NFL Wild Card Weekend - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The first weekend of the 2014 NFL Playoffs is now in the books and thankfully, Wild Card Weekend lived up to its namesake, courtesy of some incredible games, and a hint of controversy. Either way, there were stories abound from each game so here are the top stories and what we learned from Wild Card Weekend.  

1. The Arizona Cardinals quarterbacking quagmire finally came back to haunt them. Yes, a few weeks of coasting with Ryan Lindley at the helm cost the Cardinals dearly in the playoffs. Despite the powerhouse defense they had on the field, it meant nothing without decent quarterback play. Lindley's rough work under center sent the Carolina Panthers into the next round of the playoffs and the lesson learned here is that Arizona seriously needs to invest in some offensive line upgrades to protect their quarterback so this kind of nightmare doesn't happen next year. 

2. Baltimore clearly has something to prove. I honestly didn't think much of the Ravens heading into the playoffs, in fact myself, and the rest of the boys expected them to be bounced right out of the tournament by Pittsburgh.  But with all the controversy they've faced this year, they clearly have a chip on their shoulder since they came into Heinz Field and rocked the Steelers world.  Some might say that not having their starting tailback in the backfield for Pittsburgh was their downfall, but really in the end the Ravens outplayed them.  That kind of energy and execution is something to fear in the playoffs and New England needs to worry. Baltimore is hungry, Baltimore wants the glory of the Lombardi Trophy to wash away the tarnish of this season and they're clearly ready to play hard to get what they want. 

3. New year, same results in Cincinnati. Four playoff appearances in the Andy Dalton era, four losses in the first round. For a moment there it seemed like the Bengals would finally beat someone in the postseason, heck the Colts even handed them opportunities. But in the end, not having top offensive weapons on the field, combined with a mid game meltdown sent Cincinnati back home yet again. Where the Bengals go from here...is anyone's guess.  

4. Dallas finally made some magic happen.  I'm sure my writing that evokes an instant reaction regarding the controversial pass interference call, so let's just get past that now. Dallas played a hell of a second half and this wasn't like the replacement refs when they screwed up that touchdown call years ago, this was a call that from what I can tell...did not determine the outcome of the game.  Yes, it was a weird call, yes, it helped Dallas get the ball back, but on the next play Detroit could have forced a turnover, or stopped the Cowboys cold. They didn't. The Lions were outplayed. Let's not forget the fact that it was Detroit that was up by ten points at the half and Dallas came back to win the whole thing. The Cowboys were the better team Sunday, simple as that. 

5. Doug Marrone added more drama to the coaching carousel. Just before the fireworks of Wild Card Weekend went on display, the Buffalo Bills Head Coach decided to have a show of his own by opting out of his contract and leaving the job behind. This just happens to be a huge deal.  For one, Marrone gave the Bills their first winning season in well...forever. Past that, something like this rocks a team and a franchise. It's one thing for a coach to be fired, but for one to quit, it's just so rare. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, because unlike say, Mike Shanahan who was stuck in a nightmare scenario as a coach in Washington was forced to wait it out until he was fired, Marrone walked away on his own terms. It's just a bold move on his part and it leaves Buffalo starting over yet again.  

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