Player of the Week: Derrick Henry (RB, TEN)
This was one of the most impressive singular running displays in the playoffs in some time - the last back to have this many carries was Shaun Alexander in the 2005 NFC Championship Game. To have 34 carries against a good defense and only get stuffed (zero or negative yards) three times in absurd. His pounding running, but surprising shiftiness even when running inside kept the Titans offense ahead of the downs, and the Patriots off the field. It was novel on Twitter after the game to state how even with that great running performance the Titans scored 14 points, but if you replace Henry with an average running back, there is a chance the Titans get shutout in that game.
Runner-Up: Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU)
I saw a tweet comparing Deshaun's miracle escape to that of Steve McNair in the penultimate play of Super Bowl XXXIV. That is hyperbole, but it isn't hyperbole to say that Deshaun Watson was amazing. The Bills secondary was definitely more porous than usual, but the Bills got consistent pressure and Watson fought through it all. He had to combat poor game-planning (DeAndre Hopkins in the slot for a half?!) and pressure after pressure, but made it out alive and got the Texans a signature playoff win.
Goat of the Week: Sean Payton (NO)
Payton's issues in that game went way beyond just the truly puzzling clock management decisions in the 4th quarter. It was about the game as a whole. For an offense that was humming so well, the play-calling with teh constant heavy sets, the short screens against a team that had tremendous gap responsibility, the inability to keep more guys in protection. All of it. Payton has never been one for great in-game adjustments, but to me it seemed like they had the wrong game-plan from jump. At some point, he may start being open for half the criticism Mike McCarthy endured when coaching a similarly all-time QB talent to one Super Bowl and a slew of odd playoff losses.
Runner-Up: Tom Brady (QB, NE)
Miss me with the 'he doesn't have weapons' talk. His three receiving targets are a guy that was productive as a #2/3 for years that the Patriots thought highly enough of to give up a 2nd round pick, a guy the Patriots thought highly enough of to draft with a 1st round pick, and a guy that recently was getting niche-HOF buzz (Edelman - and yes the HOF talk is ludicrous). He also had an OL that gave him plenty of time. At the end, Brady just looked like an old QB, which he is. But when someone says for years they've mastered aging and will play to 45, it is fair to ping them for just being like any other human who gets slower and less physically fearsome past 40. So many sprayed passes, so many odd decisions despite great protection. So much of the same iffy play we've seen all second half.
Surprise of the Week: Seattle Seahawks defensive line
If the Seahawks have any one clear weakness on defense, it is their lack of a consistent pass rush - with just 28 sacks and a bottom-quarter pressure rate. Then, admittedly against a team missing two of their top OL players (Brooks, Johnson), the Seahawks unleashed a pass rush of unholy fury. They'll need every bit of it if they hope to beat the Packers, but this was a great start. Clowney back was a huge help, but so were their depth guys, all playing better than they have in weeks. The Seahawks as a team didn't have a great game, but the pass rush made critical plays late to keep the Eagles miracle-comeback quashed.
Runner-Up: Houston Texans secondary
The Texans secondary struggled all year, and figured to continue that even with a healthier Bradley Roby. Instead, they did a great job against the smaller, speedy Bills receiver, never letting anyone aside from Josh Allen himself beat them deep. Yes, they were helped by Josh Allen's scatter-shot second half, but for what had been a bad secondary that was a truly strong performance against a good set of skill position players. Also nice practice for Hill, Waktins and Hardman.
Disappointment of the Week: Carson Wentz's Bad Luck
I want to be clear that I am not knocking Wentz for getting a concussion. I truly hope he recovers well. I am disappointed for Wentz. I think Carson Wentz is a great QB. Unlike Tom Brady, he was saddled with a bad supporting cast, and played inspired football driving them to a division title. He probably should have been league MVP in 2017, and then saw his backup win a Super Bowl. He finally had his chance in the playoffs and had to leave before a quarter was over. I truly hope he has a strong, healthy 2020 season, and is gifted with his whole team having the same.
