The playoffs have finally arrived in town and going into the weekend I was really excited about the games to come. Unfortunately for me the Saturday matches left me feeling really disappointed with what had been served up on the field.
I am not sure why I felt this way on Sunday morning, maybe it was because I have become used to watching non stop action through NFL redzone or maybe the games were just that bad!
Let us start the round up with the first match from Saturday night and that was the Houston Texans versus the Cincinnati Bengals. This tie was an exact reply of one of the wildcard matches from last season in which Houston was victorious 31-10. I for one was certainly hoping for a different result on this occasion.
I am not sure why I felt this way on Sunday morning, maybe it was because I have become used to watching non stop action through NFL redzone or maybe the games were just that bad!
Let us start the round up with the first match from Saturday night and that was the Houston Texans versus the Cincinnati Bengals. This tie was an exact reply of one of the wildcard matches from last season in which Houston was victorious 31-10. I for one was certainly hoping for a different result on this occasion.
Going into the game I was having good feelings for Andy Dalton and AJ Green as they were a year older and wiser. The Bengals defence has also been outstanding in the last few weeks of the season. In the early exchanges of this match the Houston Texans were moving the ball at will until they got to the final third of the pitch where they were having to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. Despite only having a six point lead it looked as though only the Texans were going to win, that is until the second quarter when Leon Hall intercepted a Matt Schaub pass and returned it for a touchdown. Alas even this moment of inspiration was not enough for the Bengals as the Texans came away with a 19-13 victory. Please check out the game highlights by clicking on the picture below:
The next match on Saturday night was the Minnesota Vikings versus the Green Bay Packers. This was scheduled to be the rematch between Adrian Peterson and the Packers defence. To add that extra spice to the game, in the build up to the kick off it was announced the Christian Ponder would not start for the Vikings and it would be the back up Joe Webb instead. The young Webb provides a different challenge to Ponder as he is a lot more mobile and is a quarterback in the mould of Cam Newton and RG3.
Okay so let us move onto the game itself where the Vikings took an early lead thanks to a field goal with just over 5 minutes gone in the first quarter. On their scoring drive Joe Webb was looking very useful as he showed off his scrambling ability. The Vikings field goal was alas the only thing the Vikings fans had to cheer all night until their touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
There was however a comical moment in this whitewash by Green Bay and that was when Webb was sacked by Clay Matthews who was already lying on the ground! I am sure that if you are like me and stayed up to watch this match it left you feeling extremely tired and gutted. The Packers won this match 24-10 and I have again included the highlights by clicking on the picture below.
Okay so let us move onto the game itself where the Vikings took an early lead thanks to a field goal with just over 5 minutes gone in the first quarter. On their scoring drive Joe Webb was looking very useful as he showed off his scrambling ability. The Vikings field goal was alas the only thing the Vikings fans had to cheer all night until their touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
There was however a comical moment in this whitewash by Green Bay and that was when Webb was sacked by Clay Matthews who was already lying on the ground! I am sure that if you are like me and stayed up to watch this match it left you feeling extremely tired and gutted. The Packers won this match 24-10 and I have again included the highlights by clicking on the picture below.
Now let us move onto the Sunday games which were for me a class above the action described above. The Sunday menu starter course was the Indianapolis Colts at the Baltimore Ravens and it was also Mr Ray Lewis's final game at his home stadium in Baltimore. It was a tantalising match up on paper with the rookie quarterback Andrew Luck taking on the veteran Ravens defence which includes Ed Reed and Ray Lewis.
The match started with the defences having the best of the play and Andrew Luck was struggling to get into any sort of rhythm. The first half was close from start to finish and the score after 30 minutes was 10-6 to the Ravens. In the second half the Ravens offense stepped up and Joe Flacco started to find Anquan Boldin for some key receptions. Anquan is definitely one of my favourite receivers in the league because when it comes to clutch moments in big games he will always deliver. In this match it was his touchdown which sealed the victory for the Ravens and the final score was 24-9. It just wasn't meant to be the young Luck's day as you will see from the highlights below by clicking on the picture!
The match started with the defences having the best of the play and Andrew Luck was struggling to get into any sort of rhythm. The first half was close from start to finish and the score after 30 minutes was 10-6 to the Ravens. In the second half the Ravens offense stepped up and Joe Flacco started to find Anquan Boldin for some key receptions. Anquan is definitely one of my favourite receivers in the league because when it comes to clutch moments in big games he will always deliver. In this match it was his touchdown which sealed the victory for the Ravens and the final score was 24-9. It just wasn't meant to be the young Luck's day as you will see from the highlights below by clicking on the picture!
The final match of the weekend was the tie I was looking forward to the most. The reason I was so excited for this game is that it involved two candidates for rookie of the year in Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson.
Both of these quarterbacks have set the league alight with their outstanding running ability and the excellent execution of the option offense. The only downside was the going into the game RG3 was not 100% healthy because he has been struggling with a knee injury and was wearing a massive leg brace / support.
Both of these quarterbacks have set the league alight with their outstanding running ability and the excellent execution of the option offense. The only downside was the going into the game RG3 was not 100% healthy because he has been struggling with a knee injury and was wearing a massive leg brace / support.
Washington started the game like a bullet from a gun and by the end of the first quarter they were 14-0 up. Alfred Morris was running the ball well and RG3 was playing great football. Unfortunately for the Redskins their second score came at a heavy price as during the drive Griffin carried the ball near the goalline and when he was tackled fell awkwardly on that injured knee.
It turned out to be a huge turning point in the game because after it happened the Redskins struggled to move the ball. Seattle also started to play the football we have become used too these last few weeks with Wilson running the show and Marshawn Lynch in beast mode. At the end of the game Wilson and Lynch had a touchdown each and the Seattle Seahawks had scored 24 unanswered points to win the game 24-14.
Not only did Washington lose this playoff match but they have also lost RG3 for several months as he re-injured his bad knee as you will see below. You can also check out the highlights of the match by clicking the picture below.
It turned out to be a huge turning point in the game because after it happened the Redskins struggled to move the ball. Seattle also started to play the football we have become used too these last few weeks with Wilson running the show and Marshawn Lynch in beast mode. At the end of the game Wilson and Lynch had a touchdown each and the Seattle Seahawks had scored 24 unanswered points to win the game 24-14.
Not only did Washington lose this playoff match but they have also lost RG3 for several months as he re-injured his bad knee as you will see below. You can also check out the highlights of the match by clicking the picture below.
Well that raps it up from me for another week and I hope for all our sakes that the divisional round of the playoffs is a lot more entertaining. Until next week ladies and gents take care and stay safe.