rushing yards and a touchdown, leading the Ravens to their first ever playoff victory under the Lamar Jackson era 20-13 in a tough, defensive win on the road. The Ravens will now go to Buffalo this weekend with the hopes of making it to the AFC Championship game. As for the Titans, King Henry (Derrick Henry) was completely shut down by the Ravens, rushing for only 40 yards on 18 attempts, after becoming one of the only players in NFL history to rush for over two thousand yards in the regular season.

The final and most talked about game of the Weekend was another division playoff game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Browns coming in, this had been their first playoff game since 2002, and the chips were stacked against them. They had a multitude of players for them on the Covid-19 list, meaning that they had tested positive or been around someone who did, and were out. This included their head coach Kevin Stefanski, who had to watch the game in quarantine from his basement. However for the Browns, this did not stop them as they pulled out a massive upset beating the number three seeded Steelers who started the season 11-0, 48-37. While the score might have been close, the game however was not, as the Browns took a 28-0 nothing lead in the first quarter and just cruise controlled for the remainder of the game. That was the most points ever scored in the first quarter of a playoff game in NFL history. This weekend the Browns now get to face the AFC’s number one seed and defending Superbowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs. As for the Steelers, they go into the offseason with yet another disappointing playoff exit with many questions, such as is it time for a new quarterback, or maybe even head coach?