Impressions from Wild Card Saturday

Game one from the weekend was almost as advertised: the feel good story of the season colliding with the "weakest" divisional winner who was primed for an upset. For a few brief moments into the fourth quarter it looked like a distinct possibility, taking a one point lead due to two quick touchdowns that turned around a disastrous day for Joe Gibbs and company. However reality set in and the better team prevailed with twenty-one unanswered points to squash that dream.
The good news is the Redskins didn't stand a chance in the second round, but the bad news is neither do the Seahawks. For the entire first half the Redskins offense was stuck in the mud, forcing three and outs (plug!) nearly every drive and giving the Seattle offense all the time in the world...to put up a whopping thirteen points. Their run game is exactly what critics said it was, their passing attack is only half as good as advertised and their defensive is surprisingly better than I expected. All of that means that their next game will be a slow battle that the Seahawks will lose; should be a blast to watch.
The day's second game may turn out to be the first round's best showdown. The Jag's 31-29 victory over the Steelers was absolutely enthralling, and I'll admit that I gave up on the game at the end of the third quarter. The Steelers' nineteen, fourth quarter points made this game not only interesting, but important for the rest of the NFL. It showed us a couple of key things about the Jaguars headed into round two.
First of all, they aren't as good at holding leads as I thought. I figured they would run the hell out of the ball in the second half. Instead they threw two interceptions. Their strength is the ground game, but they tested the friendly skies and nearly crashed their season in the process.
Secondly, their defense isn't as strong as I thought. The Steeler's passing attack ripped through their secondary without too much trouble down the stretch by being physical. Hines Ward and Heath Miller lowered their shoulders' and plowed their way down the field for a pair of touchdowns. It appears that the Jaguars secondary might be a bit soft, which bodes well for receivers like Wes Welker.
The first set of games were better than I expected, but it showed a lot of weakness in both advancing teams. If this is an indication of what to expect for the rest of the playoffs, I can't wait. The Jaguars scare me as a Patriots fan, but I was happy to see some things that New England can attack if they face off.
If tomorrow's games are as good, you can expect another post to recap my take. Hope everyone is having a safe and peaceful break.

-Sean