Three AFC playoff video games. Three blowouts. It’s a very good job the league dropped the “Tremendous” half from their Wildcard Weekend gross sales pitch.
However inside these blowouts was one thing magical, the appetizer to what needs to be the tastiest fundamental course of the season: Lamar Jackson and the Ravens towards Josh Allen’s Payments in a win-or-go-home, be-crowned-or-memed, MVP-off within the divisional spherical this coming weekend.
Taken collectively, Jackson and Allen accomplished 36 of 47 passes, for 447 yards and 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions within the wildcard spherical. And this towards two of probably the most fearsome defensive fronts within the NFL. Nobody has hunted quarterbacks this season just like the Broncos, and nobody brings 4 All-Professional caliber pass-rushers to the occasion just like the Steelers.
It didn’t matter. By the superior metrics, we noticed two of probably the most environment friendly, spectacular quarterback performances of the season. Jackson accomplished 12.8% extra of his passes than anticipated towards the Steelers on Saturday, in accordance with Subsequent Gen Stats. To not be outdone, Allen accomplished 16.5% of his passes over expectation towards the Broncos on Sunday.
In a single sense, a part of the enjoyment in evaluating Allen and Jackson is how related they’re. The best way their legs change the maths of the sport, how they problem defenses and orchestrate sophisticated offenses. They’ve mastered the main points that excite the nerds, however at any level, they’re a menace to drop a supernova spotlight that overwhelms the TikTok servers.
And but there’s a clear aesthetic distinction. Jackson is lithe, expert, a speedster who can apparate out and in of creases alongside the road of scrimmage earlier than anybody else even sees what’s unfolding. Allen is a wrecking ball, a 240lbs labrador bounding across the discipline who hits defenders like a cement truck after they encroach on his private house.
On the age of 28, each, someway, are peaking. Not often do you see a two-time MVP and a future Corridor of Famer faucet into new materials of their recreation seven years into their respective careers. But Allen and Jackson have ratcheted issues up one other degree this season. They’ve been in (virtually) each state of affairs. They’ve seen each protection. They know the answer to each downside. And eventually, they every have the supporting solid to compete for a championship.
You’ll be able to decide holes of their postseason data. In previous playoffs, each gamers have been undone by volatility. They’ve been such out-of-time artists, carrying such a inventive burden, that they’ve gone haywire towards the very best. Jackson has been derailed by attempting to do an excessive amount of in a flailing offensive system. Allen has had few postseason stinkers, however when he has, it’s been as a result of he’s indulged his penchant for hero ball.
That’s vanished this yr. Simply as Jackson and the Ravens have leaned into an offense constructed round Derrick Henry and their power-run recreation, Allen and the Payments have additionally leaned right into a run-based strategy.
The Ravens and Payments deserve credit score for switching gears. They acknowledged that the period of off-script quarterbacks who may scramble round and pilot a staff to successive playoff wins on their very own was over. Defenses had caught up. The response has been for the very best offenses to double down on the run recreation as the inspiration of an explosive passing recreation. The Lions, Eagles, Payments and Ravens have all dedicated to a bruising fashion that forces defenses to respect the run recreation, making life simpler for quarterbacks to throw. Round 20% of the Payments offense comes with an additional lineman on the sector, further mass to crush defensive fronts, the very best determine for any staff since 1994. They’ve bludgeoned fools all season, and so they managed the road of scrimmage towards the Broncos on Sunday. Baltimore’s reply to the take a look at was easier: they signed Henry, the hardest, handiest runner of his period. The fact of the Jackson-Henry pairing has been extra impactful, imposing, and vital than it even sounded in idea. Whenever you pair that grinding fashion, run-first fashion with Jared Goff or Jalen Hurts, you set collectively a successful machine. Drop Jackson or Allen into the same ecosystem, and it’s downright scary.
