The NFL is overdue for some good matchups and exciting finishes in the playoffs.
It didn’t get them in the divisional round, which is often called the best weekend of the season. but was disappointing this year.
The two lowest seeds who were big underdogs, Giants and Jaguars, lost as expected. The Giants were routed by the Eagles and while the Jaguars kept it close because Patrick Mahomes played the second half on one leg, they were guilty of two late turnovers and allowed backup Chad Henne to put together a 98-yard drive in the first half. They also didn’t put much pressure on Mahomes when he was hobbling in the second half.
The two Sunday games were expected to be classics but the Bengals dominated the Bills and the Cowboys made too many mistakes against the 49ers. Two picks by Dak Prescott were devastating. The Cowboys have now gone 27 years in a row without making the conference title game with Jerry Jones as the owner. Jones should hire a GM, but he likes running the show.
The Bills were the underdogs because the Bengals were missing three offensive linemen but the backups blocked well and Joe Burrow got the ball out quickly as he picked apart the Bills defense. The Bills have lost in the playoffs now four years in a row and they may need to give Josh Allen a better supporting cast..
Burrow now takes on Patrick Mahomes, who will likely be limping because of his high ankle sprain. Burrow has already beaten Mahomes three times in the last 13 months so he could be on his way to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. The 49ers are in the conference title game the third time in the last four years. They are 1-1 in the previous two games.
The Eagles, the only top seed left, will host the 49ers in a duel between Jalen Hurts and rookie Brock Purdy.
The NFL hopes these two matchups will be .the best of the playoffs. So far, the playoffs have not been memorable.