The Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs is complete, offering one game with plenty of drama, as the Seattle Seahawks somehow survive the freezing temperatures in Minnesota, with the Vikings and Blair Walsh letting a win slip away from their fingers, while the Green Bay Packers adjusted quickly to a hot start by the Washington Redskins, making it through behind a very good game from Aaron Rodgers.
Seattle Seahawks 10 Minnesota Vikings 9: There are a few sides to this game, but it all ends with Blair Walsh missing a 27-yard field goal that might have won the Vikings the game, instead sending them into the offseason empty handed, while the Seattle Seahawks probably are still trying to realize how it worked for them. The Seahawks were held to 0 points until the fourth quarter, but then Russell Wilson almost getting sacked while losing the ball led to a great play and a touchdown to cap off the drive, one more field goal and the lead. Adrian Peterson fumbled the ball out of nowhere, and in the end there’s Walsh, who hit three field goals before that from 22, 43 and 47 yards. It marks the fourth season for the Seahawks with Wilson at quarterback. They’ve always won at least one game.
Green Bay Packers 35 Washington Redskins 18: For a quarter and a bit, it looked like the Packers regular season problems carried on into the playoffs, as the Redskins took an 11-0 lead with 13:02 in the first quarter. But Aaron Rodgers found a way to escape the pass rush despite his awful offensive line, finishing the game with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns, with Green Bay outscoring the Redskins 18-0 in the final 24:41, including two rushing touchdowns by James Starks and Eddie Lacy. Kirk Cousins didn’t throw any interceptions, but at some point, he didn’t really like what the Packers defense had waiting for him.
The day before: The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 18-16 and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 30-0.
What now: The divisional round is set. The Chiefs will play against the New England Patriots in Foxboro on Saturday, January 16 (4:35 PM ET), followed by the Green Bay Packers hosted by the Arizona Cardinals on 8:15. The day after, Sunday January 17, will begin with the Seattle Seahawks playing against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, beginning at 1:05 PM ET, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Denver Broncos, starting at 4:40 PM.