Saturday welcomed the top seeds in the NFL Playoffs to their first game of the postseason, but the hosting duties took a completely different turn for both teams.
The lack of drama in the wild-card round seemed to extend to the opening of divisional play, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Houston Texans 23-14. But the Washington Commanders threw the NFC for a loop when they defeated the top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 and advanced to their first conference title game since the 1991 season.
With two more matchups looming on Sunday, let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from Saturday’s game.
winner
jayden daniels
For most of his debut season, the No. 2 overall pick was an elite rookie. Perhaps it’s time to cut out that descriptor’s modifier. Daniels was really unfazed against the Lions, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns. The signal-caller’s rare ability to remain calm and collected in the face of pressure allowed Washington to continue its attack. The team only committed one punt after not having to use Tress Way at all in last week’s wild-card game against Tampa. Bay Buccaneers. When Daniels started exceeding expectations early in the season, it looked like Washington was playing with house money in a season where Dan Quinn and others were far ahead of schedule in developing potential players. Now, it’s clear that a quarterback who is already the best quarterback the NFC has to offer has given the team a winning lottery ticket.
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travis kelsey
The question of whether the extended break actually caused some rust didn’t apply to Kelce, who gained 117 yards, his best since last year’s AFC title game. His 49-yard gain was also a season-best, a remarkable sight in a year where he averaged only 8.5 yards per catch. When asked if she felt like she was “25 again,” Kelce replied, “22, baby, 22.” That leads us…
taylor swift
The pop superstar’s other trip this season could be to New Orleans for Super Bowl 59, as he won’t have to leave Kansas City after heading to Baltimore for last year’s AFC title game. There’s probably only one. And she watched the latest contest while sitting next to WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark. At Arrowhead on Saturday, the victory was just across the board.
Steve Spagnuolo’s pass rush
Any threat of a Texans comeback was quickly snuffed out by Spagnuolo’s formidable front line, who had eight sacks against C.J. Stroud. Defensive end George Karlaftis led the way with three points, including one on fourth-and-10 in the fourth quarter. With cornerback Jalen Watson back as a key piece of the Chiefs’ coverage puzzle, Spagnuolo should be able to cause even more havoc going forward.
Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams
We’re hiring host sites for the NFC Championship Game. The Eagles and Rams still have to settle Sunday, but the road to the Super Bowl looks less daunting for both teams than it did 24 hours ago. Philadelphia lost to Washington in Week 16, but Jalen Hurts was sidelined with a concussion just minutes later. Meanwhile, the Rams have managed to avoid facing the team that finished last year’s season and lost in overtime in Week 1. But most of all, neither team would have expected to be playing at home with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line. And now that possibility is within reach.
Teams looking for coaches
Good news for the remaining six teams with vacant seats. We won’t have to wait as long as we probably expected for some of the top candidates. With the Lions eliminated from the playoffs, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn could be hired at any time, with the in-person interview window opening on Monday. Both are mainstays on the contender circuit, with multiple teams likely vying for their services. Now, a full-court press can be applied by various franchises who have already done extensive research.
kliff kingsbury
Hiring the former Arizona Cardinals coach to guide Daniels’ development initially drew derision from all quarters, with many believing that Kingsbury would become static and stale by the end of his time in the NFC West. I believed that the visible attack would make him inflexible. No matter how much you attribute Washington’s success to Daniels, after a night in which Kingsbury racked up 481 yards of offense, he’s no longer the punchline. Kingsbury has delayed the interview process by scheduling meetings with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, insisting there is no need to rush into action. If he doesn’t fall somewhere else after this season, he will enter the 2025 season with his sights set on the top spot.
Commander’s opportunistic defense
Daniels will, oh, get the most attention with the Commander’s win, and rightly so. There’s also reason to give up for a unit that gave up 521 total yards, including 201 on the ground. However, Washington managed to force five turnovers and only allowed Detroit to convert on three of nine third-down attempts. When the managers were able to apply pressure (2 sacks, 7 QB hits) and force Jared Goff to make bad decisions, rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil secured two interceptions and 2. The young secondary has stepped up in a big way with the signing of first-year safety Quan Martin. The other was a 41-yard pick-six. Although his overall completion was far from perfect, Quinn has already left his mark on this group with big plays in his first year.
television network
That’s not to say that CBS and FOX couldn’t lose in the conference championship game setup, but things do seem to be going well for each. The former will enjoy everything that comes with the Chiefs and their immense popularity. No matter who shows up as your opponent, you’ll have a prime MVP candidate and a rich revenge storyline on the other side. The latter, on the other hand, will benefit from having Daniels, the league’s biggest rising star, and a fan base hungry for a return to the Super Bowl.
loser
nfl referee
The recent controversy should die down by Sunday afternoon’s Rams-Eagles kickoff, but two significant penalties for hits on Patrick Mahomes were highly questionable. While some may wish to point to these recent cases as evidence that the Chief Justice has consistently profited from his rulings, there is no need to raise any conspiracy theories to dismiss these as simply botched calls. need to be recognized. But this night certainly amplified a drumbeat that won’t be easily drowned out even if the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl again.
Lions defense
Credit Aaron Glenn for leading the group that played Sunday, which comprised 12 of Detroit’s 16 players on injured reserve. But with everything at stake, the Lions have run out of tricks to keep things together. While the blitzing didn’t save the day, as it did in the final game of Week 18 against Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings, the always cool Daniels repeatedly won in the face of pressure. Detroit also struggled to get consistent stops in the run game, giving up 182 yards on 42 carries. Most disappointing, however, was the lack of composure, with his unit being flagged for having 12 on the field during the most critical fourth-and-2 situation, leading to another Washington touchdown. , hopes for victory were dealt a crushing blow. Larry.
Dan Campbell
After the Lions blew a 17-point lead in last year’s NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell admitted it would be “twice as hard to get back to this point next year.” That idea may also apply in 2025. Detroit will likely lose both Johnson and Glenn as key players such as cornerback Carlton Davis and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler become free agents. The NFC is wide open and the Lions have a solid core they can rely on. But Campbell knows how easily a team that once looked like a perennial contender can crumble, and the 49ers’ decline this season has underscored that point.
Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills
Whoever wins Sunday’s frigid battle will be rewarded with a game against the Chiefs, who haven’t sweated much over the last month at Arrowhead Stadium. Neither side should have expected the Texans to pull off an upset, but this setup doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence for a challenger to the throne.
chris boyd
The team had more pressing problems, with typically reliable kicker Kaimi Fairbairn missing two kicks and having another blocked. But when the cornerback celebrated a forced fumble on the kickoff, he was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing his helmet early, and he created the wrong atmosphere by shoving Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross. It cannot be denied that it was. Boyd apologized after the match, saying he was “too excited” and said he had no problems with Ross. But DeMeco Ryans didn’t see that shove, and the head coach slammed the six-year veteran for a “stupid” penalty. It’s not the best situation for a player to enter free agency.
Texans’ trajectory
Houston didn’t have much confidence in the way they finished the regular season, so knocking off the Los Angeles Chargers and taking on the Chiefs in the wild-card round could be seen as the team’s momentum reaching its limit. Still, this group is still quite a long way from joining the elite, considering the optimism that surrounded this series just a year ago after C.J. Stroud’s transformation into an incredible star as a rookie. Being reminded of this can’t help but be a little disappointing. Chiefs, Bills, Ravens. Solving the protection issue seems like a good starting point, but for a franchise currently 0-8 in divisional playoff games, there doesn’t seem to be a clear path to getting to the next level.
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