And then there were two. After three weeks of playoff action, the two teams that will square off in Super Bowl LI have finally been decided and while the whole football world is ready to see the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons take the field in two weeks to decide the NFL Champion, every fan is hoping for one thing in particular...that the Super Bowl is far more competitive than the Conference Championships turned  out to be.

Because while it was awesome to see these teams reach the pinnacle of their respective conference, let's be honest...the games were utter blowouts and tough to watch at times, but despite the lack of quality of the Conference Championship games...there were still intriguing storylines to be found as the matchups progressed, so let's take one last look at Championship Sunday as we recap the top stories from the field. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a meltdown in Foxboro. 
The Pittsburgh Steelers were really the only team that could have possibly put a stop to New England's magical season, but something went horribly wrong in the AFC Championship Game and the Steelers completely fell to pieces mentally after the first quarter. 

The Wide Receiving corps dropped important passes, the defense struggled with the pass rush and tackling and when all was said and done, the normally stout Steelers seemed quite rattled and unprepared to face the New England Patriots and regardless of whatever excuses or rationalizations comes from the team as to why they couldn't win...they simply let this one slip away and they're headed back to Pittsburgh to plan for the next season while Tom Brady and Bill Belichick savor their win before heading off to Houston for their seventh Super Bowl together.

The Atlanta Falcons were 100% prepared for the Green Bay Packers.
Speaking of preparation, Atlanta did the opposite of Pittsburgh and had their squad ready to play come game time, on both sides of the ball. Everyone expected the Falcons offense to be ready to pick the Packers defense apart and indeed they did just that, catching Green Bay off guard early and often. But their crowning achievement in this game, is the fact that the Atlanta defense was absolutely dominant.

All too often the Falcons defense has been referred to as adequate or soft in some cases, and they've been in shootouts because said defense has been unable to contain a particular offense, but whatever discussions and changes the coaches had and made to this defense paid off in spades, they were able to completely and utterly contain the powerhouse Packers offense and their reward for tightening up the defense, is their first Super Bowl appearance since 1999. 

There's really one thing on every single football fan's mind before a playoff game kicks off...please don't be a blowout. We want nothing more than a highly competitive game where both teams are forced to dig deep and play their best before one of them advances to the next round and tonight's game perhaps stands the best chance of giving us exactly what we want. 

I say that, because the AFC has quickly become the most competitive conference in the game in recent years, and for proof, look no further than this year's playoff seedings and how long it took for several teams to lock up their division. The teams in this conference want to win and despite a couple of blowouts in this particular round of the playoffs over the past few years, we've also seen some fierce games that have come down to the wire and with that in mind here's our in depth analysis as to why today's AFC Championship game could turn out to be quite the thriller.

THE BUZZ
There's plenty of chatter surrounding this game and with good reason, there's some bad blood brewing between New England and Pittsburgh. There's been a war of words in the days leading up to this game, with Steelers WR Antonio Brown capturing some choice words from Head Coach Mike Tomlin on what he thinks about the Patriots, which led to some smarmy remarks being traded between Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and Patriots WR Julian Edelman. But this game goes deeper than smack talking, these teams also have something to prove. Pittsburgh would like nothing more than to cement in everyone's mind that they are the finest team in the AFC by avenging their week seven loss to the Patriots and New England would like to continue to remind everyone that they are the AFC's elite by continuing the Tom Brady Revenge Tour and securing yet another trip to the big game.

KEYS TO THE GAME
This game has the sheer potential to become a shootout simply because both of these quarterbacks possess the ability to light it up on command...but despite their prowess with the deep ball, both of these QB's are beatable. If the Patriots want to slow down the Pittsburgh offense, they need to make it one dimensional by neutralizing the passing game. That means tight coverage from the secondary and working as a unit to disrupt the passing routes that the Steelers like to employ. As for New England it's no secret at this point that Tom Brady doesn't like to be touched and that he relies heavily on his tight end to open up the passing game. So a heavy dose of blitzing and blanketing Martellus Bennett will be critical for Pittsburgh and whichever defense pulls off their respective game plan, is the one that secures the Lamar Hunt trophy for their team...and plane tickets to Super Bowl LI. 

