Views from the sofa: Ideas on the Texans, Ravens, and Payments advancing in AFC playoffs

The NFL playoffs are underway, and with their arrival followers of the Dallas Cowboys have an opportunity to be free of watching any extra of a 2024 crew destined to overlook this event for the primary time in three years, seemingly from the beginning. Let’s face it, even for die arduous followers like all of us right here at Running a blog The Boys, getting by all 4 quarters of 17 video games for this yr’s crew felt extra like a chore than one thing to stay up for for lengthy stretches at a time. Now, every remaining NFL kickoff should be cherished, and the cream ought to proceed rising to the highest to avoid wasting the very best video games for final as Wild Card weekend wrapped up on Monday night time in Arizona.

Whereas Cowboys followers could also be having fun with the chance to observe top-end soccer and groups aside from their very own, the chance for realizing how far Dallas is from the groups that punched their ticket to the Divisional Spherical – and people that can go onto the championship video games, a way more elusive plateau for the Cowboys – can be a sobering one. The 2 groups that completed forward of the Cowboys within the NFC East had been each winners on Wild Card weekend, however we’ll save our ideas on that for the NFC model of “Views from the Couch”.

On the AFC aspect, MVP favorites Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen quarterbacked their groups to decisive victories at house. The Ravens constructed a 21-0 first half lead towards a Steelers crew that when once more limped into the playoffs, and survived a little bit of a second half rally to win 28-14. The Payments responded with the mentality of a championship crew in entrance of their house followers, not permitting a single level to the Denver Broncos following a gap drive Bo Nix landing. The Payments gained 31-7 in a sport they shortly seized full management of in spectacular style.

Essentially the most compelling sport out of the AFC was the one which kicked off your complete playoffs, with the Houston Texans holding their rightful place as hosts for a Saturday wild card matchup with the Chargers. With neither crew recognized for a lot latest postseason success, it was second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans getting the very best of first-year Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh. By rallying the Texans protection to intercept Justin Herbert 4 occasions and sack him 4 occasions as effectively, Houston purchased loads of time for C.J. Stroud and the offense to seek out their groove and switch a 6-0 deficit right into a 23-6 lead. All three phases obtained concerned in a wild sport that noticed the Texans draw back for his or her first playoff victory since 2019.

Each AFC Divisional video games will now be rematches of regular-season conferences. The Texans will journey to the top-seeded Chiefs, the location of a 27-19 Chiefs win in Week 16. The Ravens will likely be on the Payments, seeking to go 2-0 towards Buffalo this yr after beating them in Baltimore 35-10 in Week 4.

Earlier than getting additional into any of that, listed below are a couple of normal observations on the AFC Wild Card video games – watching on the sofa together with the remainder of America’s Group’s devoted.

Chargers at Texans: Having a QB that may create for himself is vastly essential

Though a very long time in the past in present NFL phrases, it actually wasn’t all that way back when Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was touted as the following sizzling head teaching candidate. His work with C.J. Stroud as a rookie shortly made him a family identify, however one thing of a sophomore droop in yr two with Stroud – confronted with devastating accidents to his supporting solid like shedding WR Stefon Diggs for the season – has cooled down any talks of Slowik being handed the keys to a franchise simply but. The Texans first 5 possessions at house within the Wild Card sport went misplaced fumble, three and out, punt, interception, and punt.

Each groups struggled mightily to create straightforward completions for his or her quarterbacks, a way more anticipated subject for the Chargers going into the playoffs relying extra on protection and their run sport. It took a gutty and resilient efficiency and come-from-behind effort, however the Texans flipped this “stat” and in the end the scoreboard due to Stroud’s means to improvise.

On the Texans’ first scoring drive, Stroud recovered a fumbled snap, prolonged the play out of the pocket, and turned a damaged play that might have led to a punt and favorable discipline place for the Chargers right into a 34 yard achieve.

