It is that time of year again, when the top football teams of the NFL battle it out to determine the Super Bowl XLVIII Champion. January 4th and 5th, or the Wild Card Round, determined the quarterfinals or Divisional Round for the NFL playoff bracket.
The San Diego Chargers took on the Cincinnati Bengals on January 5th. The Chargers bested the Bengals 27-10. Phillip Rivers was the Chargers’ Player of the Game, combining a total of 128 yards and one touchdown. The Bengals also had a star player, Marvin Jones. Jones had a total of 130 yards and eight receptions.
Also playing on January 5th were the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers were victorious with a close game, 23-20. The star Players of the Game were Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and the 49ers’ Michael Crabtree. Rodgers racked up 177 yards with 17 completed passes. Crabtree had 125 yards with eight receptions.
On the 4th of January, the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts were also battling for the quarterfinals spot against the New England Patriots. The Colts won the matchup 45-44. The star players were Andrew Luck of Indianapolis and Alex Smith of Kansas City. Luck had a tremendous game, racking up a total of 443 yards with four touchdowns. Smith also had a great game with a combined total of 378 yards and 30 completed passes.
The last game to determine the quarterfinal spot was the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees of the Saints and Nick Foles of the Eagles had good games earning them the star Players of the Game. Foles, with 195 yards, had two touchdowns and 23 completed passes. Drew Brees racked up 250 yards with one touchdown and 20 completed passes.
With these matchups now made, the Divisional Round for the NFL playoffs will take place January 11th and January 12th. On the 12th will be the San Diego Chargers vs. the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers vs. the San Francisco 49ers. On the 11th will be the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints vs. the Seattle Seahawks.