Some Wild Card Thoughts

No Wild Card teams won on Wild Card Weekend. Each of the home teams, each of the division winners won. Each won by at least two scores.

Oakland Raiders 14
Houston Texans 27

Detroit Lions 6
Seattle Seahawks 26

Miami Dolphins 12
Pittsburgh Steelers 30

New York Giants 13
Green Bay Packers 38

With the terrific 2016 season that the Oakland Raiders had it doesn't seem fair that they had to play their first playoff in a long while without the quarterback that got them there. Or his backup. Connor Cook wasn't Derek Carr. He probably wasn't even Matt McGloin. Injuries are an unfortunate part of football. Every team deals them this late in the season. The Houston Texans were also playing without their starting quarterback. Brock Osweiler may have been the starter for most of the season but he was playing in this game because Tom Savage was out with a concussion. The Miami Dolphins played their lone playoff game with Matt Moore rather than Ryan Tannehill. The loss of Carr and McGloin put Oakland in a tough spot as Cook got his first NFL start in the Raiders biggest game in more than a decade. But there's no crying in football.

Cook had some issues with accuracy but his receivers did him no favors. He targeted top playmakers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree 17 times. Cooper had two catches for 10 yards. Crabtree had two catches for 33 yards. The 13 passes that didn't connect were an ugly combination of Cook wildness and receiver drops. Crabtree and Cooper drop far more passes than NFL receivers should.

In the days before this Wild Card weekend some news broke that the Bill O'Brien's job might be in jeopardy. Why? The Texans head coach has three 9-7 seasons, a couple of playoff appearances, and now a playoff win. That's pretty good for a new coach in a new place. It's even better when one considers that he did it with a constantly revolving door at quarterback. If there's a knock to O'Brien's time in Houston it's the outrageous contract handed to Osweiler. His first season as a starter was mostly a wreck but he had a few nice moments. Savage and Osweiler should battle for the job next summer. If O'Brien's proved anything in his coaching career it's that he can get solid play from the quarterback position. Savage and Osweiler are intriguing passing talents. With another offseason maybe O'Brien can bring out the best in one or both of them. The Texans' best days are ahead of them. Reports of his job being in jeopardy just seem silly. Something to bring attention to the source of the rumor rather than reality to the reader.

Is there anything more annoying in the NFL than a happy Pete Carroll? That gum-chomping little elf.

When things are working for the Seattle Seahawks defense it looks like they have 12 or 13 players on the field. Even when Earl Thomas isn't one of them.

Paul Richardson!

It was a big loss when the Seahawks lost Tyler Lockett to a broken leg a couple of weeks ago. Paul Richardson might be stepping up when his team needed him most. He doesn't have Lockett's versatility but he was a difference-maker against the Detroit Lions on Saturday. Three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. He got away with the some extracurriculars on the touchdown but the catch was spectacular. As was a big catch on the sideline later in the game. He's another downfield threat for Russell Wilson.

Richardson was part of a ridiculously talented group of receivers at Junipero Serra High in Gardena, CA in the late 2000s. A group that included Robert Woods, Marqise Lee, and George Farmer. Those three went to USC. Richardson ended up at Colorado. That's where I painfully watched him dismantle Cal. Twice. In 2011, Richardson had 11 catches for 284 yards and two TDs (66,78). In 2013, the Bears defense really clamped down him to the tune of 11 catches for 140 yards. 22 catches for 424 yards and 2 TDs in two games. It was a rude introduction to a very talented receiver. He's dealt with a run of injuries in his three years with the Seahawks. Maybe he's finally ready to be the receiver that's still catching passes against Cal.

The Pittsburgh Steelers jumped all over the Miami Dolphins early. The only thing in question through most of the game was the margin of victory.

When the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown are clicking the Steelers offense looks impossible to stop and so much fun to watch.

Bell's patience on runs is remarkable. He slows everything down and then explodes through holes both small and wide.

Roethlisberger finished the game with an ankle injury but it doesn't seem possible that he won't be on the field next week.

The Giants had a handle on their game with the Packers until Aaron Rodgers happened. With six seconds left in the first half Rodgers tossed a 42-yard Hail Mary to Randall Cobb. The touchdown gave the Packers a nice 14-6 lead at the half despite being outplayed for most of it. Rodgers is making these Hail Mary heaves so routine that they should no longer be considered desperation prayer passes. They should be part of the game plan.

With Rodgers playing like he's playing a team can't settle for field goals against the Packers. It didn't help that Giants receivers dropped a couple of passes in the end zone. The Giants could've/should've been up 14-0 early. Instead it was only 6-0. The Packers were able to cover that in a blink once Rodgers started rolling.

The Giants lost cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the first half to an injury. It really showed in the second half as Packers receivers were routinely running free. It helped that Rodgers often had loads of time to survey the field. The Packers offensive line was terrific in pass protection. They did give up five sacks but far more often than not Rodgers had time to take a nap in the pocket.

The Packers lost receiver Jordy Nelson to a rib injury not long after Rodgers-Cromartie left the game. Nelson has been terrific over the last half of the season. The Giants missed Rodgers-Cromartie more than the Packers missed Nelson.

Aaron Rodgers is good. Very good. He's from Cal.

The Division round of the playoffs:

Saturday, January 14

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans @ New England Patriots

Sunday, January 15

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys

Unless the Texans play way over their heads three of those games look fantastic.