Runner-Up: the Tre'davious White vs. Deandre Hopkins duel
It was billed all week as the matchup to watch, and then the Texans went and put Hopkins in the slot, where he looked lost and the Bills were able to easily handle. The Bills realized the error of their ways, switched it up, and then White was absolutely no math in teh second half. Credit Nuke and Watson for negating a great cornerback, but for a game bereft of actual great matchups it would have been nice to see a closer competition there.
Team Performance of the Week: Minnesota Vikings defense
The Vikings had the league's best defense in 2017. They were Top-5 last year. This year they were Top-10, with dropoffs from Everson Griffen and a revolving door at cornerback. Against the hottest offense in the league, they reverted straight back to 2017 form - the only reason the Vikings were in that game at all. Griffen and Hunter were amazing, aided by a pretty genius switch to bring them inside on key downs. They dominated one of the league's better OLs from start to finishing, harrassing Brees into throwing continuously short of the sticks. The safety tandem was great in run support and stopping deep passes. A group of people were capable against Michael Thomas. If not for Taysom Hill, the Saints would barely have crossed 10. That was an awesome performance.
Runner-Up: Minnesota Vikings skill position players
Hey, it's more love for the Vikings! Truly though, Dalvin Cook was great, up until some maddenning run-run-pass series at the end. Stefon Diggs, once he stopped whining, was strong with a couple great catches in traffic - especially the one at the goal line to set-up the TD to make it 20-10. Kyle Rudolph was strong and attacked that game winner. And of course there's Adam Thielen, seemingly finally healthy, with huge over the shoulder catches, a great heads-up play to swing the ball over to pick up a key first down, and even some great blocks. The Vikings live and die on their top-flight talent, and all were well alive in this one.
Team Laydown of the Week: New Orleans Saints O-Line
The converese of the Vikings defensive dominance was an OL that was purely overwhelmed at work. All-pro level players like Ramy Ramczyk were at a loss nearly all game. The interior of the line was consistently overwhelmed when faced with blocking DEs - it was like watching Super Bowl XLII for how successful that tactic was. They opened basically no running lanes when it was anyone other than Taysom Hill running. Add to this it all happened at home. That was just bad from a normally stout unit.
Runner-Up: All the Game Management
That whole weekend featured some truly bizarre game management. The best game was probably Seahawks-Eagles in that sense, but even there was ideas like Pederson repeatedly trying semi-long 4th downs with McCown. Anyway, you had Houston trying QB sneaks on essentially 4th and 2, Belichick and Vrabel both with terrible punts (even if Vrabel's came with the hilarious chicanery to drain clock). There was everythign Sean Payton did with his not using timeouts - even when one would have kept ten more seconds on the clock. It was all just so bad it made you feel like you were watching college football all weekend.
Storyline that will Beat into the Ground: Momentum of wild card teams
We're already hearing it, about how 'hot' the winners from teh Wild Card round were. How Russell Wilson is in the zone and DK Metcalf are unstoppable. How Kirk Cousins can let loose. How no one can stop Derrick Henry. How the Texans already beat the Chiefs. For the second straight year, three road teams won in Wild Card Weekend. Last year, all of zero road teams won in Divisional Round. I'm not saying that will happen, but the NFL cognescenti have a habit of forgetting one of the reasons the four teams that got a bye did get a bye is because they are on the whole awesome (Packers excluded, maybe).
Storyline that Should be Beat into the Ground: The changing of the guard
For the first time ever, seven of eight divisional round teams did not make the divisional round the prior year (the Chiefs being the only holdover). It seems a bit more meaningful this time since we are without Brady for the first time since 2009, and Brees is out as well - joined by not having Roethlisberger (or Rivers). With just using those three alone, you have to go back to 2002 for the last time none of the three were QBing a team in this round (to be fair, I include Ben only so it adds a rep for 2008). Instead we have Watson vs. Mahomes - with Lamar potentially waiting in the wings, the three QBs that could do a Brady/Manning/Roethlisberger routine for the 2020s like those three did for 2003-2016. On the other side you have four of the most expensive QBs in the league - which should put to rest this idea that you can't win with an expensive QB. It should be a great divisional round precisely because it is so different than usual.