​Championship Sunday is a special day in the NFL, because the four remaining teams understand completely what it is at stake…a shot at the Super Bowl. If they play their game and execute on every single play, there’s a fair chance that they get to represent their respective conference in the greatest game in all of the land and if they fail to do all that, then they get to spend the rest of the off season, wondering ‘what if?’ since they were only one game away from a shot at the title.
 
That understanding is precisely why fans often point out that sometimes a Conference Championship game is better than the Super Bowl, and this particular Championship Sunday features a pair of matchups that could turn out to be downright incredible so without further ado, let’s get right down to it and begin our break down of tomorrow’s games…starting with The NFC Championship.

THE BUZZ
Defense wins championships, but don’t bother telling that to the Falcons or the Packers since both of these teams have made it this far based upon their offensive prowess. For the Falcons their mastery of offense comes by way of Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and his ability to game plan for a particular defense is unmatched in the league and it shows on the field since the Falcons execute his play calls to a tee, exploiting every weakness the defense they are facing has to offer. For the Packers, their OC also happens to be their QB since Aaron Rodgers has an innate ability while on the field to improvise and make a play, moving his team down the field with ease. That means the buzz surrounding this game is related to one thing, points and lots of them because with two great offenses taking the field, and both of them squaring off against good, but not great defenses, the NFC Championship Game has the potential to become an outright shootout.  

KEYS TO THE GAME
With both of these teams essentially able to score at will, it will come down to one of these defenses stepping up in this game and finding a way to slow down one of these offensive powerhouses and oddly enough the key to this game is the same for both defenses, they have to disrupt the passing game. Both Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers have solid offensive lines that they are playing behind, so sacking or hitting the QB isn't the way to do it, instead the secondary and the linebacking corps have to remove the quick passing routes both QB's often enjoy and the cornerbacks have to blanket their man. It's all about minimizing damage and the first defense that can slow down one of these prolific offenses...and possibly force a turnover or two, is the D that helps their team win the George Halas trophy before heading off to Houston for Super Bowl LI.

For a moment there, it seemed as though the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs was going to be pretty by the numbers. The home team would win, there would be a couple of blowouts, nothing too special. But then Sunday arrived, and big surprises came our way and despite the fact that this was an up and down weekend of football, there were still plenty of fascinating stories to come out of every single game and here is our recap of the top stories from the Divisional Round.


The Pittsburgh Steelers took advantage of every opportunity to secure their win. 
What's always been incredibly interesting about the Pittsburgh Steelers, is that they don't concern themselves with statistics or rankings or anything like that...they only care about the win, and that was never more evident than it was last night. They knew they were up against a great defense, but rather than let that D frustrate them, they were patient, and waited for opportunities to move the ball into field goal range, where they let their kicker Chris Boswell handle the rest...and well, it wasn't the prettiest way to win a game, but win it they did, and one has to admire the Steelers resolve to worry about the victory over anything else and while they will certainly need to do better on offense to keep pace with Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game, they can bask in this win in the meantime and let it serve as a reminder to the rest of the league that patience and execution always pay off.

The Green Bay/Dallas matchup was the absolute best game of the weekend. 
Playoff football has always carried with it a reputation of featuring close and hard fought games where two teams battle it out not only for a chance to advance, but because their entire season and all of their accomplishments are on the line. It doesn't always work out that way, but when it does, we are treated to one incredible game, and that's precisely the best way to describe the Green Bay/Dallas game. Everything you could have asked for and more was on display in this matchup and it was truly a tale of two halves as the Packers left the Cowboys stunned before Dallas mounted one hell of a comeback attempt and well, when all is said and done, once again Aaron Rodgers demonstrated just how elite of a quarterback he is in this league and Dallas has plenty to look forward to in 2017. Either way, this one will likely be regarded as a classic as time marches on, because this one was quite the thriller.

