Welcome to the Playoffs! Wildcard weekend saw some wild performances from teams who are vying for a chance to play in the Super Bowl- as if life depended on it. However, other teams collapsed and suffered humiliating losses- some were at home and others out on the road.
Here are the grades for all NFL teams that competed in Wildcard weekend:
Buffalo Bills: B+
It was a solid afternoon for the Buffalo Bills as they easily handled the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17. Josh Allen threw three touchdowns with no interceptions and scored a rushing touchdown while James Cook rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries. Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Khalil Shakir each scored a receiving touchdown. On defense, the Bills had a sack, a fumble recovery, and an interception as they knocked out the Steelers in the icy-cold winter wonderland that’s known as western New York.
Cleveland Browns: D
The Browns entered the 2023-24 playoffs, as road favorites against the Houston Texans, only to fall flat 14-45. Joe Flacco threw one touchdown against two interceptions in the evening. Kareem Hunt scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. David Njoku caught seven receptions for 93 yards and Amari Cooper caught four receptions for 59 yards. On defense, the Browns were cooked by C.J. Stroud and the high-powered Texans’ offense. It was a rough one the Browns certainly want to forget, as they enter the offseason hoping to keep the defense intact for the 2024 season.
Dallas Cowboys: D+
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The Cowboys took a massive hit, as they were defeated at home, yet again, by the Green Bay Packers- in a 32-48 loss. Dak Prescott threw three touchdowns against two interceptions. Tony Pollard scored a rushing touchdown in the afternoon. Both CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup had over 100 receiving yards and Jake Ferguson scored three touchdowns. The Cowboys’ defense couldn’t even touch Jordan Love, and the Packers. They had no sacks or defensive turnovers. It’s back to the drawing board for the Cowboys, as they exit the playoffs early and try to figure out what to fix in the offseason.
Detroit Lions: B+
The Lions played one of the best playoff games in Wildcard weekend history, as they defeated Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 24-23. This marked their first playoff win since the 1991 season. Jared Goff threw a touchdown with no interceptions. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs both scored rushing touchdowns, Sam LaPorta scored a receiving touchdown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown had 110 receiving yards. On defense, the Lions had two sacks but no interceptions or fumble recoveries. It was a classic in the Motor City, as the Lions’ hope their winning ways continue, for their Divisional round matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay Packers: A-
The Packers shocked the sporting world, as they traveled south and defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 48-32. Jordan Love threw three touchdowns against no interceptions in the afternoon. Aaron Jones scored three rushing touchdowns in the victory. Romeo Dobbs, Luke Musgrave, and Dontayvion Wicks, all scored touchdowns. On defense, the Packers had four sacks and two interceptions. Darnell Savage did have an interception returned for a 64-yard pick-six, as the Packers became the first seven-seeded team to win a playoff game, and they did it in dominating fashion.
Houston Texans: A-
The Texans entered Wildcard weekend as underdogs at home, and stunned the Cleveland Browns 45-14. C.J. Stroud threw three touchdowns against no interceptions in the evening while Devin Singletary scored a rushing touchdown. Nico Collins, Brevin Jordan, and Dalton Schultz all scored touchdowns. The Texans’ defense showed no mercy to Joe Flacco and the Browns, with four sacks and two interceptions that were both returned as pick-sixes. DeMeco Ryans’ squad can play some hard-nosed football, and aren’t afraid of who they square off against.
Kansas City Chiefs: B+
The Chiefs scorched their way to a 26-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, in a very cold Arrowhead Stadium. Patrick Mahomes threw one touchdown against no interceptions on the night. Isiah Pacheco scored a rushing touchdown and Rashee Rice caught a touchdown pass while Travis Kelce caught seven receptions for 71 yards. On defense, the Chiefs had two sacks and one interception, as they cruised to victory and moved on to the AFC Divisional round against the Buffalo Bills.
Los Angeles Rams: B-
The LA Rams played very well, but they fell short in their 23-24 loss to the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford threw two touchdowns against no interceptions while Kyren Williams rushed for 61 yards on 13 carries. Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell both scored touchdowns on the night. On defense, the Packers had three sacks but no interceptions or fumble recoveries, as they played in a classic, against the Lions. They do have some things to fix in the upcoming offseason.
Miami Dolphins: D-
The Dolphins looked to earn their first playoff win since 2000, but had a very tough time in the brutal Kansas City cold, and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 7-26. Tua Tagovailoa threw a touchdown against an interception on the night. Raheem Mostert rushed for 33 yards on eight carries and Tyreek Hill scored the Dolphins only touchdown during his return to Kansas City. The Dolphins’ defense couldn’t stop the Chiefs, as they had no sacks or interceptions, but De’Shawn Hand did have a fumble recovery. It was a brutal night for Miami, as they return to the warmth, and prepared themselves for the 2024 offseason.
Philadelphia Eagles: D+
It was a tough night for the Eagles, as they were sent home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 32-9. Jalen Hurts threw one touchdown against no interceptions but was sacked three times. Dallas Goedert scored the Eagles’ only touchdown of the night while the Eagles’ running attack was held to 42 rushing yards. On defense, the Eagles did have four sacks against Baker Mayfield, but didn’t have any turnovers. The Eagles enter the offseason with question marks regarding Nick Sirianni’s future with the team, and Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce announcing his retirement. It also didn’t help that A.J. Brown was out with a knee injury which stung the Eagles’ offense. They will need to focus on retooling a few things, for a better 2024 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: C-
The Steelers traveled to western New York and suffered a tough 17-31 road loss, to the Buffalo Bills. Mason Rudolph threw two touchdowns against one interception. Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris combined for 75 rushing yards while Dionte Johnson and Calvin Austin III both scored receiving touchdowns. On defense, the Steelers had two sacks but no defensive turnovers. It was a rough Monday afternoon for the Steelers, as they head into the offseason looking to fix things up, and await T.J. Watt to recover from his grade two MCL sprain, for the 2024 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
The Buccaneers entered the playoffs as 2.5-point underdogs to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Buccs sent the Eagles flying home, with a stunning 32-9 win. Baker Mayfield threw three touchdowns against no interceptions but was sacked four times and Rachaad White had 72 rushing yards on the night. David Moore, Trey Palmer, and Chris Godwin all scored touchdowns for the Bucs. On defense, the Bucs had three sacks but no defensive turnovers. The Buccaneers played strong, as they live to fight another day, and focus on their Divisional round matchup against the Detroit Lions coming up.