This was one of the most impressive singular running displays in the playoffs in some time - the last back to have this many carries was Shaun Alexander in the 2005 NFC Championship Game. To have 34 carries against a good defense and only get stuffed (zero or negative yards) three times in absurd. His pounding running, but surprising shiftiness even when running inside kept the Titans offense ahead of the downs, and the Patriots off the field. It was novel on Twitter after the game to state how even with that great running performance the Titans scored 14 points, but if you replace Henry with an average running back, there is a chance the Titans get shutout in that game.
Runner-Up: Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU)
I saw a tweet comparing Deshaun's miracle escape to that of Steve McNair in the penultimate play of Super Bowl XXXIV. That is hyperbole, but it isn't hyperbole to say that Deshaun Watson was amazing. The Bills secondary was definitely more porous than usual, but the Bills got consistent pressure and Watson fought through it all. He had to combat poor game-planning (DeAndre Hopkins in the slot for a half?!) and pressure after pressure, but made it out alive and got the Texans a signature playoff win.
Goat of the Week: Sean Payton (NO)
Payton's issues in that game went way beyond just the truly puzzling clock management decisions in the 4th quarter. It was about the game as a whole. For an offense that was humming so well, the play-calling with teh constant heavy sets, the short screens against a team that had tremendous gap responsibility, the inability to keep more guys in protection. All of it. Payton has never been one for great in-game adjustments, but to me it seemed like they had the wrong game-plan from jump. At some point, he may start being open for half the criticism Mike McCarthy endured when coaching a similarly all-time QB talent to one Super Bowl and a slew of odd playoff losses.
Runner-Up: Tom Brady (QB, NE)
Miss me with the 'he doesn't have weapons' talk. His three receiving targets are a guy that was productive as a #2/3 for years that the Patriots thought highly enough of to give up a 2nd round pick, a guy the Patriots thought highly enough of to draft with a 1st round pick, and a guy that recently was getting niche-HOF buzz (Edelman - and yes the HOF talk is ludicrous). He also had an OL that gave him plenty of time. At the end, Brady just looked like an old QB, which he is. But when someone says for years they've mastered aging and will play to 45, it is fair to ping them for just being like any other human who gets slower and less physically fearsome past 40. So many sprayed passes, so many odd decisions despite great protection. So much of the same iffy play we've seen all second half.
Surprise of the Week: Seattle Seahawks defensive line
If the Seahawks have any one clear weakness on defense, it is their lack of a consistent pass rush - with just 28 sacks and a bottom-quarter pressure rate. Then, admittedly against a team missing two of their top OL players (Brooks, Johnson), the Seahawks unleashed a pass rush of unholy fury. They'll need every bit of it if they hope to beat the Packers, but this was a great start. Clowney back was a huge help, but so were their depth guys, all playing better than they have in weeks. The Seahawks as a team didn't have a great game, but the pass rush made critical plays late to keep the Eagles miracle-comeback quashed.
Runner-Up: Houston Texans secondary
The Texans secondary struggled all year, and figured to continue that even with a healthier Bradley Roby. Instead, they did a great job against the smaller, speedy Bills receiver, never letting anyone aside from Josh Allen himself beat them deep. Yes, they were helped by Josh Allen's scatter-shot second half, but for what had been a bad secondary that was a truly strong performance against a good set of skill position players. Also nice practice for Hill, Waktins and Hardman.
Disappointment of the Week: Carson Wentz's Bad Luck
I want to be clear that I am not knocking Wentz for getting a concussion. I truly hope he recovers well. I am disappointed for Wentz. I think Carson Wentz is a great QB. Unlike Tom Brady, he was saddled with a bad supporting cast, and played inspired football driving them to a division title. He probably should have been league MVP in 2017, and then saw his backup win a Super Bowl. He finally had his chance in the playoffs and had to leave before a quarter was over. I truly hope he has a strong, healthy 2020 season, and is gifted with his whole team having the same.
