Exceeded Expectations

` After the Wildcard weekend, the bar was not high for the divisional games this past weekend. But wow, I was so wrong. The divisional games were unbelievable and so much fun to watch. It has been a long time since there have been four great games to watch in one weekend. In addition, it has been over 10 years since both the number one seed teams lost in the divisional round. The last time that the Conference title games were played without both number 1 seed teams in the Championship round was in 2010. Number 1 seed Tennessee lost to number 4 seed Cinncinati. In addition to Tennessee's loss, Green Bay also lost. Green Bay lost to San Francisco, which makes Aaron Rodgers 0-4 against the 49ers in the playoffs. Not only were these two losses shocking, but these games were so close to going the other way. While the Bengals struck first against the Titans, the game remained close throughout. Going into the fourth quarter, the two teams were tied at 16. They remained tied right up until the end when the Titans had the third interception of the game and with 20 seconds left in the game the Bengals scored a field goal to win the game.

Similar to the Titans, the Green Bay Packers were favored to win their game, and they too were upset. The Packers were able to keep the lead, minimal as it was, throughout the 3rd quarter. However, it is hard to win a game with two hands tied behind your back. When both your defense and your special teams are not at their peak, it is incredibly difficult to try and win. The 49er's defense did well to keep Aaron Rodgers and his offense in check and limited to very few points. It is truly an incredible feat to win a playoff game without a singular offensive touchdown. It also shows the importance of having a well rounded team. If the Green Bay defense and special teams had actually showed up to play, then perhaps they could have pulled through with a win. That was not the case and as such their playoff run ended quite abruptly, and in a similar manner to the Titans. The Packers lost because of a field goal.

In addition to the losses by the Packers and the Titans, the Bills and the Buccaneers also lost. These two games were unbelievably crazy to watch. The Buccaneers played the worst first half against the Rams that I have seen Brady play in quite some time. Not only did he play horrifically, but he also received his first unsportsmanlike penalty of his career. Truly a shocking turn of events. Not only was the penalty a shock, but it cost the Bucs fifteen yards. Penalties played a significant role in the game between the Bucs and the Rams. In the second half the Bucs came alive but almost more importantly it appeared as though the Rams were trying to lose the game. Penalty after penalty. Turnover after turnover. I was shocked that the Rams ended up winning the game because it didn't look they wanted the win and their heart certainly wasn't in the game. The Bucs scored 24 of their 27 points in the second half of the game. That is quite an impressive feat, the ability to show up and play the game despite a horrific first half. However, despite Brady and the Buc's best efforts they were unable to pull off the victory. The Bucs, like the two games previous, lost by a field goal.

The game between the Bills and the Chiefs was the best way to end the divisional playoff weekend. The entire game was so close. Throughout the first half, the two teams traded touchdowns. The Chiefs were up by two points at the end of the third quarter. The tides switched and going into the last two minutes the Bills were up. The last two minutes of the Bills and Chiefs game was perhaps the most intense it could have been. The last two minutes were solely played by both teams' offense. The Chiefs came through and scored, putting them up by a touchdown. But the Bills responded in kind. However, the Bills scored their touchdown just a bit too efficiently, leaving the Chiefs enough time to put up some more points up on the board. This is what they did. They kicked a fieldgoal which sent the two teams into overtime. The Chiefs got the ball first and well they scored and sealed their win.

The playoffs are the best football games to watch. They are so competitive and any team has the ability to win. As shown by this past weekend the playoff games are crazy and often come down to a few plays that were not made. All of the divisional games ended up coming down to a few key plays. Often during the regular season games, the special teams are overlooked. Usually the special teams do their jobs and so no one has any cause to talk about them or their signifigance. However, when the special teams are not at their peak, they can be quite costly. The playoffs illustrate the importance of each and every player. The kicker and special teams single-handedly won each and every game. Football is a team sport, especially in the playoffs where every player can significantly help or hurt the team's chances at winning the game.

Playoff Bracket - CBS Sports