The NFL Roundup 2019: Wild Card Weekend – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​There really is nothing quite like NFL playoff football and for proof, look no further than this past weekend’s slate of games. For Wild Card Weekend once again lived up to its namesake since we were treated to some unexpected upsets and stunning plays and well, with so many amazing moments hanging over these matchups, let’s get right down to it and discuss some of those incredible moments and what we learned from the first round of the NFL Playoffs.
 
The Houston Texans didn’t take their playoff appearance seriously.
I’ve seen some incredible things happen in the playoffs in my many years of watching football. I’ve seen games come down to one last play in the final seconds of the game. I’ve seen horrific blowouts and competitive games. But from time to time, I see something that simply leaves me shaking my head; teams that flat out don’t take their opportunity in the tournament seriously and that’s what I saw from the Houston Texans on Saturday. Because it was clear from their lackadaisical style of play, and their outright surprise when it comes to how Indianapolis challenged them, that they expected this game to be a walk in the park and well, hopefully this ugly loss will teach the team and the coaching staff to bring their A-game to the field every single week, and to never underestimate their opponent or expect a win, otherwise, they’ll see another early exit from the playoffs in the same kind of embarrassing fashion.
 
The Dallas Cowboys simply wanted it more.
I’ve been a big-time critic of the Dallas Cowboys over the past couple of years, and with good reason. They’ve squandered opportunities on the field, they’ve made some bone headed play calls and folded when teams have stood up to them. But this year, this team has made me eat a lot of crow when it comes to my criticisms and once again, I have to tip my cap and give well-deserved credit to the Cowboys because my goodness, they showed up to play on Saturday night. They wanted this win and they wanted it bad and they didn’t quit when the Seahawks chipped away at the lead and they stepped up on both offense and defense when they absolutely needed to and for their efforts, they’re off to the Divisional Round and I see no reason why they can’t keep this high level of play going when they face the Rams this Saturday.
 
Lamar Jackson was downright terrible on Sunday.
I have been and will forever be quite critical of the Run-Pass-Option style of play in the NFL because it simply is not sustainable. Eventually, teams figure out how to defend against a particular team that runs it well and unless the QB who helps pilot this program can play the position in traditional fashion, this little experiment often ends in disaster and for proof, look no further than Sunday’s AFC Wild Card Game. Because the Chargers were fully prepared for the RPO, and by shutting down the run, they forced Lamar Jackson to win the game with his arm and that…did not go well. Jackson struggled to read the defense and made errant throws left and right and while I fully understand he threw two touchdowns late in the game, let’s be honest…those happened during garbage time when the Chargers went into Prevent. Which means that Jackson needs to spend his offseason in the film room and working on his mechanics because this kind of performance won’t be tolerated when next season rolls around.
 
The Eagles cooked up a little postseason magic once again.
Okay, I won’t lie to you all, this segment was originally focused heavily on Cody Parker’s kick. But after seeing that Eagles Defensive Tackle Treyvon Hester tipped that ball at the last possible second, it became clear that the story here is how the Eagles once again willed themselves to an incredible win over a quality football team. Because the Bears defense is magnificent, and the offense is no slouch either, but on Sunday Night, neither side was able to contain the Philadelphia Eagles, who took advantage of every single opportunity that was presented to them and man, did they end this game in thrilling and stunning fashion. Either way, the defending champs are on to the Divisional Round once again and it should be interesting to see how they handle the Saints. 

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