AFC Wildcard Saturday – Changing times

AFC Wildcard games on Saturday did not disappoint.  Especially if you are a fan of the Titans, Texans and a changing of the guard in the AFC.  The start of the NFL playoffs is always pretty exciting.  The only thing that I really do not like about it is the start time of the games.  I would rather they have start times of one and four than the four and eight.  But that is something I can deal with and I am pretty sure that I am in the minority.  Both of the AFC wildcard games were kicking off Saturday.

The first match the Bills at the Texans.  The second match the Titans at the Patriots.  Both games had a lot of interesting aspects to them.  Two young quarterbacks in the first game.  The returning player and disciple of Bill Belichick in the second game.  Mike Vrabel bringing in his rag tag crew into the stadium he used to play in to take on Brady, Belichick and the Patriot team Vrabel used to play for.  The match ups for Saturday January 4th had the makings of a fantastic day.  They did not disappoint.

Game one AFC Wildcard – Bills at Texans the early game

This was a match up of two 10 – 6 teams.  Both teams came in with strong defenses.  The only reason the Bills were the wild card is because they have the Patriots in their division.   Both teams had pretty decent seasons.  This game was the tale of two half’s.  The Bills dominated the first half of this game.  It looked like the Texans were going to waste a home game in the playoffs.  Under Bill O’Brien the Texans have made the playoffs four of the six years that he has been the head coach.  That is pretty impressive.

They have never had a first round bye in the playoffs.  Up to this year they had won the wild card game only once under O’Brien.  This year it looked like they were going to go down again.  The Bills were up 13 – 0 at half time and the game was really not that close.  The Texans defense was having trouble containing Josh Allen.  So so much in his passing but he was running all over them.   He was looking like the running quarterback rather than Deshaun Watson.

The Texans not getting any points and not really any push at all in the first half made it look like it was going to be a very long day for them.  Luckily for them the made it to half time with the game still being a two score game.  In the second half Watson showed how he can take over a game.  The Texans had said all week that with Watson on the field they never feel like they are out of a game.  The Texans also got a major boost with the return of J.J. Watt. Watt had a sack that gave the Texans the push they needed in the second half. Houston scored 19 straight points to take the lead before Stephen Hauschka’s 47-yard field goal tied it with 5 seconds left to force overtime.

Once in the overtime the Watson and the Texans took the game over.  The Bills got the ball to start the overtime.  Watt and the Texans defense stopped them and then it was up to Watson to take the team down to score.  They got deep into the Bills red zone and kicked a field goal to win.  This really was a tale of two half’s.  The Bills won big in the first half.  The Texans won where it mattered.  The second and and then into overtime.

Up next for the Texans will be a trip to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.  If they play as bad in the first half of that game there will be no coming back from that.

Game Two AFC Wildcard – Titans at Patriots the late game

A lot of people were billing this as possibly the last home game in the long career or Tom Brady with the Patriots.  It seems that they may not have been wrong.  The Patriots never looked like the Patriots of old.  The struggled the whole game.  This was a case of the Titans out playing and out coaching the Patriots.  Mike Vrabel knew exactly what to do in almost ever situation to get under the skin of the Patriots. 

It seems that he was able to take all the knowledge he learned from his time in New England and use it against them.  While the Patriots never looked great they still only lost by a touchdown.  Tom Brady had an average game at best.  It looked like his arm strength is not what is used to be.  Saying that Brady still has it.  He still has all the knowledge to play the game and if he had a better offensive line and another receiver it is very likely that this game ends up very differently.  

The interception that Brady threw at the end of the game was really not his fault.  It hit the receiver in a bad place  – his hands.  Bounced off and into the hand of the Titans defender for the pick six.  The stranger thing to me was that on the punt that led to this drive the Patriots had no one back.  That allowed the Titans to kick a rolling ball that was stopped at the one yard line.  If the Patriots had someone back they would have been able to more than likely start out side the 20.  Granted they had no time outs and there was only going to be about 36 seconds left on the clock.

So going for the block was not a bad choice but I think it was the wrong decision to make in this situation.  I would rather give Brady a chance from the 20 than put him in a huge hole at the one.  It is over and done now so there is nothing to do but wonder.  Anyway Patriots fans really cannot complain.  They have had a great run.  Maybe the best run in history.  Certainly something that will not be repeated any time soon.

For the Titans huge win they will get to play the Ravens.  The team that looks like the Patriots used to look.  But at least the Titans got a win in the AFC Wildcard.