Houston nonetheless wanted to do one thing they hadn’t up thus far within the first half to place factors on the board, and that was proceed to string collectively performs to complete the drive. They did simply that when Nico Collins scored from 13 yards out to provide the house crew an inconceivable 7-6 lead earlier than halftime.

Stroud’s velocity on the sting was an ideal neutralizing issue towards the Chargers bookend move speeding tandem of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. His means to increase performs and make one thing out of nothing was a harsh reminder of how inflexible the Cowboys offense has checked out essential junctures by each seasons of former head coach Mike McCarthy calling performs. Dallas has all however shut down the thought of Dak Prescott being a working quarterback ever once more, now coming off one other season ending damage going into 2025.

How a lot they’ve overstepped and handicapped Prescott’s means to problem defenses along with his full skillset is tougher to evaluate although. If the Cowboys are severe about persevering with to ask Prescott to win on an every-down foundation from the pocket, they might want to discover a manner to enhance considerably at each the ability positions and up entrance this offseason. With loads of younger gamers at each spots and two draft picks that began nearly all of video games at left deal with and heart going into yr two, it’s unlikely the Cowboys plan to noticeably enhance at both WR or OL includes bringing in a lot outdoors expertise.

Performs are going to interrupt down on this league, and what occurs in these moments can go a really good distance in deciding outcomes. The Cowboys had a play caller in McCarthy that believed he would have one other name prepared for each scenario, virtually dwelling to see third down as many occasions as potential in 2024. That is merely not a recipe for sustained success on the aspect of the ball the place Dallas additionally has essentially the most long-term cap commitments, and the up-and-coming Texans had been hardly the one crew to show this on Wild Card weekend.

Picture by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photos

Steelers at Ravens: One other reminder of what the Cowboys missed out on with Derrick Henry, and the significance of not overrating crew tradition

Within the third assembly between the Steelers and Ravens this season, each groups about performed their anticipated elements on the conclusion of Saturday’s motion. A Ravens crew out to show their viability as a convention contender did so by speeding for 16 first downs and holding the ball for practically twice so long as the Steelers. The important thing to this sport for Baltimore was at all times going to be maximizing the QB benefit between their MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson making the beginning for the Steelers. Doing so by leaning on a QBs finest pal, a robust run sport, definitely didn’t harm as Derrick Henry gained 186 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns.

This offensive efficiency by the Ravens doomed Wilson and the Steelers to their fifth straight one-and-done journey to the postseason, relationship again to 2017 below Mike Tomlin. Wilson was destined to be the newest QB that hardly stood an opportunity in a playoff second for Pittsburgh, failing to cross midfield for your complete first half whereas the Ravens constructed a 21-0 lead.

As if beating a division rival to advance within the playoffs wasn’t candy sufficient for Baltimore, additionally they squashed the largest narrative about final yr’s playoff crew that misplaced at house to the Chiefs. Not leaning into the run sport sufficient in that matchup towards the eventual Tremendous Bowl champions, the Ravens 299 yards on the bottom was their most in any sport since 2020. Derrick Henry continues to show that his fuel tank isn’t empty, and with every spectacular efficiency makes the Cowboys look sillier within the course of.

The concept that Dallas missed out on a severe improve within the backfield when not pursuing Henry in free company has been visited sufficient occasions, most likely to the purpose of Cowboys followers feeling numb whereas watching him dominate the Steelers. The Ravens had been anticipated to be on this place and have earned such lofty requirements for themselves, whereas the Cowboys, no matter in the event that they employed Henry, haven’t.

