With the playoff matchups for the NFL Divisional round set, there were plenty of upsets that put the “wild” in Wild Card weekend. From the first-ever No. 7-seed victory to the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year dominating, let’s take a look at Cinderella stories heading into the next round of the playoffs, and how they got here.
Starting with the Houston Texans, CJ Stroud seems to have secured the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award after dominating the Cleveland Browns Saturday afternoon. While the Texans were the higher seed with home-field advantage, the Browns entered the game as favorites and with a better record.
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Stroud came out firing against a Browns defense that was number one in the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed per game. The rookie QB showed veteran poise in the pocket, standing tall with the pressure the Cleveland pass rush brought.
Stroud elevated his game to the next level on the big stage, throwing for 274 yards and three touchdowns in his playoff debut.
“This is like a dream come true,” Stroud said following the Texans’ 45-14 whomping of the Browns. “Just having another week to go at it with my brothers is a blessing, I’m super excited for this team and the city of Houston.”
While Stroud will deservedly garner most of the headlines, it should not be forgotten the impact the defense made in the game that changed the dynamic. Two pick-sixes for a defense that was a little bit above average all season shifted the momentum in the Texans’ favor. Dreams of a Joe Flacco-Ravens grudge match were quickly wiped away as Houston dominated on both sides of the ball.
Now, Houston will make the trip to Baltimore to face the number-one seed Ravens. A rematch of their week one matchup saw the Ravens dominate on the way to a 25-9 victory. Stroud’s first start in the NFL was a rude awakening at the hands of the Ravens defense, going 28-of-44, throwing for 242 yards, and fumbling once. Stroud and the Texans will need a much better effort than that if they are going to hang with the one seed and shock the world on Saturday.
Speaking of shocking the world, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers made history on Sunday, becoming the first team in NFL history to win as a seven-seed. Love led an offensive onslaught against the two-seed Dallas Cowboys in Jerry’s World, running away with a 48-32 victory.
The Cowboys did some window dressing at the end of the game, racking up garbage time stats as Dak Prescott threw for over 400 yards. Don’t let the box score fool you though, this game was not close from the opening kick.
Love and the Packers elected to receive and marched right down the field, foreshadowing how the game would go. Jumping out to a 27-0 lead before the Cowboys scored with zero seconds left in the first half, it was clear Mike McCarthy’s team was overmatched.
While both Love and Stroud are seeing their first real action in the NFL this year, Love is yet another product of the Packers system, showing how effective they are in developing quarterbacks and turning prospects into stars. Love is in his third season now in the NFL but just became the everyday starter this year. The Packers as a whole have the youngest roster in the entire NFL, which speaks to their infrastructure and how they have been able to sustain success. Although Love and the Packers will certainly meet their match as they are set to face the one-seed 49ers this Saturday.
Wrapping up our Cinderella stories from a week of Wild Card football is the Detroit Lions, who snapped a 32-year-long drought for their first playoff win against the Rams. While the Lions were the higher seed and favored, you cannot help but appreciate the history and be happy for the people of Detroit. After the game on Sunday, it was the first time Lions fans could text one another they had won a playoff game, as text messages were not invented the last time they were victorious.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who was a player on the 0-16 Lions in 2008, delivered a victory to the people of Detroit that was a long time in the making. With the Cowboys losing and the Packers making a trip to San Francisco, the Lions will welcome in Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In what will be yet another winnable game for the Lions, they are just 60 minutes away from their first NFC Championship game since 1991. From 0-16 to biting kneecaps, to playoff victories, Campbell has established a culture in Detroit that will not fade away anytime soon.
2023 NFL Divisional Round odds
- Saturday, Jan. 20, 4:30 p.m. ET: Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (-9)
- Saturday, Jan. 20, 8:15 p.m.: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (-9.5)
- Sunday, Jan. 21, 3 p.m.: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (-6)
- Sunday, Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m.: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5)
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