The Houston Texans squandered away an incredible opportunity.
For a moment there during Saturday night's game...it seemed as though the Houston Texans were about to shock the football world. This motley crew had Tom Brady confused and frustrated, two big components when it comes to beating him and they even kept the score close for a little while...but alas, bad habits resurfaced and everything fell to pieces on the offensive side of the ball, leading to another painful loss and well...the Texans are in need of more than just a quarterback at this point, they need leaders. They have them in spades on defense, but there was no one on the offensive side of the ball to tell this team to settle down and play their game...and the end result was another ugly end to the Houston Texans season. 

The Seattle Seahawks are not mentally tough. 
The word 'toughness' is thrown around football often and with good reason. This is a sport that prides itself on the physical prowess of its players and that they can achieve anything when the game is on the line. But we often forget that mental toughness is just as important as bouncing back from a big hit and for proof of that...look no further than the Seattle/Atlanta game from this weekend. The Seahawks came out and took control early, but one mistake, the safety where Russell Wilson fell into the end zone, completely changed the momentum of the game for Seattle. Suddenly they were undisciplined and made plenty of dumb mistakes and oddly enough their frustration didn't end when the clock struck zero, since Michael Bennett fired off an expletive fueled tirade at a reporter after the end of the game and well...this is stunning to say the least because it shows that the Seahawks need to spend their offseason program working on mental toughness, and it will be up to the coaches to teach this to their players because every team now knows that they can rattle Seattle, and they will all try to do just that in 2017...

If anything, the first day of the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs served as a valuable lesson, specifically that winning this deep into the tournament requires more than flash and dash and a touch of blind luck. Teams have to be perfect, they have to execute on every single play, or they can expect to be blown out like Houston and Seattle were in yesterday's games. But while that particular slate of games were a touch lopsided, it looks like today's matchups should provide us with some incredible football, so without further ado, here is our in depth look at today's games as the Divisional Round comes to a close.

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
Not only did the Green Bay Packers run the table to reach the Playoffs, but they also managed to stun a quality opponent in the Wild Card round by beating the New York Giants handily to the tune of 38-13, and much of those points came courtesy of QB Aaron Rodgers, who tossed four touchdowns in the contest. But while the Packers and their miraculous season have been the talk of the town for some time now, they head to Dallas to face an incredibly strong Cowboys team, one that beat the Packers in Week 6 during the regular season and one that boasted the strongest record in the NFC, allowing for them to lock up the NFC East and earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Much like last night's Patriots game, this is the Cowboys game to lose. They have one of the finest offensive lines in football, one that gives rookie QB Dak Prescott all the time in the world to throw the ball, and one that sets up perfect running lanes for tailback Ezekiel Elliott. Which means the only way the Packers will have a chance to win this game, is to figure out a way to rob Prescott of the passing game, or button up the run game and while Green Bay's defense is solid, stopping either one of these incredible rookies is easier said than done. Regardless, expect the score in this one to be closer than it was in either of yesterday's games, because Rodgers will find the end zone against the Dallas D, but in the end, that will likely not be enough to spoil the Cowboys incredible dream season. 

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
The Pittsburgh Steelers did what they do best in the Wild Card round, pouring on the points by land and by air and following that up with a healthy dose of stifling defense in their blowout win over the Miami Dolphins and they head into Arrowhead Stadium tonight to face an incredibly worthy opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that struggled early in the season, going 2-2, and oddly enough, losing to the Steelers during that time frame before heading into their bye week. But after their week off, everything changed and the Chiefs won ten of their next twelve, giving the league leading Raiders a run for their money before eventually winning the AFC West and securing a first round bye in the Playoffs.

KEYS TO THE GAME
This could be the best game that the Divisional Round has to offer, simply because both of these teams are so evenly matched. Both of them feature strong defensive squads that know how to attack passing routes and neutralize running backs and both of them feature top tier quarterbacks that know how to read a defense and pick it apart, and both QB's are complimented by a vicious run game. However, there is a sense of vendetta hanging over this game for the Kansas City Chiefs and that could prove dangerous for the Chiefs, because the real keys to this game, are patience and execution, because both of these squads feast upon mistakes and the first one to continually make them is the one that loses this game. 