Runner-Up: the Tre'davious White vs. Deandre Hopkins duel
It was billed all week as the matchup to watch, and then the Texans went and put Hopkins in the slot, where he looked lost and the Bills were able to easily handle. The Bills realized the error of their ways, switched it up, and then White was absolutely no math in teh second half. Credit Nuke and Watson for negating a great cornerback, but for a game bereft of actual great matchups it would have been nice to see a closer competition there.
Team Performance of the Week: Minnesota Vikings defense
The Vikings had the league's best defense in 2017. They were Top-5 last year. This year they were Top-10, with dropoffs from Everson Griffen and a revolving door at cornerback. Against the hottest offense in the league, they reverted straight back to 2017 form - the only reason the Vikings were in that game at all. Griffen and Hunter were amazing, aided by a pretty genius switch to bring them inside on key downs. They dominated one of the league's better OLs from start to finishing, harrassing Brees into throwing continuously short of the sticks. The safety tandem was great in run support and stopping deep passes. A group of people were capable against Michael Thomas. If not for Taysom Hill, the Saints would barely have crossed 10. That was an awesome performance.
Runner-Up: Minnesota Vikings skill position players
Hey, it's more love for the Vikings! Truly though, Dalvin Cook was great, up until some maddenning run-run-pass series at the end. Stefon Diggs, once he stopped whining, was strong with a couple great catches in traffic - especially the one at the goal line to set-up the TD to make it 20-10. Kyle Rudolph was strong and attacked that game winner. And of course there's Adam Thielen, seemingly finally healthy, with huge over the shoulder catches, a great heads-up play to swing the ball over to pick up a key first down, and even some great blocks. The Vikings live and die on their top-flight talent, and all were well alive in this one.
Team Laydown of the Week: New Orleans Saints O-Line
The converese of the Vikings defensive dominance was an OL that was purely overwhelmed at work. All-pro level players like Ramy Ramczyk were at a loss nearly all game. The interior of the line was consistently overwhelmed when faced with blocking DEs - it was like watching Super Bowl XLII for how successful that tactic was. They opened basically no running lanes when it was anyone other than Taysom Hill running. Add to this it all happened at home. That was just bad from a normally stout unit.
Runner-Up: All the Game Management
That whole weekend featured some truly bizarre game management. The best game was probably Seahawks-Eagles in that sense, but even there was ideas like Pederson repeatedly trying semi-long 4th downs with McCown. Anyway, you had Houston trying QB sneaks on essentially 4th and 2, Belichick and Vrabel both with terrible punts (even if Vrabel's came with the hilarious chicanery to drain clock). There was everythign Sean Payton did with his not using timeouts - even when one would have kept ten more seconds on the clock. It was all just so bad it made you feel like you were watching college football all weekend.
Storyline that will Beat into the Ground: Momentum of wild card teams
We're already hearing it, about how 'hot' the winners from teh Wild Card round were. How Russell Wilson is in the zone and DK Metcalf are unstoppable. How Kirk Cousins can let loose. How no one can stop Derrick Henry. How the Texans already beat the Chiefs. For the second straight year, three road teams won in Wild Card Weekend. Last year, all of zero road teams won in Divisional Round. I'm not saying that will happen, but the NFL cognescenti have a habit of forgetting one of the reasons the four teams that got a bye did get a bye is because they are on the whole awesome (Packers excluded, maybe).
Storyline that Should be Beat into the Ground: The changing of the guard
For the first time ever, seven of eight divisional round teams did not make the divisional round the prior year (the Chiefs being the only holdover). It seems a bit more meaningful this time since we are without Brady for the first time since 2009, and Brees is out as well - joined by not having Roethlisberger (or Rivers). With just using those three alone, you have to go back to 2002 for the last time none of the three were QBing a team in this round (to be fair, I include Ben only so it adds a rep for 2008). Instead we have Watson vs. Mahomes - with Lamar potentially waiting in the wings, the three QBs that could do a Brady/Manning/Roethlisberger routine for the 2020s like those three did for 2003-2016. On the other side you have four of the most expensive QBs in the league - which should put to rest this idea that you can't win with an expensive QB. It should be a great divisional round precisely because it is so different than usual.
