Baltimore Ravens, 30 Kansas City Chiefs, 7
In what seems like an annual event; the Baltimore Ravens dominated the early Sunday Wild Card game. This sets up a rematch with the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. QB Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense, combined with the usual dominating D was just too much for the Cheifs.
The Kansas City defense played admirably but they were exhausted. Baltimore converted too many 3rd downs and sustained a 10 minute TD drive in the second half. Meanwhile RB Jamaal Charles couldn't match a stellar first half when the Baltimore Defense put their entire focus on the fastest man in the game, after 89 yards in the 1st half, they held Charles to -5 in the 2nd.
The five turnovers, the dominating ball control, how many times have we seen it? Kansas City can take heart to a solid season, but Baltimore had to have this game, had to have another shot at Pittsburgh, it's do or die.
KEY PLAY: The Ravens had the game in hand about five minutes into the 4th; 23-7; they clinched it with a 4th-and-1 on the KC 35. RB Willis McGahee took it through a massive hole nearly untouched, 35 yards into the end zone. The play was a testament to patience, having worn down the Chiefs the first 3 quarters with 70 total offensive plays.
MVP: TE Todd Heap, 108 yards and 10 receptions, was the great equalizer. While the Chiefs secondary battled amicably against WR Anquan Boldin and WR Derrick Mason, Heap exposed the middle of the field, especially on 3rd down, saving Flacco from what might have been a rough game.
Green Bay Packers, 21 Philadelphia Eagles, 16
All the Vick magic was wasted on the Giants in week 17. QB Micheal Vick threw an interception in the end zone with 30 seconds to play. The Eagles were thinking comeback, down 5. Their defense had finally managed to buckle down and get a stop after three TDs from QB Aaron Rodgers had put Philly in their current situation.
But the Packers D never looked like the game was spinning away from them. CB Tramon Williams (my #1 Pro Bowl snub) pulled down that final interception, and D-Co Dom Capers used the lack of a blitz as a phantom threat to keep the Eagles jittery, then brought the heat at the perfect times.
RB James Starks ran for a surprising 123 yards. Make no mistake about the Vick magic wearing off or whatnot, or WR DeSean Jackson's injury troubles, the Packers had this game in hand. The Eagles D stepped up late but the Packers D never let go.
KEY PLAY: All this talk of the hobbled Vick scraping the Eagles back into the game would have been moot had WR James Jones caught a deep, sure TD pass from Rodgers late in the second quarter. The pass was arguably one of the best of the weekend. Jones is lucky the Packers ended up with the game.
MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers earns his first career playoff win and only has to throw three TDs! (He threw four in the wild-card loss last year to Arizona). Rodgers has been the heart and soul of the offense, and with the running game clicking... Rodgers could be even more dangerous in the post-season.
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