The NFL playoff divisional round came to a thrilling end on Sunday, featuring plenty of snow-filled suspense and valuable lessons learned.
The regular season can be a grind, but the playoffs are where great players separate themselves from the good ones.
Here’s what we learned from this weekend’s divisional round games.
Saquon Barkley Proves More Powerful Than Snow
Coming into the game off a historic regular season, everyone knew what Saquon Barkley could do in normal field conditions. But with snow in the forecast for Philadelphia, it remained uncertain how his footing would hold in the slippery turf.
Well, when he darted through the snow on a 78-yard run into the end zone with 4:36 left in the 4th quarter, it became clear that Saquon could handle what Mother Nature threw his way.
By mastering the elements, Saquon became “Snoquon.”
Barkley finished the game with 205 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. It was a big night for the Philadelphia Eagles’ ground game, with quarterback Jalen Hurts contributing 70 rushing yards of his own.
Jayden Daniels He’s Really The Real Deal
The wild card round made it clear that the Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is the real deal.
His performance in Saturday’s upset win over the Detroit Lions only confirmed that and perhaps suggested there is something supernatural about the 24-year-old.
His poise under pressure is not only remarkable for a rookie, but would earn praise if he were a veteran too. Daniels’ humility and perspective also give a glimpse of the values his parents raised him with.
Lamar Jackson Elevates His Playoff Play
The knock on Lamar Jackson has been that he’s an underperformer in the playoffs. While his Baltimore Ravens suffered a divisional round exit this season, Jackson delivered the best playoff performance of his career, albeit with two costly turnovers.
He came up big in last night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, throwing 18 for 25 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the game’s final two minutes.
That put the Ravens in position to tie with a two-point conversion. But the wide-open Mark Andrews dropped a perfectly placed pass by Jackson on that last-ditch two-point conversion with less than two minutes to go.
That two-point attempt was the result of an unnecessary decision by Ravens coaching to go for two after a touchdown in the third quarter, which was also unsuccessful.
Chiefs Are Beatable — As Long as Officials Don’t Help Them
The Kansas City Chiefs may have beaten the Houston Texans 23-14 on Saturday, but it wasn’t the dominant win of a 15-2 team.
The officiating certainly leaned in the Chiefs’ favor, with the Texans drawing eight penalties — including two questionable roughness calls.
That second call, with the Chiefs up 13-12, paved the way for an amazing Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Travis Kelce.
Check out our updated NFL playoff bracket, conference game schedule, and information on how to watch the game on TV, streaming — and in person.
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