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“WOEFUL END-WILDCARD WEEKEND”
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It ended badly, these two Monday NFL playoff games, capping off Wildcard Weekend.  The stories about what’s next for the losers, will dominate the headlines.

TAMPA BAY-EAGLES…How do you go from (10-1) to losing (6-of-7).  Please email your theories to Nick Sirianni-head coach-Eagles, who went from a Super Bowl team to a toilet bowl finish to the season.  No defense the back half of the season.  Everytime you looked up there was a Tampa Bay tight end or wide receiver running opens in the secondary.  Everytime there was a tackle to be made, a Buc ran thru it.  Baker Mayfield completed his redemption tour with a (337Y-3TD) night, finishing off the Eagles and putting himself in line for a big contract extension with his 31-TD season.  Jalen Hurts lost 3-receivers at the tail end of the season, and his run game disappeared, and he took a real battering.  I stood there watching the second half and saw Matt Patricia’s defense collapse, all these bad outings even after he took over playcalling at mid season.  Another example of an assistant coming off the Bill Belichick tree and failing elsewhere.  Some bad days coming for the Eagles coaching staff.  Another game for the Bucs to be played.

BILLS-STEELERS…Josh Allen can beat you so many ways.  Just ask the Steelers and the weatherman, as the Bills slugged their way to a playoff win in the (4-degree) weather in a snow clogged stadium.  Allen lit up the secondary, throwing for 3TD and (203Y) in a biting cold wind.  He ripped off a 56-yard TD run too, making himself the equal of Baltimore’s dart-dash Lamar Jackson.  And that Bills defense swarmed everywhere.  Interception in the end zone.  Fumble recovery in at the 18-yard line.  Mason Rudolph did not have much room to operate in trying so hard to rally Pittsburgh.  Just too much cold weather, too much Josh Allen.  And now we wait to see if Mike Tomlin has had enough.  All those really good non losing seasons in the Burgh, but only 3-playoff wins in 13-years, not what Steelers football is all about.

So on we go on a short week to get to the Divisional playoff games next week.  Another topic for another day, but the Chiefs go on the road to play in Buffalo, upstart Houston is Baltimore.  Then the Bucs head to Detroit, and Green Bay goes to San Francisco.

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