The opening round of the NFL playoffs was exhilarating. Six teams battled to advance to the Divisional Round, and there were blowouts, upsets, last-minute game-clinching plays, and everything in between. all live on DAZN NFL Game Pass.
Here, DAZN News looks at five key takeaways from each Wild Card playoff game.
Houston Texans 32 – 12 Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers failed to capitalise on their early momentum and found themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided scoreline.
The main culprit for the loss was quarterback Justin Herbert, who, after throwing only three interceptions during the 17-game regular season, was picked off a career-high four times in arguably the most important of his career to date.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans solidified his status as a defensive guru. Over the final three quarters, he helped his team rally to shut down the Chargers’ offense, allowing only six more points.
The turning point in the game came just before the half. On third-and-16 on their own 17-yard line, Texans’ center Jarrett Patterson snapped the ball over C.J. Stroud’s head. Stroud expertly scooped up the fumble, evaded a would-be tackler, and converted to receiver Xavier Hutchinson. The Texans scored a touchdown on the ensuing series.
There were standout performers on both sides of the ball for the Texans. Wide receiver Nico Collins continued his excellent season by producing seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, while cornerback and defensive MVP candidate Derek Stingley Jr. picked off Herbert twice.
The Chargers have invested heavily in their offensive line in recent years, but they were no match for the potent Texans pass rush, led by talented youngster Will Anderson, who collected one-and-a-half sacks.
Baltimore Ravens 28 – 14 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Ravens led all teams in rushing yards during the regular season, and that trend continued in this game as they dominated the Steelers on the ground.
Derrick Henry compiled 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, while Jackson produced 81 yards on 15 carries.
T.J. Watt will go down in NFL history as one of the best pass rushers the game has ever seen. Unfortunately, the seven-time Pro Bowler has failed to replicate his regular season success during the playoffs, and that trend continued during this game.
Watt was shut down by the Ravens, managing zero tackles, sacks, or QB hits. Watt shared his frustration with his performance.
The Ravens have been heavily criticised after committing the second-most penalties in the NFL this season. They corrected that issue in this game, committing only three penalties for 13 yards.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL and has never had a losing season. However, rumours are circulating about his future with the franchise. The last time the Steelers won a playoff game under Tomlin was in 2017.
With this win, the Ravens advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs for the third time in the last five years.
Buffalo Bills 31 – 7 Denver Broncos
The Broncos got off to a strong start, scoring the only touchdown of the first quarter as talented rookie quarterback Bo Nix found Troy Franklin with a 43-yard strike to give Denver an early lead. Unfortunately for the Broncos, that touchdown was their last score in the game.
The Bills scored 31 unanswered points, thanks mainly to James Cook and the Bills’ ground game. Cook finished with 23 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, helping the Bills amass 210 rushing yards against a Broncos defense that had allowed an average of only 96.4 rushing yards per game in the regular season.
Although the Ravens only produced two sacks, they continually pressured Nix. The Broncos signal-caller was pressured on 48% of his dropbacks, the second-highest rate he has faced in his career.
This win sets up a tantalising showdown between the Bills and the Ravens, which will see Bills quarterback Josh Allen go head-to-head with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in a battle of the leading MVP candidates.
Despite the disappointment of losing this game, Nix’s performance gives the Broncos optimism for the future. Nix spoke of his desire to return to the postseason.
Philadelphia Eagles 22 – 10 Green Bay Packers
The game started in dramatic fashion when Keisean Nixon fumbled the opening kickoff. Controversially, the Eagles were awarded the recovery despite evidence suggesting Nixon may have recovered the ball.
However, there was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision, and the Eagles went on to score the game's opening touchdown on the next series.
The Eagles’ defense came up big, producing three interceptions courtesy of linebacker Zack Baun and cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay. Packers quarterback Jordan Love had not thrown an interception since week 11 of the regular season.
Saquon Barkley, arguably the best running back in the NFL, shone in his postseason debut, amassing 119 yards on 25 carries.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter. The Eagles will now turn to Oren Burks to help replace Dean.
Jalen Hurts returned from the concussion protocol, and despite throwing two touchdowns, he had an uneven game by his standards. He will need to produce at a higher level if the Eagles are to achieve postseason success.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 – 23 Washington Commanders
Greg Fiume/Getty Images
The Commanders won a narrow victory courtesy of a Zane Gonzalez kick, which he converted after hitting the inside of the upright as time expired.
A fumble from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield proved pivotal. His team were up by four points with 12 minutes remaining and was in possession when a mistimed handoff on a jet sweep gifted the Commanders the ball.
Mayfield accepted responsibility after the game, but head coach Todd Bowles quickly defended his signal-caller: “If something goes wrong, you’ve got to live with that. He [Mayfield] got us here – we wouldn’t even be here without Baker.”
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels continued his phenomenal rookie season, completing 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Commanders with 36 rushing yards.
Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn heaped praise on his young quarterback.
The highly anticipated personal battle between Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans and Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore did not disappoint. The two players have enjoyed an intense rivalry over the years, often culminating in physical and verbal altercations.
Evans won the individual battle after finishing with seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.
After finishing 4-13 in 2023, the Commanders have orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds in the NFL in recent memory. 2024 was the franchise’s first winning record since 2016.
Los Angeles Rams 27 – 9 Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold enjoyed a career resurgence in 2024 and came into this game hoping to help the Vikings overcome their disappointment of losing the NFC’s No. 1 seed to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the regular season.
However, the Rams’ defense had other ideas. They dominated the defensive line battle, producing constant pressure and 11 sacks.
Despite the poor pass blocking from the Vikings’ offensive line, the outcome could have been different, as Blake Cashman was judged to have returned a fumble by Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for a defensive touchdown. However, the play was overturned after being ruled as an incomplete pass.
Rams’ rookie edge rusher rookie Jared Verse led the team in pressures during the regular season. While he was one of the few Rams’ defensive linemen not to earn a sack in this game, he made his impact felt on an impressive 57-yard scoop and score to extend his team’s lead to 16-3 in the second quarter.
The Vikings boast one of the most talented receiving duos in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but the Rams’ secondary limited them to only 87 yards combined. Jefferson’s 58 yards were his fourth-fewest receiving yards in a game this season.
Darnold’s poor performances to end the season leaves the Vikings with a difficult decision. They will either re-sign him in free agency or pivot to their 2024 first-round selection, J.J. McCarthy, who missed the entirety of the season with a torn meniscus.
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