Super blowout weekend: Why were so many NFL games blowouts over the weekend?
With only one NFL game left in Super Wild Card weekend, one can start to look at the entire picture of Super Wild Card weekend and begin to take stock. Those who watched every game this weekend saw a consistent theme: blowouts. Aside from the first game of the weekend, every other game was effectively decided by the end of the third quarter and the majority of the game was put on ice.
The Buffalo Bills won by 30 points. The Buccaneers were up 31-0 at one point and, aside from a couple of garbage-time touchdowns, shut down the Eagles when it mattered. They won 31-15. Aside from a late hail-mary drive by the Cowboys, the 49ers controlled the game from wire to wire.The last game of the weekend saw the Steelers get humbled by the Chiefs, 42-21.
Why did this happen? Why was almost every game a one-note affair? It is not a pure coincidence. Here's why the NFL suffered the least exciting weekend since the preseason.
Why the NFL Wild Card playoffs weren't so wild
It's no coincidence that the NFL added another seed, and the Wild Card weekend took a hit in entertainment value. Since adding the additional seed last year, not one of the four teams has won a playoff game. At the same time, by making the second seed play on Wild Card weekend, they expose them to the worst the NFL playoffs have to offer.
Bengals at TitansAFC Divisional Playoff Round:
šBengals at Titans
šBills at Chiefs
Throughout the playoffs, the lowest remaining seed plays the highest seed. Meaning, in years past, the third seed played the sixth seed and the fourth seed played the fifth seed. The top two seeds had the week off. It led to entertaining and close games in many cases.
However, after the changes, the second seed played the seventh seed. This is a game that would have never happened a few years ago. Neither team would have played.
Instead, the second-best team in the NFL now takes on the seventh every season. This happens in the AFC and the NFC. Meaning, two games per Wild Card weekend have gone from closely skilled teams to two teams with a wide skill gap.
Until a change is made, these repeated blowouts will continue. This sets the floor at two blowouts per NFL Wild Card weekend. Meaning, it only takes one surprise blowout for roughly half of the games to be blowouts.
Yes. Thatās a QB for another NFL franchiseā¦.shirtless at a Bills game. Your fan base could never. #BillsMafia
The legend himself, Fitzmagic. https://t.co/V5brB0TmN0
Several such surprise blowouts took place this year, thanks to a mismatch at quarterback. Mac Jones played in his first playoff game against a battle-hardened Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes played against Ben Roethlisberger, who is well out of his playoff prime. Dak Prescott played against Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played in a Super Bowl in recent years.
Basically, the weekend not only had blowouts due to systemic issues, but also because of mismatches in playoff quarterback talent. The two factors combined to create a tough weekend of football for all fans involved. Luckily, next weekend looks much more competitive with Bill-Chiefs, Packers-49ers, Bengals-Titans, and Buccaneers-Rams/Cardinals.