Three of the most effective quarterbacks in NFL historical past will take the sphere for Divisional Spherical weekend, every with a unique narrative surrounding him. Patrick Mahomes is collaborating within the first highway playoff recreation of his profession on Sunday. He’s Michael Jordan in 1993 and 1998, having to depend on his personal greatness like by no means earlier than. Josh Allen has overcome a turnover-laden season to lastly have a shot at Mahomes on his frigid residence subject. The highway to the AFC Championship goes by means of Baltimore for the second time in Lamar Jackson’s profession, and he might be trying so as to add a deep playoff run to his NFL resume.
As nice as these three gamers are, with out some huge performs from their move catchers — even in winter climate — they doubtless is not going to advance to Convention Championship Sunday. Although the connection between Allen and Stefon Diggs has been off currently, that has not stopped the Payments from rolling to 6 consecutive victories. Diggs is on the harm report with a foot harm and didn’t follow on Thursday. Clearly, if he doesn’t play the Buffalo Bills can have issues.
Not less than Diggs’ crew is aware of what they’re getting from their veteran star if he takes the sphere. The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs are going to wish rookie wideouts Zay Flowers and Rashee Rice to use stress to the opposing protection, or their offenses might be idling within the freezing temps.
Rice performed the most effective recreation of his rookie season when the Chiefs wanted it most. In solely the second wild-card recreation of the Mahomes period, Rice grew to become the primary rookie extensive receiver in NFL historical past to document eight receptions and 130 yards in a playoff recreation — a mark that might be surpassed by Puka Nacua the subsequent day. That night time was Rice’s third 100-plus-yard recreation of the season. His second one was the final time he took the sphere earlier than the playoffs. Rice caught 5 passes on six targets for 127 yards in a win towards the Cincinnati Bengals.
He has not had a recreation with fewer than 50 yards receiving since earlier than Thanksgiving. Mahomes hit Rice over the center of the sphere time and again towards the Dolphins. After totaling the third most yards after catch within the NFL through the common season, more often than not Rice had the ball in his palms on Saturday night time, he spent it working previous opposing defenders. If not for Jordan Love selecting the Dallas Cowboys aside, Rice would have been the breakout star of Wild-Card Weekend.
Not like Rice, Flowers was a first-round draft decide. The Chiefs have been doing the most effective they might to discover a hidden gem, whereas the Ravens believed from the beginning that that they had discovered one able to grabbing a Tremendous Bowl ring.
Flowers had an up-and-down season early, however that was not all his fault. The entire crew was adjusting to Todd Monken’s offense. It took the Ravens’ new OC a while to open up the offense, however when he did, they appeared just like the crew to beat within the NFL. Certainly one of their greatest performances was a Week 14 additional time win towards the Los Angeles Rams.
Probably the most memorable play of the day was the game-winning punt return for a landing by Tylan Wallace. He doesn’t get the prospect to be voted RedZone’s No. 1 play that the community aired all season if not for Flowers’ work within the fourth quarter.
The rookie put up an octopus on the Ravens’ last drive in regulation. On third and 17, Jackson hit Flowers on a dig route that went for a 21-yard landing. The Ravens went for the 2-point conversion and Flowers caught a toe-tapper on the sideline to increase the result in three factors.
Two weeks later, he confirmed off his elusiveness through the Ravens’ huge Christmas Day win towards the San Francisco 49ers. He tied his season-high of 9 receptions and juked Fred Warner into the matrix on a display move.
Flowers’ greatest recreation of the season was the next week when the Ravens clinched the highest seed within the AFC with their third-consecutive double-digit victory. His solely 100-yard receiving recreation of the season was that day towards the Dolphins, and 75 of these got here on a single landing catch.
Within the laborious wage cap world of the NFL, rookies need to develop up rapidly. Groups just like the Ravens and Chiefs want gamers who can bulldoze their means by means of early-season errors so an amazing crew might be constructed by winter.
The large-name quarterbacks will get many of the consideration, headlines, social media posts, reward and scorn this weekend. That’s what comes with being a star athlete. Their narratives will dominate the protection and the precise recreation, however a standout chapter from Rice and Flowers is likely to be simply the push their groups to get previous this weekend, and to a convention championship matchup.
