NFL playoffs: Divisional round questions, overreactions

The NFL divisional round started with an unimaginable sport in Denver on Saturday. The Payments and Broncos went to time beyond regulation, however the Broncos emerged on top after hitting a 23-yard area purpose to win it within the further body. Three extra video games are on deck, beginning with 49ers-Seahawks.

What are the primary classes and takeaways from every divisional spherical matchup, and what’s subsequent for these groups? We requested nationwide NFL reporter Dan Graziano and NFL analyst Ben Solak to assist measurement up each matchup from the second spherical and look ahead from all angles. For every divisional spherical sport, Solak is answering one large remaining query and Graziano is judging the legitimacy of 1 potential overreaction.

Let’s leap in, making sense of the Bo Nix injury news and the Payments’ playoff woes. And we’ll proceed to react to video games as they occur over the course of the weekend.

‘The Broncos are completed with out Bo Nix.’ Overreaction?

No, not an overreaction. The Broncos barely gained Saturday’s sport. Buffalo needed to flip the ball over 5 occasions — together with as soon as in time beyond regulation — or else Nix won’t have broken his ankle within the first place. And definitely, with out Nix’s clutch play within the fourth quarter and time beyond regulation, Denver would not have gained and superior to a house AFC Championship Recreation.

However now? You need me to consider the Broncos are going to beat Houston or New England with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback? And even when they do, does anybody consider they’ll then win the Tremendous Bowl? I am sorry, Jarrett, however it simply would not really feel to me like this Broncos group is sweet sufficient to drag a 2017 Eagles and win this factor with out their beginning quarterback.

The Broncos have a very good protection, sure. We all know this about them. However they weren’t tremendous superior Saturday in opposition to a Payments group that moved the ball extraordinarily properly between turnovers, and so they have not been elite in the way in which that defenses akin to Seattle and Houston have been — not less than not over the second half of this season. The Broncos do run the ball higher than most suppose, however c’mon. All of us watched this sport. The Payments handed the Broncos 10 factors on the tail finish of the primary half, then three extra at the beginning of the second, and Buffalo nonetheless had a fourth-quarter lead that Nix discovered a solution to overcome. Nix is not an ideal participant, however what he can do together with his legs and what he can do within the clutch are separating elements that Stidham simply would not provide.

The Broncos protection goes to must play the sport of a lifetime subsequent week — even when it is in opposition to Houston’s inconsistent offense — if it desires to lug this group into the Tremendous Bowl. And even when it collects a bunch of turnovers and sneaks into the massive sport, Denver is then going to must beat a group that has had two weeks off and certain nonetheless has its beginning quarterback.

It is a disgrace. It will have been enjoyable to see what Sean Payton and this Broncos group may have completed. Payton may have been the primary coach to win the Tremendous Bowl with two completely different groups. However within the wake of the Nix harm information, all of that may be a lot more durable to think about. — Graziano

The lingering query: Why do the Payments maintain shedding within the postseason?

I do not know. What’s there to say? The Payments turned the soccer over 5 occasions, and no group that turns the ball over 5 occasions deserves to be within the sport in any respect. Josh Allen‘s end-of-half fumble to let the Broncos go up 20-10 was an inexcusable mistake. He was stripped to start out the second half to present Denver an excellent greater lead. He threw a choose instantly off a key defensive takeaway.

It felt like Allen was digging the outlet, after which as all the time, Allen was the one to drag the Payments again out. However there have been too many misses. Allen failed to attach with Khalil Shakir on a third-and-8 display within the purple zone that might have allowed him to attain, and he missed an open Dawson Knox on the finish of regulation on a throw that might have walked the sport off. Allen was concurrently one of many largest causes the Payments have been nonetheless in that sport, whereas additionally being one of many largest causes they fell quick.

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Wil Lutz sends Broncos to AFC Championship Recreation on profitable FG in OT

Wil Lutz nails the game-winning area purpose in time beyond regulation to ship the Broncos to the AFC Championship Recreation.

The Payments have now made it to seven consecutive postseasons with Allen on the helm, which suggests they’ve suffered seven postseason losses. There’s actually no unifying issue on the sphere, although. Broad receiver expertise was an enormous deal on this sport; Allen was 0-for-9 throwing 20-plus yards downfield, and downfield manufacturing is usually a receiver stat. The cross rush has been a problem and was once more on this sport; Nix was pressured on 20% of his dropbacks, and the Payments wanted to ship blitzes to get house. Defensive again depth was additionally an enormous deal; two of Nix’s three touchdowns got here focusing on backup defensive backs.

Nonetheless, if you’ve misplaced seven playoff video games, there are some apparent unifying elements — coach Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane and Allen. The Payments’ triumvirate has been in place for the higher a part of a decade and has but to recover from the hump. Whether or not truthful or unfair, the buck stops on the prime, and the truth that the Payments have didn’t make a Tremendous Bowl in Allen’s tenure regardless of seven postseason appearances is a gigantic failure.

If the Payments make adjustments, I might completely get it. If they do not, I might completely get it, too. They have been so shut so many occasions. What a devastating loss. — Solak