Allen, Mahomes, Stafford star on wild-card weekend

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Payments pitched a near-perfect recreation of their playoff victory in opposition to the New England Patriots.

The Payments grew to become the primary crew in NFL historical past to attain touchdowns on their first seven drives of a playoff recreation, earlier than kneeling down on the ultimate possession of a 47-17 win over New England.

Allen, Kansas Metropolis’s Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford of the Rams all offered huge passing days to focus on wild-card weekend.

The Payments grew to become the primary crew ever to go a whole recreation with no punt, a discipline aim, a turnover or getting stopped on fourth down, whereas scoring probably the most factors ever in opposition to a protection coached or coordinated by Invoice Belichick.

Allen went 21 for 25 for 308 yards, 5 TDs and rushed for 66 yards, becoming a member of Kurt Warner (2009 season in opposition to Inexperienced Bay), Tom Brady (2007 season in opposition to Jacksonville), Peyton Manning (2003 season in opposition to Denver) and Daryle Lamonica (1969 season in opposition to Houston) as the one beginning QBs with extra TD passes than incompletions in a playoff recreation.

Mahomes offered his personal highlights, throwing 5 TD passes in a 42-21 win over Pittsburgh to hitch Lamonica and Kurt Warner as the one QBs ever to throw at the very least 5 landing passes in two playoff video games.

Mahomes’ throws got here in a span of simply 11:31 of recreation time, the quickest anybody has thrown that many touchdowns in playoff historical past, based on the Elias Sports activities Bureau. The earlier mark was held by Tom Brady, who did it in 24:56 in opposition to Denver within the 2011 playoffs.

Stafford additionally had a sturdy playoff debut for the Rams, going 13 for 17 for 202 yards, two TDs and a 154.5 score in a 34-11 win over Arizona that delivered Stafford his first playoff victory in 13 NFL seasons.

Stafford joined Allen (157.6 score) and Mahomes (138.2 score) with huge performances. The one different postseason when three beginning QBs posted a score of 135 or higher in a recreation was in 1982 when Joe Theismann (in opposition to Detroit), David Woodley (in opposition to New England) and Lynn Dickey (in opposition to St. Louis) all did it.

LOPSIDED WEEKEND

Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates after extensive receiver Gabriel Davis (13) scores a landing in the course of the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff soccer recreation in opposition to the New England Patriots, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Orchard Park, N.Y.

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Wild-card weekend didn’t present numerous drama, with three of the six video games determined by greater than 20 factors and one other one by 16.

The common margin of victory within the six video games was 17.2 factors per recreation, making this the fourth-most lopsided wild-card weekend for the reason that playoffs expanded to 12 groups in 1990. Solely 2016 (19 ppg), 1996 (17.5 ppg) and 2005 (17.3 ppg) had bigger common scoring margins.

The wins by at the very least 20 factors for Buffalo, Kansas Metropolis and the Rams go away this season two shy of the 2002 season for probably the most playoff video games determined by at the very least 20 factors.

DUAL THREATS

Travis Kelce and Odell Beckham Jr. confirmed off their arms in addition to their catching expertise.

Sooner or later after Kelce grew to become the primary participant in NFL historical past to throw a landing go, catch a TD go and have at the very least 100 yards receiving in a playoff recreation in Kansas Metropolis’s win over Pittsburgh, Beckham confirmed off his dual-threat expertise.

Beckham threw a 40-yard go to Cam Akers within the Rams’ win over Arizona on Monday night time, turning into the primary participant in NFL historical past to have a catch and a go for at the very least 30 yards in the identical playoff recreation.

BYE BYE, BIG BEN

Ben Roethlisberger seemingly made the ultimate look of his NFL profession in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to Kansas Metropolis.

Roethlisberger joined Dan Marino and Andrew Luck as the one QBs since at the very least 1950 to make a playoff begin as a rookie and of their remaining seasons, based on the Elias Sports activities Bureau.

The 17-year hole between his first and final playoff begin is the second largest to Brady’s 20-year hole.

Roethlisberger will end his profession with 5,972 yards within the playoffs, trailing solely Brady (12,720) and Manning (7,339). His 36 TD passes are seventh most.

BIG MAN TDS

Even the massive guys received within the act of scoring touchdowns in wild-card weekend.

Kansas Metropolis offensive lineman Nick Allegretti and Buffalo offensive lineman Tommy Doyle each had TD catches, marking the second time for the reason that merger that two offensive linemen had landing catches in a single postseason. The opposite time it occurred was within the 2014 season when New England’s Nate Solder and Seattle’s Garry Gilliam did it.

The one different offensive lineman with a TD catch within the playoffs since 2000 was Tennessee’s Dennis Kelly within the 2019 season.

PLAYOFF DROUGHTS

The Bengals snapped the longest lively drought with no playoff win once they beat Las Vegas 26-19 at residence, however some others are nonetheless ongoing.

The Raiders now have the third-longest drought since their final playoff win on Jan. 19, 2003, with solely the Lions (Jan. 5, 1992) and Dolphins (Dec. 30, 2000) going longer.

The Cowboys have gone 11 straight playoff appearances with out reaching a convention title recreation, the longest streak by any crew in NFL historical past.

The Bengals stay one in every of two groups by no means to win a street playoff recreation, together with the Houston Texans. Cincinnati is 0-7 in street playoff video games heading into Saturday’s recreation at Tennessee.

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