NFL Wild Card Round Recap

Colts' QB Andrew Luck scores a touchdown off a fumble
recovery in a wild comeback win.

It was an incredible Wild Card weekend as the Colts made a huge comeback, and the Saints and 49ers won with game-winning field goals as time expired. Let's recap Wild Card Weekend!

Kansas City Chiefs 44 Indianapolis Colts 45

The first game of the 2013 NFL Playoffs turned out to be the best game of the playoffs. This will probably end up as the best game of the entire playoffs as well when it's all said and done. Even though the Colts thoroughly beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium two weeks ago, many people knew the Colts didn't want to play the Chiefs. That theory proved right in the first half as the Chiefs built a 31-10 lead, then quickly increased it to 38-10 after Andrew Luck's interception on the first play of the second half.

What happened after the 38-10 lead was legendary from Luck, as the Colts scored five touchdowns, including a fumble recovery by Luck in one of the best plays of the year. The Chiefs' season ends in disappointing fashion, as it has been 20 years since they've won a playoff game. It'll take Chiefs' fans a very long time to get over this latest loss.

New Orleans Saints 26 Philadelphia Eagles 24

All the Saints heard from the media was their inability as a franchise to win a road playoff game. Furthermore, it was going to be cold in Philadelphia, as temperatures were in the 20s. Many people felt the Saints were doomed, but the Saints went out and toughed out a victory. The Seahawks is next on their playoff schedule, a daunting task considering they were embarrassed in Seattle roughly a month ago.

The Saints will be more competitive this time around, but will it be enough for the win? They struggled in beating the Eagles, who aren't that good of a team compared to the Seahawks despite being in the playoffs. Every team presents its own matchup issues, so it isn't fair to compare this game to next week's game.

San Diego Chargers 27 Cincinnati Bengals 10

The Bengals lost to the Texans the past two seasons in the Wild Card round, but much wasn't made of it because the Bengals were on the road. Now that the Bengals won the AFC North and secured a home playoff game. They were expected to get past the Chargers, who barely got into the playoffs as the final Wild Card team.

For Andy Dalton and the Bengals, it simply wasn't meant to be as Dalton threw two second half interceptions that proved costly, and the Chargers got their first playoff win since the 2008 season. Now that Dalton lost at home and is 0-3 in the playoffs, he'll be faced with a lot of criticism and questions surrounding whether he should be the guy going forward. I don't understand how the Bengals would give up on him now. It isn't as if there are excellent starting quarterbacks floating around to pick up. Dalton gives the Bengals the best chance to win without a doubt.

San Francisco 49ers 23 Green Bay Packers 20

It was cold in this game, but I thought it favored the 49ers because of their ground game. They didn't get a whole lot from their ground game, but they got just enough out of Frank Gore and Colin Kaepernick had key scrambles that made the difference. Michael Crabtree's ability to catch in frigid temperatures was very impressive, and the praise he received from head coach Jim Harbaugh was well deserved.

The Packers, on the other hand, just couldn't muster enough offense against the 49ers' defense to win. Aaron Rodgers was able to make plays sometimes, including that incredible escape job on fourth down in the second half down by three. However, enough plays weren't available as the 49ers stymied their offense and won their fourth straight game in the past two seasons against the Packers.