The Weekend That Was: The NFL Divisional Round - Mparas1432's Blog

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Mparas1432's Blog

The Weekend That Was: The NFL Divisional Round Stuck

Posted on January 15, 2013 at 08:49 AM.

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Did that just happen?

From the Broncos� implosion to the 49ers� explosion, the NFL divisional round surpassed the lackluster wildcard games from the weekend before. In a span of two games, the NFL saw the best action of the season so far.

Here�s a quick take from the weekend

- The blame goes all around in the Broncos' loss

The Ray Lewis era lives on. However for the Broncos and their fans, this will be a game that will never be forgotten. On multiple occasions, the Broncos had a chance to seal the game away and the team failed to convert.

With the loss, blame is sure to go around, especially to Rahim Moore for giving up an inexcusable play in the final 40 seconds. Besides Moore, fans should be outraged at Matt Prater for missing a field goal in the first half, Manning for throwing a crucial OT interception, Bailey for getting burned twice, and John Fox for his ultra-conservative play calling down the stretch.

The Broncos were a promising team all season, but they collapsed when it mattered most.

- Jim Harbaugh was right with going with Kaepernick

Alex Smith who? Colin Kaepernick and his squad�s 45 points were the most points for a Niners team since the 1994-1995 season when Steve Young was still playing. In a similar coincidence, 1995 was also the last year the 49ers won the Superbowl.

When benching Smith was first announced, it took me weeks to finally believe in Kaepernick. The move was risky and it was unclear how the second year quarterback would react to the intense pressure of a playoff game. Even after throwing a pick six early on, Kaepernick regained his composure and tore up the Packers defense.

- Matt Ryan and Mike Smith finally get on the board with a playoff win

Leave it to Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez to show ailing Broncos fans how to get it done in the last 30 seconds. While the circumstances weren�t exactly similar, the Falcons marched down field with 31 seconds to set up Matt Bryant with a 49 yard field goal.

The Falcons were in control early and despite Russell Wilson�s heroics, Ryan got it done when it counted. It�s still unclear if he�s permanently shed the �can�t win in the playoffs� label, Ryan is just glad to be in the Conference finals.

- Where do the Texans go from here?

In what was the most predictable game of the weekend, the New England Patriots were in complete control of their rematch with the Houston Texans. The Texans were more competitive, but couldn�t stop Shane Vereen of all players. Wes Welker also befuddled the Texans� defense with another big day.

As they head into the offseason, what�s next for the Texans? For many reasons, this appeared to be their year where they would have the best chance at winning a superbowl. The AFC South was supposed to be weaker and the Texans got off to a strong start with JJ Watt leading the way on defense.

Now with the Colts being the surprise team of 2012, the Colts have a chance to retake the division crown next year. Suddenly the Texans could be the Chargers from a few years ago-an immensely talented roster who failed to get to the big game.