A KC masterpiece, failing upward and a legend-turned-Dodgeball character are a part of the most legendary NFL Divisional Round Recap EVER.
2021 NFL Divisional Round Recap
1/4
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) catches an 8-yard touchdown pass over Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Matt Milano (58) during overtime in an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 42-36.
(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Chiefs 42
Bills 36 (OT)
What. A. Game.
In what was objectively the best weekend in NFL postseason history, the Divisional Round saved its best for last. Kansas City will host its NFL-record fourth straight AFC Championship Game thanks to the Grim Reaper capping off one of the most unbelievable finishes we’ve ever seen.
MAKE THIS MAKE SENSE pic.twitter.com/fnumHnR7r6
— Rob Woodfork (@RobWoodfork) January 24, 2022
The only thing wrong with this legendary Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen rematch for the ages was there had to be a loser. And anyone who thinks Allen should have been granted another shot in overtime clearly wasn’t paying close enough attention to those final two minutes of regulation.
I can’t stop thinking about that game. The Bills, the league’s #1 scoring defense, allowed:
▪️a 75 yard TD drive in :52
▪️a 44-yard FG drive in :13
▪️a 75-yard TD drive in OT…to lose the game.
— Damon Amendolara (@DAonCBS) January 24, 2022
Buffalo was 0-5 in one-score games in the regular season but this was a masterpiece that the Bills would have won 9.9 times out of 10, even if their best defensive stop came on offense. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. As long as Josh Allen is QB1 in Buffalo, the Bills have a chance to be the windshield one day soon.
2/4
Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Von Miller (40) strips the ball from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) during a NFL divisional playoff football game, Sunday, January 23, 2022 in Tampa, Fla.
(AP Photo/Alex Menendez)
Rams 30
Buccaneers 27
Tom Brady’s second half comeback nearly offset his White Goodman moment in the first half. If things in Tampa are as bad as suggested, Brady may regret not walking off last year with his most impressive championship victory in hand.
Meanwhile, the Rams won “The Win Now Bowl” but did they really? Four fumbles and a blown 24-point lead in the second half feels a lot more like a “not loss” — especially when a 49ers team that swept LA by a combined score of 58-34 is coming to SoFi Stadium with brooms in hand. I won’t be sold on the Rams until I see them become the second straight team to play a Super Bowl on its home field.
3/4
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 22: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers loses the ball as he is hit by defensive end Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers during the 2nd quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field on January 22, 2022 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
49ers 13
Packers 10
Aaron Rodgers might own the Bears but the 49ers own him, dropping A-Rod to a historic 0-4 against his hometown team. With Green Bay a startling 7-7 at home in the playoffs since 2002 (and making ridiculous late-game errors with the season on the line), it’s time for the Packers to hit the reset button and move on from Rodgers.
Meanwhile, the Niners are on their way to an unlikely conference championship berth in a building where they’re 2-0. Only one of these NFC West rivals can be a team of destiny, and while I’m tempted to go with the best postseason kicker in NFL history and the defense that held Aaron Rodgers to 10 points on his own turf, I don’t trust Jimmy Garoppolo or Matthew Stafford enough to confidently pick either team.
4/4
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 22: Defensive end Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans tackles quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the third quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Nissan Stadium on January 22, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Bengals 19
Titans 16
Y’all laughed when Joe Burrow said Cincinnati will be ballin’ from here on out (I know because I certainly did) but Joe Cool 2.0 overcame an NFL playoff record-tying nine (9!) sacks to send the Bengals to their first AFC title game since 1988. I believed in Burrow taking Cincy to new heights — but he’s a year or two sooner than reasonably expected.
At a time when Ryan Tannehill was trying to recapture his mojo, the only thing he brought back was the inconsistency that got him run out of Miami. Don’t be surprised if this is the year Tennessee drafts a QB to develop behind Tannehill — and maybe even makes a big swing for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.
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