The NFL regular season is now in the books, and it was quite a finale. The teams fighting to play on wild-card weekend have taken their team through a season-long roller coaster of highs, lows, and the in-between. The games were played with the backdrop of traumatic events surrounding Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. All 32 franchises and fans played their part in honoring Damar and his family by showing love to number 3. A few teams had nothing to play for but put in good performances. For example, the Commanders destroyed the Cowboys 26-6, the Broncos beat the Chargers 31-28, and the Texans gave Coach Lovie Smith a good farewell in a surprisingly entertaining 32-31 victory over the Colts despite the possibility of dropping to the number one pick. However, this article will focus on the three major storylines from the wild finish to the regular season.
1. AFC South Winner-the winner take all matchup in the AFC South delivered on the excitement level. The Jaguars were considered the favorites because they were playing at home, and had won 7 of their last nine games. However, it was the Titans who started the game on the front foot behind the usual powerful running of Derrick Henry and timely throws by Joshua Dobbs to pace the teams to a 13-7 lead. It appeared that the Jaguars feeling the weight of expectations in winning their first division title in 5 years. However, whatever Doug Pederson said at halftime worked! Trevor Lawrence brought his team back by leading them field goal drives in two of the first three drives in the second half while the defense cranked up the pressure on Dobbs by forcing an interception. The backbreaking play deep in the fourth quarter was a strip sack by Rayshawn Jenkins and a scoop and score by Josh Allen. Yes, the Jaguars will host a playoff game, and they enter the postseason like the Cinderella team that every neutral will cheer for based on expectations entering the season.
2. Battle for the AFC 7th Seed-the Patriots entered the final week with control of their destiny, if they beat the Bills then they would make the playoffs. However, they lost control almost when Nyheim Hines returned the kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to stir a frenzy in Orchard Park. It was the perfect way to start the game after the emotional week for the Bills’ players and fanbase. The Patriots hung in there after a tied game at halftime and even 17-14 in the third quarter. However, the turning point was the special team giving up a mind-blowing 101-yard return to Hines. Josh Allen finished off the game with long touchdown passes to John Brown and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots’ loss opened the door for the Dolphins, and they barely squeaked an 11-6 win against the grounded Jets. It was an ugly defensive contest that will not be replayed on NFL classics, but it will not matter to Mike McDaniel because they return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Steelers did their job by beating the Browns to finish 9-8, and while they didn’t make the playoffs, it means that Mike Tomlin’s streak of 16 consecutive seasons of never having a losing season continues. Impressive!
3. Epic Finish to NFC 7th Seed- the final spot in the NFC was more complex because the teams involved in the scenario did not play in the same time slot. The Seattle Seahawks played the Los Angeles Rams at home, and their divisional foe was about to hand them a playoff opportunity. The first play of the first drive was intercepted by Jalen Ramsey and from that point, the Rams’ defense dominated which pushed the Rams to a 13-6 halftime lead. However, Geno Smith made some plays despite the shaky outing and had his team in a position to win with a 46-yard field goal. The kick was missed with Jason Myers hitting the uprights. However, in the overtime, Smith put Myers in position to make the kick after a costly interception by Mayfield, and this time he made the kick. All Seattle could now do was watch as the action in Green Bay unfolded. The Seahawks needed the Lions to beat the Packers. All signs pointed to a Packers win having a 4-game win streak and the Lions’ history of losing at Green Bay with a 27-3 record in the last 30 games. However, Dan Campbell’s teams are a different breed and a hungry pride of Lions. The worst-ranked defense contained the running game and forced Aaron Rodgers to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. The tandem of Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift was a handful, and Jared Goff made accurate throws when he needed it. The win resulted in a winning season for Campbell and the first since 2017 for the franchise. The head coach rolled the dice on fourth downs on the final drive and converted to silence the rival home crowd. What a weekend!