The worry of what Jackson and Allen can do after they drop again to move, or take off as runners, opens up house for everybody else. Within the earlier than occasions (18 months in the past), that meant placing extra on their plates: extra choices within the passing recreation, and extra work as a runner. However each franchises have discovered that limiting the down-to-down necessities on their quarterback can elevate their video games. Quite than counting on the person heroics, they name on it when it’s wanted most. Allen and Jackson are turning the ball over on the lowest charges of their careers.
The previous Jackson and Allen are nonetheless in there. If both staff goes to win all of it, they may in all probability want a legendary efficiency from their all-world quarterback in some unspecified time in the future. And there have been loads of occasions this season when Allen and Jackson have risen above the constraints of their offense and the personnel round them to place their groups on their backs. However navigating by the playoffs is a slog. It requires a staff to shapeshift between kinds. Previously, Jackson and Allen have led groups with a one-dimensional fashion. In the event that they weren’t at their finest, their groups would come unstuck. In additional full groups, they’re placing collectively the very best seasons of their careers.
Constructing a staff deep sufficient to play a number of kinds properly includes a limbo dance underneath the wage cap. The embrace of a brand new method of doing issues goes past the 2 transcendent gamers, however it’s due to Allen and Jackson that the 2 kinds are working. Each males can methodically lead costs down the sector or break the sport open with one move or one run. Jackson is in his Peyton Manning period, commanding issues on the line of scrimmage. Allen is channeling components of his inside early Tom Brady, turning the ball over to his floor assault till he’s wanted in important spots.
It has been Patrick Mahomes’ league since he stepped on to the sector as a starter – irrespective of how properly Brady tried to fend him off. This season could also be outlined by Dan Campbell’s Fightin’ Lions, the Eagles’ overwhelming roster or Mahomes dragging the Chiefs to a three-peat. However savor this week, as a result of the very best two quarterbacks of this season will face off with the 2 most well-rounded offenses. One mistake might be sufficient to make the distinction – an errant throw, a misinterpret, a turnover. The wildcard spherical might have been a dud, nevertheless it has teed up one thing particular.
MVP of the week
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders. In his rookie season, Daniels led Washington to their first playoff victory in 19 years, successful 23-20 on the street in Tampa. The Commanders had loads of assist from the Bucs, who managed to gag away a winnable recreation due to a Baker Mayfield fumble, a late botched snap and poor clock administration from coach Todd Bowles. And it took a pleasant doink on the game-winning discipline purpose for Washington to seal the win. However Daniels, as ever, was cash for the Commanders in clutch moments. Washington burned by the early downs with a run recreation that might by no means fairly get going earlier than giving the ball to their rookie quarterback to bail them out on third downs. Daniels stood in and delivered towards Bowles’s all-out, blitzing protection, ending with 304 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Video of the week
There is probably not a extra disrespectful transfer than the triple stiff arm. That’s what Eagles’ tight finish Dallas Goedert dropped on Packers’ cornerback Carrington Valentine on his method to a 24-yard landing.
It was the last word present of bully ball. Goedert first grabbed a wayward move from Jalen Hurts earlier than dropping his shoulder and blasting Valentine. Then he snuck in a fast hand to the face to create some separation from the nook. However Valentine hung in. On the nine-yard line, Goedert entered massive brother mode, sticking a paw in Valentine’s facemask to clear a path to the endzone. As he was about to cross the road, Goedert slowed down, all so he may tag Valentine with an additional shot earlier than the rating. Given the state of the NFL, it was a marvel he was not flagged for taunting mid-play.
The Eagles cruised to a 22-10 win over the Packers in an unsightly recreation in Philadelphia. By the top, Inexperienced Bay’s offense was so depleted that they may not hold the sport shut, with the staff lacking their high three extensive receivers, beginning working again, middle, left guard and backup left guard to accidents.The Eagles had been so snug towards the hobbled Packers that AJ Brown took to studying a e-book on the sideline.
Stat of the week
4. Justin Herbert threw extra interceptions (4) within the Chargers’ 32-12 defeat to the Texans than in the whole 2024 common season (three).