And then there were eight. That's right, the field of Super Bowl Champion contenders continues to be whittled away week by week and with the Divisional Round of the playoffs getting underway later today, another four teams will see their season come to an end. That means the stakes today are ridiculously high and we should by virtue see some incredibly competitive games as these teams give it their all for their shot at the title, so without further ado here's an in depth look at today's Divisional Round matchups.

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
The Atlanta Falcons 2016 season started off with quite a scare following a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the team quickly buckled down and dominated a majority of their opponents for the rest of the season with solid defense and a powerhouse offense that eventually led them to an NFC South Division Championship and a first round bye in the playoffs, giving Atlanta time to rest and prepare for the Seattle Seahawks, who to date...have yet to face a challenge in the playoffs, since they more or less dismantled the Detroit Lions at home, beating them 26-6 in what turned out to be an offensive and defensive clinic. However, that lack of a challenge ends today since Seattle will have its hands full dealing with that incredible Atlanta offense.

KEYS TO THE GAME
If Seattle wants to have any hope of making it to the NFC Championship game, their dinged up defense will have to find a way to neutralize the Atlanta offense. That means their secondary will have to disrupt passing routes and the front four will have to seal off the run at the same time. However, those tasks are easier said than done. Atlanta's Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan knows how to exploit defensive weaknesses and has game planned accordingly to that and speaking of Atlanta, all they really have to do to win this one, is play their game. The offense simply needs to trust in Kyle's game plan and execute and all the defense has to do is play a 'bend, but don't break' style and they'll come out of this just fine. Either way, which ever team dominates the line of scrimmage and can control the tempo on offense is the one that walks out of this game as the winner.

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
For the New England Patriots, their season has been nothing short of incredible. They lost all star QB Tom Brady to suspension for the first four weeks of the season, and still managed to go 3-1 without him and upon his return...Brady went on a revenge tour, torching defenses left and right and the team only lost one more time during the season, allowing for New England to win the AFC East and secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and today the Patriots host the Houston Texans, a squad that struggled all season long, but finally came together as a team in the Wild Card round, by playing mistake free football on offense and complimenting that with dominating defense, and they now have a grand opportunity in front of them to see just how far that unity can go and whether or not it can help them defeat the mighty Patriots.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Let's just be honest here...this is New England's game to lose. At 39 years young Tom Brady is playing some of the finest football of his career and that offense is downright unstoppable at this point and they are complimented by a stout defense as well. But there is a sliver of hope for Houston. If Brock Osweiler can play mistake free football again and be a game manager, and deliver some drawn out drives that burn the clock and put points on the board, they limit Brady's ability to impact the game and that keeps the Texans defense fresh and rested, allowing for them to go after #12 all day long. But more than likely, Brady will find a way to put up plenty of points and the New England defense will rattle Osweiler and force a couple of turnovers, allowing for the Patriots to advance to the AFC Championship game once again.

The new year came in with a bang for the National Hockey League. The NHL is celebrating its Centennial Season in 2017, which started with the NHL Centennial Classic – a thrilling outdoor game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings – on New Year’s Day. The rest of the year will continue to celebrate one-hundred years of amazing hockey with a reveal of the top hundred players in NHL history, festivities during All-Star Weekend, and even commemorative patches on all teams’ sweaters. The rest of this season is shaping up to be a tremendous contribution to the league’s legacy. Here’s what is going in hockey this January.
 
