Another wild weekend of NFL playoff games.
From another “Hail Mary”, to setting the stage for two legends facing off once again, the four games that had taken place showcased talent from both the rising stars and future Hall of Famers of the National Football League. The games were: the Kansas City Chiefs/New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers/Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks/Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers/Denver Broncos.
And now, it’s time to look back and recap the games that took place.
First, let’s take a look at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the New England Patriots.
The Chiefs entered Gillette Stadium riding an 11-game winning streak, and shut out the Houston Texans 30-0 in the Wild Card round the week before. All of this was accomplished despite top running back Jamaal Charles, who tore his ACL early in the season. Meanwhile, the Patriots entered the game with the return of top wide receiver Julian Edelman, who missed most of the second half of the season due to injury.
And with one of his top weapons back, quarterback Tom Brady picked apart the Chiefs defense, both on the ground and through the air. Tight end Rob Gronkowski caught two touchdown passes, as Brady also added his sixth career postseason rushing touchdown.
However, it was the clock management at the end of the game by the Chiefs that received criticism from fans and analysts alike. With 6:29 remaining in the game, the Chiefs trailed 27-13. By the time they drove downfield and scored what turned out to be their last touchdown, there was only 1:13 left on the clock.
With the score now 27-20, all Kansas City needed was an onside kick to keep their season alive. However, the attempt failed, and the winning streak the Chiefs had for over three months was over, as the New England Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship game.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
