Washington Football Team @ San Francisco 49ers
SAN FRANCISCO - Justin Fields won his playoff debut as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the visiting Washington Football Team 33-9 in the NFL's wild card round. Fields looked ready for the moment as he threw for 230 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also added a rushing touchdown on the afternoon.
"Happy to get the win. We're playing good football right now," Fields said. "This is just the start for us."
The game was slow to start with both teams trading field goals in the first quarter. Knotted 3-3 in the 2nd, the 49er offense started heating up and Fields hit Trey Burton for the games first touchdown. The score fired up the defense who sacked WFT quarterback Kyle Allen for a safety on the very next possession. After that, the game seemed to get away from Washington and they never threatened again.
Defensively, San Francisco interceptions by Marcus Williams, Byron Murphy Jr, and CJ Gardner-Johnson set the tone and the 49ers kept Washington out of the end zone. This defense now seems to be peaking at the right time. They were crucial in the team's three-game winning streak to end the season and clinch the division and their play has carried into the playoffs.
San Francisco will now turn their attention to the divisional round where they'll face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers' quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions came to a disappointing end Saturday as the Seattle Seahawks dominated from start to finish and left with a 52-21 win. The Seattle offense was unstoppable and Green Bay had no answers.
"We didn't play well on the defensive side of the ball," Coach Eric Bieniemy said. "You can't play like that and win a playoff game in the NFL."
For Seattle, Russell Wilson was electric, throwing for 397 yards and five touchdowns. Every time Green Bay seemed to get within striking distance, Wilson put the game out of reach.
Green Bay now heads into the offseason and will look to reload in free agency and the draft.
Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans
HOUSTON - The Houston Texans kept their season alive with a 40-21 win over the Denver Broncos. Widely considered to be a year away from contention, this Texans team showed they belong now. Going against the reigning MVP in Aaron Rodgers, few gave Houston a chance.
"We believe in ourselves and everyone in that locker room knows we have each others' backs." 3GML MVP Mike Gesicki said.
The game was close early with the teams never separating more than one score. Heading into the 4th quarter, the Texans held a 20-13 when Gardner Minshew hit Gesicki for a 50-yard touchdown blowing things open. There looked to be some confusion on the sideline right before the play as David Shaw tried to call timeout but the referee didn't see him. For Houston, it may go down as the greatest timeout never called.
Houston gets to stay home as they host New England next week in a rematch of their week five contest. In that one, the Patriots stormed back in the fourth quarter and scored as time expired, winning 24-23. Will the rematch be just as tight? We'll see on Saturday.
