The NFL Playoffs have finally arrived, bringing teams one step closer to the Super Bowl
After a long and grueling season, the NFL playoffs finally kicked off on January 7 with the Wild Card round. This preliminary round of the playoffs gives teams who were on the brink of making it into the playoff picture a chance to beat out a team higher than them in the standings, and in doing so steal their spot. With four different games that determined multiple teams' fates, the weekend was sure to be full of either heartbreak or victory.
The fifth seeded team, the Oakland Raiders, took on the fourth seeded team, the Houston Texans, and the result of the game was a 27-14 win for the higher seeded Texans. This Saturday's game was dominated by Houston’s offense, starting with an interception by Jadeveon Clowney in the first quarter. After the clock finally hit zero and the Texans were officially on, football fans found themselves watching the third seeded team, the Seattle Seahawks, take on the sixth seeded team, the Detroit Lions. Once again, the offense of the higher seeded team dominated, bringing the Seahawks to a 26-6 victory over the Lions.
Sunday January 7, also had a pair of games, the Pittsburgh Steelers facing off against the Miami Dolphins, as well as, a game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. The third seeded team, Pittsburgh, defeated Miami 30-12 in a game that showcased their star studded roster. In the first playoff game ever played where Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger were all active, records were broken and the Steelers ensured their slot in the Divisional Round.
The last game of the first playoff weekend saw a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants. Due to rumors of Odell Beckham getting some anger out by punching a wall, the 38-13 defeat of the fifth seeded Giants by the fourth seeded Packers took the backburner to the media swarm.
The second round of the 2017 playoffs will continue on the weekend of January 14, with matchups between Seattle and Atlanta, Houston and New England, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, and Green Bay and Dallas.