The Cannon is Firing in Ohio
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ arena features a replica Civil War cannon that is fired as the Blue Jackets take the ice, when they score a goal, and when they win. Well, the cannon has gotten a lot of work in as of late, as Columbus is the hottest team right now. Typically the laughingstock of the NHL, this year’s Jackets find themselves as the number one team in the standings after riding a historic sixteen game winning streak, a streak that was unfortunately snapped one win short of matching the NHL record of seventeen wins, set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins. It wouldn’t be unlikely, however, to see Columbus start a new streak. They’re rolling with one of the best goalies in the league right now in Sergei Bobrovsky. “Bob” leads the NHL in wins, is top five among starters in goals against average, and holds a healthy .931 save percentage. Paired with their goalie en fuego, Columbus has a top offense: third in the league with 133 goals scored, or 3.33 goals per game. The Blue Jackets have some company in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy (awarded to the team with the most points/best record in the regular season), but if they keep their current pace, they could be the surprise favorites to take it.
 
Top Defense in Our Nation’s Capital: The Pentagon or D.C. Hockey?
When you have a player the caliber of Alexander Ovechkin, your team will be deep in the playoff mix more often than not. Despite Ovi’s dominance and despite being frequent division winners and Stanley Cup contenders, the Washington Capitals have yet to win the big one. They’re right back towards the top of the league this year though, and they’re playing great team hockey. Ovechkin looks hungry and is sacrificing goals for wins (although he’s still scoring his fair share of goals). Niklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, and Evgeny Kuznetsov are holding down the Caps impressive first and second lines, contributing goals and assists in bunches. But the real talk of the town in D.C. might be the Capitals’ shutdown defense. Washington is number one in the league in goals allowed (only 80 over 40 games). Goaltender Braden Holtby is tied for first in shutouts and is second in goals allowed average (1.90) and save percentage (.932). That defense translates to their special teams play too. Washington is third in the league in penalty killing, with an 86.8% penalty killing percentage. Teams are having a hard time getting the puck in the Caps’ net and as the saying goes, “defense wins championships”. The Capitals are an extremely complete team this year. Expect to see a whole lot of them in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
 
Curses! Foiled Again!
In a bit of silly news, the Winnipeg Jets can kiss any hopes they had of making the playoffs goodbye. The Jets hosted WWE/UFC star Brock Lesnar, presenting him with a personalized throwback sweater, setting him up in a suite at the game, and inviting him to hang out with the team. Things took a turn for the worse during a tour of the locker room…Lesnar broke one of the most sacred unwritten rules in hockey: he stepped on the team’s logo on the dressing room floor. Hockey players are notoriously superstitious, so you could hear the Jets shouting in fear and horror as Lesnar made a bee-line down the center of the carpet. Sorry, Winnipeg. Season’s over.
 
Going Back to Cali: All-Star Rosters Announced
The rosters are all set for the 62nd National Hockey League All-Star Game in Los Angeles. For the second year in a row, the ASG will feature a three-on-three mini-tournament between each of the four divisions. The NHL limited the amount of fan involvement allowed in All-Star voting since last year, when fans (read: the internet) went on a mission to get journeyman enforcer John Scott into the game. To avoid a repeat of that, the NHL restricted fan voting to a predetermined list of players. Despite a few snubs, the rosters represent a solid mix of talented veterans and exciting newcomers. Captains Carey Price (Atlantic Division), Sidney Crosby (Metropolitan), PK Subban (Central), and Connor McDavid (Pacific) are among the biggest names in the sport right now. They are joined by first time all-stars, including Wayne Simmonds and rookies Patrik Laine and Auston Matthews. The stacked rosters and quick, electric format should make for a fun All-Star week. The 2017 ASG will air on NBC, marking the first time in over a decade that the game will be on network TV. If you have a chance, please watch and support hockey. Tune in on January 29th for the big games, and check out the Skills Competition and the return of the Celebrity Game earlier in the week.  
 
Skating Backwards
Updates on the stories from December’s Slapshots.

