Groups don’t abruptly flip into champions when the postseason begins. If something, the even matchups and heightened stakes drive opponents to rely extra closely on what they’ve completed greatest all yr since there’s little room for experimentation.
The Payments have ridden quarterback Josh Allen’s daring to the postseason, using the danger curler coaster the entire approach. On the primary weekend of the 2022 N.F.L. playoffs, Buffalo didn’t stray from that routine, and it nearly gave the Miami Dolphins an upset. In the meantime, the Jacksonville Jaguars leaned into the resilience they’ve proven all yr to take down the wobbly Los Angeles Chargers.
Josh Allen’s large performs minimize each methods.
Allen giveth, and Allen taketh away. One of many league’s most outstanding big-play makers, Allen had essentially the most risky sport of his season in Sunday’s 34-31 win over the Dolphins. The deep throws and prolonged performs that buoyed an in any other case hapless Buffalo offense had been the identical performs that led to turnovers and disjointed drives. It was a sport that highlighted each Allen’s singular capacity to have an effect on a sport and in addition how harmful his resolution making will be for the Payments.
Allen began the sport firing on all cylinders. On Buffalo’s second drive, Allen strung collectively two unbelievable throws to bail out the Payments and finally rating a landing.
The drive started with a 20-yard pickup, however the Payments rapidly confronted a third-and-15 close to midfield — a basic case of the conundrum Allen presents to defenses. Not blitzing offers him an excessive amount of time to seek out an open receiver for a piece play, however blitzing Allen opens up the likelihood that he’ll break the pocket on a run or discover an uncovered receiver.
The Dolphins selected to roll the cube on an all-out Cowl 0 blitz, they usually paid for it. Payments receiver Stefon Diggs beat defensive again Xavien Howard one-on-one down the sector, and Allen nailed Diggs for a 52-yard achieve. On the very subsequent play, Allen scurried to his proper to pin a landing go simply previous the helmet of a Dolphins defender and into the outstretched arm of tight finish Dawson Knox for the primary rating of the sport.
By the subsequent quarter, Allen couldn’t cease himself from enjoying so aggressively. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey continued to dial up shot performs, and Allen had zero reservations about taking them, a method the Dolphins finally wised as much as.
With 6:01 to go within the second quarter, the Payments known as a first-and-10 play-action deep shot close to midfield with receiver John Brown sprinting down the sideline. Brown by no means had the step on his man; Howard, whom Diggs had burned for the sooner landing, was on prime of Brown the entire approach. Allen let it rip anyway, coughing up a mindless turnover when each of his beneath check-down choices — working again Devin Singletary and tight finish Quintin Morris — had been open.
Allen was caught in big-play mode from the start of the second quarter to the center of the third. The Dolphins outscored the Payments, 24-3, over that stretch, together with a strip-sack landing of Allen. Allen lastly recovered by main back-to-back landing drives that included a stunning Cowl 2 gap shot to Gabe Davis for a landing, the form of throw that reminded everybody watching that it’s nonetheless Allen’s sport to determine.
That’s been a scary approach for the Payments to play this season, with their three losses every that includes Allen turnovers. Allen completed Sunday’s sport with 16 interceptions and 22 giveaways this season, together with the playoffs. That’s tops within the league, in keeping with N.F.L. Analysis (at the very least till Dak Prescott performs on Monday).
Maybe Allen wouldn’t be tempted to gamble if the Payments had a extra constant working sport, and if the crew commonly threw extra within the quick space and chipped away at drives. However Buffalo has banked on Allen’s distinctive eye and expertise for doing the unbelievable. And on Sunday, a Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins crew couldn’t make the Payments pay. Buffalo might not be so fortunate towards the remainder of a loaded A.F.C. playoff pool.
Doug Pederson’s calls keyed the Jaguars’ comeback.
Trevor Lawrence’s playoff debut opened in horrible vogue, with the second-year Jaguars quarterback throwing 4 interceptions on the primary six drives. That meltdown helped the Chargers to a 27-0 first-half lead.
Every interception was worse than the final, on throws that ranged from unfortunate to wishy-washy to flat-out horrible. Lawrence’s first interception was a tipped ball on a run-pass choice throw, and his second choose got here on a missed ball wherein receiver Zay Jones was roughed up by a Chargers’ defender with no flag thrown. Dangerous performs, to make sure, however errors that could possibly be forgiven.
Then Lawrence threw a 3rd interception after failing to learn the protection, and he one-upped that two drives later with a throw over the center and straight into site visitors for his fourth interception.
Someway, these errors — and a muffed punt return — weren’t sufficient to slay Lawrence and the Jaguars. Coach Doug Pederson dug deeper into his bag of methods, and the Jaguars’ receivers stepped up within the second half. Tight finish Evan Engram, specifically, took middle stage within the Jaguars’ rally to victory.
The Chargers’ linebackers weren’t adept at coming downhill to sort out, and within the second half, Pederson and Lawrence discovered methods to make them do this relentlessly. Engram raced straight throughout the shallow a part of the sector over and over, and Lawrence discovered him repeatedly on shallow throws that reaped 10- and 15-yard chunks. Lawrence and Pederson hammered that matchup till the Chargers made an effort to cease it, which lastly opened up the vertical sport for Lawrence.
All the Jaguars’ efforts got here to a head within the fourth quarter whereas trailing, 30-28. On fourth-and-1 on the Chargers’ 40-yard line, Pederson known as a timeout with 1:28 remaining to get the Jaguars out of a quarterback sneak name. Pederson got here out of the break with a strike of brilliance.
The Jaguars lined up in an old-school T formation — three gamers in a horizontal row behind the quarterback — and despatched working again Travis Etienne on an out of doors rush to the best. Etienne hit the perimeter, made the lone cornerback miss and booked it 25 yards for a primary down, placing the Jaguars on the 16-yard line for a game-winning area objective.
Across the N.F.L.
Payments 34, Dolphins 31: After a 17-0 begin, the Payments collapsed for a few quarter and a half. Quarterback Josh Allen, nice as he’s, couldn’t cease throwing the ball deep to coated defenders. A few these hero throws grew to become interceptions, giving the Dolphins further possibilities on offense. Miami capitalized on loads of these possibilities, getting spectacular downfield throws from Skylar Thompson in between his 4 sacks. Allen nailed receiver Gabe Davis for a 23-yard landing within the fourth, after which the Payments’ protection stopped a Dolphins’ drive at midfield to finish issues.
Jaguars 31, Chargers 30: It’s laborious to play two extra completely different halves of soccer than the Jacksonville Jaguars did. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had 4 interceptions earlier than halftime, and the protection consistently folded in its makes an attempt to decelerate Justin Herbert, who acquired Los Angeles out to a 27-0 begin. All the pieces flipped within the second half, when Lawrence threw landing passes to Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones, main the most important playoff comeback in N.F.L. historical past. It was additionally the primary playoff sport wherein a crew with 5 extra turnovers than its opponent gained.
49ers 41, Seahawks 23: Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and the 49ers scored on 4 straight drives within the second half, giving San Francisco a lead that allowed its go rush to tee off on Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (25 of 35 passing for 253 yards, three sacks). Deebo Samuel added a 74-yard landing catch, and Christian McCaffery had 119 yards speeding on 15 carries.
