NFL playoffs: Divisional round questions, overreactions

nfl divisional round Saturday started off with an incredible game in Denver. The Bills and Broncos went to overtime, but Broncos emerged on top After kicking a 23-yard field goal to win it in the extra frame. Three more games are on deck, starting with 49ers-seahawks.

What are the main lessons and takeaways from each divisional round matchup, and what’s next for these teams? We asked national NFL reporter Dan Graziano and NFL analyst Ben Solak to help size up each matchup from the second round and look ahead from all angles. For each divisional round game, Solak is answering a big remaining question and Graziano is assessing the validity of a potential overreaction.

Let us move forward understanding its meaning bo nix injury news And the Bills’ playoff problems. And we’ll continue to respond to games as they happen over the weekend.

‘The Broncos are complete without bo nix.’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. The Broncos barely won Saturday’s game. Buffalo had to turn the ball over five times – including once in overtime – otherwise the Knicks wouldn’t have had to. broke his ankle In first place. And of course, without the Knicks’ clutch play in the fourth quarter and overtime, Denver would not have won and advanced to the home AFC Championship Game.

But now? You want me to believe the Broncos are going to beat Houston or New England jarrett stidham At quarterback? And even if they do, does anyone believe they can win the Super Bowl? I’m sorry, Jarrett, but I don’t feel like this Broncos team is good enough to pull off the 2017 Eagles and win this thing without their starting quarterback.

The Broncos have a good defense, yes. This is what we know about him. But they weren’t very spectacular on Saturday against a Bills team that turned the ball over very well amid turnovers, and they haven’t been as excellent on defense as Seattle and Houston have been — at least not in the second half of this season. The Broncos run the ball better than most people think, but come on. We all watched this game. The Bills gave up 10 points to the Broncos at the end of the first half, then three more at the start of the second, and Buffalo still had a fourth quarter lead that the Knicks found a way to overcome. Nix isn’t a perfect player, but what he can do with his feet and what he can do in the clutch are differentiating factors that Stidham doesn’t offer.

The Broncos defense is going to have to play the game of a lifetime next week – even if it’s against Houston’s inconsistent offense – if it wants to get this team to the Super Bowl. And even if it collects a lot of turnovers and gets into the big game, Denver will have to beat a team that has two weeks off and possibly still has its starting quarterback.

Shame. It would have been fun to see what Sean Payton and this Broncos team could have done. Payton could have been the first coach to win a Super Bowl with two different teams. But in light of the Knicks’ injury news, it’s very hard to imagine all that happening. –Graziano

Pending Question: Why do the Bills keep losing in the postseason?

I don’t know. What is there to say? The Bills turned the football over five times, and any team that turns the ball over five times is not eligible to be in the game. josh allenThe fumble at the end of the half that allowed the Broncos to go ahead 20-10 was an unforgivable mistake. He was subbed out early in the second half to give Denver an even bigger lead. He immediately threw a pick off a key defensive takeaway.

It felt like Allen was digging a hole, and then as usual, it was Allen who pulled the Bills back. But there were many mistakes. failed to connect to alan Khalil Shakir On a third-and-eight screen in the red zone that could have allowed him to score, and he missed an open Dawson Knox On a throw at the end of regulation that could have ended the game. Allen was the biggest reason the Bills were still in that game, but also the biggest reason they fell behind.

game

Wil Lutz sends Broncos to AFC Championship Game on FG win in OT

Wil Lutz kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime to send the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game.

The Bills have now made seven consecutive postseason appearances under Allen, meaning they have suffered seven postseason losses. However, there is really no unifying factor on the field. Wide receiver talent was a big deal in this game; Allen was 0-for-9 throwing for more than 20 yards downfield, and downfield production is often a receiver stat. The pass rush has been an issue and it was again in this game; The Knicks were pressured by his 20% dropbacks, and the Bills needed to send a blitz to get home. Defensive back depth was also a big deal; Two of the Knicks’ three touchdowns came targeting backup defensive backs.

Still, when you’ve lost seven playoff games, there are some clear unifying factors – coach Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane and Allen. The trio of bills have been in place for more than a decade and have yet to recover from this decline. Whether fair or unfair, the responsibility stops at the top, and the fact that the Bills have failed to make the Super Bowl during Allen’s tenure despite seven postseason appearances is a huge failure.

If there are changes in the bills, I will completely understand it. If they don’t, I’ll totally get it too. They have been so close at times. What a devastating loss. –Solak