• Canadian teams are still doing pretty well. Currently four out of the seven Canadian-based teams are in a position to make the playoffs, with only the Jets dropping out of their wild card position since December. The Montreal Canadiens are the only division leaders among them.
• The New York Rangers are still lighting things up with a league-high 146 goals scored. However, they are currently only in line for a wild card spot.
• The Avalanche are still very bad. They have scored the fewest goals in the league (79) by a mile and have lost eight of their last ten games. They’ve only managed five wins at home and thirteen wins altogether.
• Again, it’s still too early and the race is too tight to think too hard about the Red Wings playoff streak. As of now, however, they are fourteenth out of sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and they sit behind six teams for the second wild card spot, albeit only by eight points.

It has been quite the incredible year for the Denver Broncos, and not in the way that fans were hoping for. Instead of preparing for another playoff run, or being the talk of the league when it comes to repeating as a champion and building a dynasty...the Broncos are more or less starting over again at the Head Coach position, one year after winning Super Bowl 50. 

After all, Gary Kubiak has retired from the Head Coach Position and the game to keep his health intact, leaving behind a myriad of questions on the offensive side of the ball which was supposed to thrive under Kubiak and his vacancy has left Broncos Country uneasy. It's rare to see a team enjoy this kind of success and suffer from this kind of coaching turnover, and to see this many Head Coaches come and go in such a short period of time must mean that the Denver Broncos front office is an absolute mess, right? Well, I don't think that's the case at all. General Manager John Elway has a vision for this team...and his vision is that word...team. He wants this squad to be as one, work as one and accomplish wonders on the field in doing so and well...he needs a coach that can accomplish that and the first piece of that puzzle was placed down upon the proverbial board yesterday with the hiring of Vance Joseph.

For those unfamiliar with newly minted Head Coach Vance Joseph, he is a former University of Colorado player who spent a couple of years in the NFL before turning his attention to college coaching for a few years before making his return to the NFL where he rose through the ranks as a defensive backs coach, most notably for the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals prior to landing the Defensive Coordinator job for the Dolphins last year. Oddly enough, he was interviewed for the Head Coaching job in Denver prior to Gary Kubiak's hiring and when Kubiak wanted to bring Coach Joseph to Denver as his own DC, Cincinnati blocked the move. But here we are, Vance now has the big job in Denver and he is tasked with one expectation, bringing home another championship.

But of course, the big question on everyone's mind is whether or not Coach Joseph is the right man for the job. After all, the offense is still a mess, and Vance is a defensive mind, which has already raised questions about his qualifications amongst the fan base on social media. Well the reason behind Coach Joseph's hiring is simple...he's a leader through and through. His players love playing for him, he holds his men accountable and well, quite frankly, that's precisely what the Denver Broncos need right now. While Coach Kubiak and his staff were beloved through and through, let's be honest...there was a sense of comfortability with this team, and mistakes that a coach needs to step in and correct, were allowed to continue because Coach Kubiak and his staff refused to have those tough conversations with their players and it led to one ugly season, and one incredible rift between the offense and the defense.

Of course, time will tell if Coach Joseph will be a true success because as we all know, wins and losses and championships are all that matter in the Mile High City. But I'm confident that Elway has made the right decision, because thus far he has yet to disappoint us and it will be nice to see a Coach roaming the sidelines that demands more out of his players, and expects them to play as a unit and uniting this team and getting them to play at a dominant level once again should aid the Denver Broncos in their quest to return to the playoffs by reclaiming the AFC West, and most importantly, aid in their pursuit to bring home a fourth Lombardi Trophy. Either way, welcome to Broncos Country Coach Joseph, may you enjoy incredible success during your time here. 

There's certainly a reason as to why the NFL calls its opening weekend of the playoffs, Wild Card Weekend and once again that reason was on display. Sure it may not have been a round of playoffs filled to the brim with epic upsets, but there were definitely wild surprises, and fascinating stories to be found in every single game, so let's not waste any more time and get right down to looking at the top stories from the field from this weekend's slate of playoff games. 

​The Green Bay Packers are scary good right now.
Of all the games that Wild Card Weekend had to offer, the Giants/Packers game definitely featured a pair of evenly matched teams, and it certainly seemed as though we were  going to be treated to a big time defensive battle...until Aaron Rodgers took control of the game and kicked his offense into overdrive, putting on an offensive clinic that included one of his patented Hail Mary bombs and well...that could mean bad news for the Cowboys in the Divisional Round because Green Bay made a solid team like the New York Giants look like the Cleveland Browns and if this team can continue that kind of rhythm and success, they'll be going far in the playoffs for certain.  

