Over two days of action, the NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend delivered thrilling and dramatic action. Saturday and Sunday offered four games laced with storylines and talking points.
The Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay, and Detroit Lions all punched their tickets to the Divisional Round.
While there are two Super Wild Card Weekend games on Monday, here are a few takeaways from the weekend's action.
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions exorcise their demons
Billed as the biggest game of Super Wild Card Weekend, the Detroit Lions and LA Rams delivered a ferocious game of playoff football. The Lions triumphed 24-23. It was the club's first playoff win since January 1992 and for quarterback Jared Goff, it was arguably the most cathartic win of his career.
Traded away by the Rams three years ago, Goff found himself in the NFL's wasteland, facing an uncertain future. Goff landed in Detroit, bereft of confidence, on a squad lacking top-tier talent. The Lions went 3-13-1 in his first season as a Lion.
Yet Goff never wavered. He never sought excuses and embraced a city that initially did not want to embrace him. The 29-year-old fought against the narratives and his confidence issues and became a Lions legend on Sunday night.
All the pre-game buildup was about Matthew Stafford. Goff dominated the post-game buildup. He threw for over 200 yards, completed 81.5% of his passes, and threw one touchdown. The Californian led Detroit to three consecutive touchdown drives. His performance was the bedrock.
By doing his job, Goff etched his name into Lions lore. And lastly, he banished the demons of his Rams career. No wonder over 60,000 fans roared his name.
Dallas Cowboys collapse under the pressure
The Dallas Cowboys last won the Super Bowl in February 1996. They entered the playoffs with arguably their best chance of winning the Super Bowl. Sadly, Dallas lost 48-32 to the Green Bay Packers.
Dallas conceded 28 points in the first half and Dak Prescott threw two ugly pick-6 interceptions. The loss ended Dallas' 16-game home winning streak along with extending Dallas' Super Bowl drought.
Their top-ranked defense crumbled against Green Bay's offense. And Dallas' offense started too slowly. They averaged 40 points per game at home during the regular season. They got nowhere near it on Sunday. The lack of fire, high levels of ill-discipline and back-breaking miscommunication errors cost Dallas.
This performance might cost head coach Mike McCarthy his job. Owner Jerry Jones summed up his feelings after the game saying, "This seems like the most painful (playoff loss) because we all had such great expectations and had hope for this team."
Miami Dolphins freeze in the biggest moment
The Kansas City Chiefs ended the Miami Dolphins' season on Saturday night. The Chiefs victored 26-7. Miami froze in the most significant moment—their explosive offense ground to a halt in the sub-zero conditions. The Dolphins now have significant questions to answer in the offseason.
Is Tua Tagovailoa the long-term answer at quarterback? And can they become a physically tough and mentally tough team? This season, the Dolphins have lost twice to the Buffalo Bills, once to the Baltimore Ravens, once to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
People are questioning whether the Dolphins are robust enough to win against good teams, especially away from home. A season that promised so much has instead opened the door to some difficult soul-searching.
CJ Stroud is good enough to lead Houston to the Super Bowl
Super Wild Card Weekend started in Houston, where the Texans destroyed the Cleveland Browns. Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud played sensationally. He powered Houston to a 45-14 win. The Texans dominated Cleveland's number-one-ranked defense, and their defense caused constant problems for Joe Flacco.
Stroud threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and posted a near-perfect passer rating of 157.2. The rookie never looked afraid when facing pressuring defenders and made several smart decisions. Stroud is no stranger to big games, but this performance was impeccable.
Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans have the Texans fans dreaming of something special—youngsters like Nico Collins and Will Anderson Jr. are in red-hot form. Dropping 40 points on the NFL's best defense was something special. The Texans can go all the way.