Sunday afternoon’s nail-biter between Denver and Pittsburgh was reportedly the NFL’s most-watched Wild Card game in 24 years. The 25.9 rating could be attributed to a number of factors, most likely the Steelers’ rabid fan base and American’s obsession with all things Tim Tebow
Or it might have been football fans banking on the law of averages, which presumes that at least one of the weekend’s four games has to be decided in the closing minutes.
Saturday saw the Texans run through the Bengals and the Saints pass their way past the Lions. When Sunday kicked off with the Giants’ thumping of the Falcons, the NFL needed, well, a savior.
Enter Tim Tebow.
In what was prognosticated to be the round’s biggest mismatch, the Tebow-led Broncos traded blows with the Steelers for four quarters, ending regulation tied with the defending AFC champs. Then, in the weekend’s I-can’t-believe-what-just-saw moment, Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas on a post pattern and the second year pro did the rest, willing his way to an 80-yard touchdown – on the first play of overtime.
The Broncos won. Tebow tebowed. And Wild Card Weekend was saved.
Below is what else this writer saw during the tournament’s first round:
Texans 31, Bengals 10
- Arian Foster is the league’s premier running back. The way that he sets up his blocks is reminiscent of a young Emmitt Smith and, when it comes to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, he and Ray Rice are neck and neck for the honor of best in the business. You can have Adrian Peterson. Give me Foster.
- For all the publicity that Foster and Andre Johnson receive, Houston’s defense has been equally as formidable this year. Johnathan Joseph was the league’s top free agent signing and J.J. Watt’s pick-six was a play that Houston fans will never forget. The question now is whether or not Watt’s remarkable performance will propel him into becoming this postseason’s breakout star, a la Clay Matthews, or simply serve as the highlight of the franchise’s first playoff win.
- A down year for rookie quarterbacks has critics falling over themselves to praise Cincy’s Andy Dalton. However, take away a handful of remarkable plays by A.J. Green and this observer sees a lot of Jon Kitna, albeit with a stronger arm, in the “Red Rifle.” There is no doubt that Dalton performed much better than any other first-year signal-caller not named Cam Newton, but Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder and Jake Locker also don’t have the luxury of throwing to targets like Green and Jermaine Gresham.
Saints 45, Lions 28
- Drew Brees is amazing. He follows up his record-setting season by dropping 466 yards and three scores on the overmatched Lions. Spreading the ball around to eight different receivers – at a 77 percent clip – has many viewing New Orleans as a favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, a rare feat for a team forced to play in the opening round of the playoffs.
- You have to wonder what might have been had officials correctly ruled Brees’ second quarter fumble as a Detroit touchdown. The play would have given the Lions a commanding 21-7 lead and allowed them to focus their attention solely on Brees (New Orleans kept Detroit off balance by running for 167 yards).
- Despite the loss, Detroit has to be encouraged by a 10-6 season that saw Matthew Stafford not only stay on the field for 16 games, but also develop a connection with Calvin Johnson that will be giving NFC North defensive coordinators nightmares for years to come.
- I can’t look at Kyle Vanden Bosch without thinking of Steve Lattimer, the defensive end played by Andrew Bryniarski in The Program. I could see a few car windows not making it out the parking lot intact after this game.
Giants 24, Falcons 2
- Much like they did during the team’s Super Bowl run in 2007, the Giants’ defensive line is dominating games right now. They came up with a pair of momentum-turning stops on fourth-and-one and harassed Matt Ryan into averaging just 4.9 yards per pass attempt.
- I’m not sure if the Giants’ performance is enough to strike fear in the Packers or if it’s just the latest example of New York’s schizophrenic play. Remember, this is a team that within a month’s time almost beat undefeated Green Bay, won a critical game in Dallas and then got smoked by Washington at home.
- Whereas Detroit looks to be on the upswing, Atlanta appears headed in the wrong direction. They won 12 games last year before being ousted by Green Bay in their first home playoff game in seven years. This year, the offense doesn’t score a point against New York despite investing five – five! – draft picks in rookie wide receiver Julio Jones. Coach Mike Smith needs to get this ship righted – fast.
Broncos 29, Steelers 23
- Seemingly lost in the madness surrounding Tebow is the remarkable development of Thomas. Hampered by a series of injuries since being drafted in 2010, Thomas has been the second most productive receiver in the league (108.7-yard receiving average) over the last month, behind only the great Calvin Johnson.
- It’s unlikely that the result would be different but it should be noted that it was safety Ryan Mundy pinching close to the line on Thomas’ game-winning catch. Mundy was playing for regular starter Ryan Clark, who sat out the game due to a rare sickle-cell trait that can become aggravated in high altitudes, like Denver’s Mile High Stadium.