The Miami Dolphins were ill prepared to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sure, there's a level of inexperience that comes with first year head coaches and the playoffs and that's to be expected. But Miami Dolphins fans, and football fans in general have to be concerned over the fact that it seems as though the Dolphins were ill prepared to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in just about every single phase of the game. The offense struggled all day long to move the ball against the vaunted Steelers D, going with a vanilla game plan as opposed to targeting any weaknesses, and the defense? Well that was equally a disaster, allowing 20 first half points, 14 of those on big time plays where they couldn't tackle or cover WR Antonio Brown. Either way, while Miami worked hard to earn their spot in the playoffs, they took it all for granted when all was said and done and here's to hoping the coaches and the players learn something from this and take all of their opponents seriously from here on out. 

It didn't take long for the NFL Playoffs to send some surprises our way since the Texans manhandled the Raiders on their way to the Divisional Round and the Lions, a scrappy team that rarely goes down without a fight...more or less rolled over against the Seahawks. But there are more surprises ready to come our way as the second day of Wild Card Weekend kicks off in a couple of hours, so without further ado, here's an in depth look at today's games as the first round of the playoffs comes to a close.

A LOOK BACK AT MIAMI AND PITTSBURGH'S 2016 CAMPAIGNS
This playoff game features a pair of teams that took two vastly different paths to the playoffs. For the Miami Dolphins, their season started out in disastrous fashion as they lost four of their first five matchups before finally coming together as a squad and stringing together enough wins to secure the #6 seed in the AFC playoffs and today they face off against a silent juggernaut in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Outside of a tough patch in the middle of the season, the Steelers played some outstanding football all year long, winning the AFC North with a respectable 12-4 and going about it in such an efficient manner that most people didn't notice how great of a season they enjoyed since their performance was overshadowed by Tom Brady's return and the surge of quality play in the AFC West. 

KEYS TO THE GAME
It's going to be a busy day for the Miami Dolphins to say the least. While they have a sound run game and QB Matt Moore is playing some lights out football, they have to find a way to wear down that vaunted Steeler defense in order to score some points and their challenges don't end there. The Miami defense also has their hands full with the powerhouse Pittsburgh run game and their stellar air attack and they'll have to slow down both Big Ben and Le'Veon Bell if they want a chance to win, which really means that this is Pittsburgh's game to lose. If they play their game and do what they have done all season long, they'll advance to the Divisional Round no problem. This one will really come down to who controls the line of scrimmage and the tempo of the game.

A LOOK BACK AT NEW YORK AND GREEN BAY'S 2016 CAMPAIGNS
No one quite knew where the Giants were going to go without Tom Coughlin at the helm, but as it turns out new Head Coach Ben McAdoo provided the spark this team needed, leading them to a solid 11-5 record and a Wild Card berth in his first year with a dazzling new offensive playbook that still had hints of the old regime, since the team was able to play the spoiler against the Cowboys as they so enjoy doing with Elite teams. They'll face off against the Green Bay Packers, a team that started out the season in big trouble with a 4-6 record before QB Aaron Rodgers promised the world they would run the table, and the team made good on that promise, winning their final six and the NFC North in the process.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Both squads feature solid defenses, a strong pass rush and quarterbacks that can easily take control of the game, meaning that this one could be a high scoring affair. But while a playoff shoot out is always a good time, someone has to take control and win this game, which means one of the keys to this game is outright patience. Both defenses will need to watch their opponent carefully and adjust accordingly to shut down their respective game plan and both D's will also have to work overtime to disrupt Aaron Rodgers and Eli Manning's passing routes because without the air attack, neither team is effective and it should be interesting to see which defense is up to the challenge of neutralizing a Super Bowl Champion quarterback.