The larger takeaway from this sport truly got here from the shedding aspect. The Steelers got here in to this playoff sport with a four-game shedding streak to finish the common season. In his 18th yr, Mike Tomlin continues to be anointed as among the finest locker room and crew tradition builders in skilled soccer, and his crew continues to point out how overrated this high quality actually is. Certain, the Steelers have each been to the AFC Championship and gained a Tremendous Bowl extra lately than the Cowboys. The place Dallas has not less than had groups succesful and even favorited to succeed in a few of these identical milestones although, Pittsburgh has not been taken severely as a risk within the playoffs for a while. Their tradition has turn into nothing multiple that’s apparently complicit with simply being a Wild Card crew yr after yr, not seeing the necessity to danger adjustments that might put them excessive to at minimal attain their first Divisional Spherical sport since 2017.

Each the Cowboys and Steelers, two of the league’s most iconic manufacturers, have to have lengthy appears within the mirror at who they’re solely between the traces as soccer groups. In each season, there comes a time the place that is the one factor that issues in any case, and when it does each groups have folded quite a few occasions in latest historical past. The Steelers needed to be taught this in one more meaningless journey to the postseason, whereas the Cowboys dragging their followers by 18 weeks of irrelevance and manufactured drama is arguably worse. McCarthy even talked about having gained a championship “in this building” as a motive to not doubt his pedigree following the Cowboys season-ending loss to the Commanders from AT&T Stadium, paradoxically referring to a Tremendous Bowl during which his Inexperienced Bay Packers beat Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

Picture by Elsa/Getty Photos

Broncos at Payments: So that is what a Tremendous Bowl crew appears like

To be sincere, this will likely have been the toughest sport to narrate again to the Cowboys because the kickoff to Sunday’s motion in Buffalo. An interesting matchup between rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the upstart Broncos towards Josh Allen and the favorited Payments was simply the beginning of what made this a superb sport to take a seat again and soak up with out an excessive amount of of a considered the doom and gloom that surrounded the Cowboys this yr. Ultimately, the Payments emerged as a crew on a completely totally different aircraft because the Broncos, scoring 31 unanswered factors and cruising to the Divisional Spherical for the fifth straight season.

It isn’t yearly {that a} Tremendous Bowl contending crew makes an announcement like this within the Wild Card spherical. Some benefit from the elusive bye that solely every convention’s high seed earns, however many others discover themselves in a more in-depth sport having to actually earn it. The quantity of conditions the Payments look ridiculously comfy in, paired with the sheer quantity of the way they will beat an opponent with out even together with Josh Allen’s MVP degree play at QB, was breathtaking.

The Cowboys could not have performed the Payments this season, however different video games towards playoff opponents just like the Lions and Ravens painted a reasonably clear image of the disparity between them and these contenders. With the Lions on a bye within the NFC bracket and Ravens virtually anticipated to deal with the Steelers within the method they did, the efficiency of the weekend thus far goes to the Payments. They firmly despatched a message to the remainder of the NFL that beating them from right here on out will likely be a monumental job.

Placing the Cowboys apart to take pleasure in this run by the Payments, or another groups that emerge to problem them, is essential within the massive image of getting again to having fun with the lasts of this season earlier than the inevitable doldrums of the offseason. The large image for the Cowboys hasn’t modified since loads of kickoffs nonetheless awaited them in 2024 although, and that’s how horribly far off the tempo they’re. In comparison with a Payments crew that handled their house crowd to a masterclass towards the Broncos, it’s honest to query if the Cowboys and Payments even competed in the identical sport this calendar yr.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Photos

The Payments have embraced placing the gamers they’ve out there on a weekly foundation in the very best place to win with terrific synchronicity between their teaching employees all the best way as much as the entrance workplace. They’re now 9-0 at house this season with an MVP favourite at quarterback. Absolutely the most humbling a part of this for Cowboys followers is probably going that their very own QB in Prescott was firmly within the MVP dialog only a yr in the past, and Dallas was equally dominant at house, however each of these issues unraveled within the worst potential manner in 2024 following a one-and-done playoff loss. The Cowboys have gotten to the purpose of not figuring out the right way to reclaim both of this stuff in the identical period of time it took the Payments to get again to the purpose of taking part in like early Tremendous Bowl favorites this postseason. It’s all humbling.