The Divisional round of the NFL playoffs proved to be sensational. NFL fans witnessed an upset as New York Giants beat the Green Bay Packers, the end of Tebow Time as the Patriots routed the Broncos, the Ravens pulling out a win over the Texans, and an epic finish as the 49ers won in the final seconds against the New Orleans Saints.
N.Y Giants 37, Packers 20
The Giants offense was rolling and the defense made the Green Bay Packers seem completely out of sink and flustered as they pulled out the win.
The Giants forced 4 turnovers on the Packers; 3 fumbles recovered and 1 interception of Aaron Rodgers. They capitalized on these turnovers accompanied by stellar play from Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks. Manning threw for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns and Nicks caught 7 passes for 165 yards and 2 TDs.
It appeared as if the long break in between games may have thrown the Packers rhythm off because for a team that had a scarcity for turnovers in the regular season, they gave up the ball which cost them.
The Giants will advance to the NFC championship game to face the two seed in the San Francisco 49ers.
Patriots 45, Broncos 10
Tom Brady and the Patriots dominated the Broncos in route to a 35 point blowout. Tom Brady tied a playoff record with 6 touchdown passes to lead the Patriots to a berth in the AFC championship.
Tim Tebow and the Broncos were overmatched in every facet of the game. Tebow only completed 9 of 26 passes for 136 yards. However, it wasn’t just a struggle for the Broncos offense, but the defense, which had been so good as of late, had no answer for Brady and company.
The Broncos gave up 509 total yards of offense, a big part of that coming from the dominant Rob Gronkowski as he caught 10 passes for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. This means that the magic run of Tebow and the Broncos has come to an end.
The Patriots will get a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens who handily defeated them last year in the playoffs.
49ers 36, Saints 32
The 49ers and Saints battled in perhaps one of the best playoff games in recent history. It took one last shot to the end zone in the final seconds for the 49ers to pull out the win.
With only seconds left, Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis on a 14 yard touchdown pass to win the game. Davis capped off a stellar game with a catch in which sent the 49ers lead by rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFC championship game.
Vernon Davis put on a great performance catching 7 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Saints put up 472 total yards of offense, but couldn’t get a stop when they needed it.
The 49ers will take on the New York Giants next week in the NFC Championship game for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.
Ravens 20, Texans 13
The Ravens used great defense as they are known for to force turnovers and pull out the win. The Ravens defense forced 3 turnovers coming from 3 interceptions and 1 forced and recovered fumble.
As we have become accustomed to, the Ravens defense hassled T.J Yates and the Texans passing game all day. Despite a 132 yard 1 touchdown effort from Arian Foster, the mistakes made in the passing game overshadowed his performance leading to the loss.
The Ravens were somewhat lax on the offensive, but will sort out those issues before the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens will get a chance to knock off the New England Patriots again after dominating them last year in the playoffs.
A Look at Championship Weekend
Following the exciting Divisional round of the playoffs, NFL fans can only be ecstatic for what is to come in championship weekend. The 49ers will face off against the N.Y Giants while the Ravens will take on the Patriots in a rematch from last year’s playoffs. Be sure to tune in to see who will advance to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
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