It’s time to fireplace up your Justin-Herbert-as-Joel-Embiid memes. The narrative that the Chargers quarterback is a regular-season darling however a playoff pretender is already up and working, even when it’s a very small pattern measurement. Herbert has performed in two playoff video games in his five-year profession. In each video games, he has led a street favourite towards an underbaked AFC South division champion. And in each video games, he has melted down within the second half.
Simply how dangerous was his efficiency towards the Texans? Brian Hoyer ranges of dangerous. Out of 214 QB performances within the playoffs over the past 10 seasons, Herbert’s towards the Texans ranks 213th in EPA per move play, in accordance with Sheil Kapadia. Solely Hoyer’s recreation for the Texans in a 30-0 defeat to the Chiefs within the 2015 playoffs was worse.
The Texans’ pass-rushing tandem of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson received the all-important matchup upfront, detonating the pocket and pressuring Herbert on over half of his dropbacks. These are robust circumstances for any quarterback, however the very best elevate above such circumstances and make robust throws underneath stress. As a substitute, Herbert regarded frazzled, making a collection of head-shake-inducing choices that robbed the Chargers of factors.
Not all the interceptions had been on Herbert, and a pair got here with the sport already out of hand. However the Chargers had an opportunity to take a two-score lead earlier than his baffling choice to throw throughout his physique and into double protection.
As he has advanced as his participant, Herbert has sanded off a number of the tough parts of his recreation. In his first yr with Jim Harbaugh, the playmaking facet of his recreation has been stripped again, leaving us with a chuck-or-dump quarterback who hunts photographs downfield earlier than hitting check-downs. His low turnover complete within the common season was a results of Herbert taking part in inside himself, recognizing that the Chargers’ lack of expertise meant there was a minimal margin for error. However in a win-or-go-home recreation, he reverted to previous habits, chasing the one throw that will win the sport and placing him out of sync with the remainder of the offense. However past that, his panic was visceral. Herbert usually performs at his personal tempo, a droning, calm quarterback who retains his howitzer in examine till wanted. He isn’t a standard gunslinger. However towards the Texans, he regarded in over his head, attempting to beat the protection with fastballs and struggling to see the sector.
LA’s defeat uncovered flaws within the staff’s roster. Making the playoffs alone with an ill-equipped squad in Jim Harbaugh’s first season is successful. However Herbert’s panic-filled efficiency is a worrying signal because the Chargers construct for the longer term. There are benchmarks for true franchise starters. Herbert has but to move an important one.
Elsewhere across the league
— A fourth consecutive wildcard recreation blowout needs to be a wake-up name to the Steelers. Mike Tomlin has confirmed to be one of many most interesting floor-raising coaches within the league. However his fame nonetheless rests on a Tremendous Bowl win in 2008; he’s now not a ceiling raiser. Tomlin is now 8-11 in playoffs, and 0-5 within the final eight years. For a franchise with championship expectations, that’s not adequate. Tomlin approaches issues methodically, nevertheless it’s time for a tough reset. Whether or not that’s altering his coordinators or attempting to swing a commerce for Kyler Murray or JJ McCarthy, the Steelers want a jolt of one thing new to finish their playoff purgatory.
— We have now our first head coach rent of the offseason. Mike Vrabel is on his method to New England, changing the one-and-done Jerod Mayo. The previous Titans head coach and Patriots linebacker is thought for maximizing the expertise on his roster and is the type of tradition builder the staff wants after their yr underneath Mayo. Vrabel’s first 4 seasons in Tennessee all resulted in successful data, with three playoff appearances, an AFC Championship recreation look and the Coach of the Yr award in 2021.
— In keeping with CBS, the NFL is reviewing potential modifications to the playoff format. One ingredient underneath assessment is how the league seeds the highest 4 playoff groups. At the moment, division champions are handed the highest 4 seeds and a house playoff recreation. However the league will focus on this offseason whether or not to change to a brand new seeding plan that will seed the highest 4 groups by their regular-season win share.
