Things are really starting to heat up in the NFL playoffs
now that Saturday’s Divisional Round games are in the rear-view mirror.
On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts were on the road for a
game against the Kansas City that started out looking like a glorious winter wonderland. After
the snow went away, the Chiefs heated up and played like a top-seeded team,
pulling away with a 31-13 victory.
Later in the evening, the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Dallas
Cowboys. This one looked like it would be tight at the start but the Rams
pulled ahead in the second quarter and never looked back — winning 30-22.
THESE ARE THE PLAYERS WHOSE PERFORMANCES STOOD OUT FROM SATURDAY’S
SLATE.
DEE FORD,
DEFENSIVE END, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
If you were unable to watch Saturday’s game and went hunting
for answers to what happened in the box score, you might be inclined to think
Dee Ford had a minimal effect on the outcome.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite only
registering four tackles, Ford continually put pressure on Andrew Luck, who had
a really bad game. Then, when the Colts finally appeared to have some real
momentum at the end of the third quarter, Ford stole their souls.
Luck was dropping back to pass on second down when Ford came
screaming off the edge. Before Luck even knew the pass rusher was on him, the
ball was loose and the Chiefs pounced on the ball for the sack-strip (watch here).
Ford’s quickness off the line was on full display and it took him 2.54 seconds to strip the ball and change the
game completely.
DARIUS LEONARD,
LINEBACKER, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Indy’s rookie inside linebacker has been making
game-changing plays all year. Even in a losing cause, he was up to his tricks
once again on Saturday.
His team down 24-7 late in the third quarter, Leonard was in
coverage when Patrick Mahomes threw a dart to Sammy Watkins. The linebacker
pounced all over the play and ripped the ball out of Watkins’ arms. Even
better, he came up with the recovery. If not for the extraordinary efforts of
Ford just a few plays later, that play would have likely led to points as it
put the Colts into scoring range.
The rookie ended up leading all tacklers in the game —
tallying 14 total, 10 solo and one for a loss of yardage.
DAMIEN WILLIAMS,
RUNNING BACK, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The emergence of Damien Williams as a go-to player for the
Chiefs this season in the wake of Kareem Hunt's dismissal has been a huge key to Kansas
City’s continued success. He was once again a critical player for the Chiefs on
Saturday.
Late in the game when the Chiefs needed to keep the chains
moving and run out the clock, Williams stepped up. In the end, he had racked up
154 yards on 30 touches while scoring a first-half touchdown.
KENNY
MOORE, CORNERBACK, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Remember when Kenny Moore was an undrafted free agent who
couldn’t cut it in New England? That seems like eons ago, yet it was only last
summer. The second-year cornerback has become a hugely important player for the
Colts the past couple of games and he had a monster game against the Chiefs on
Saturday.
The 23-year-old out of Voldosta State racked up 11 tackles,
eight of those being of the solo variety. He also had two sacks on Patrick
Mahomes and broke up a pass. Some were upset that he was celebrating big plays
near the end of the game, down 24-7. But it’s hard to really criticize the
young man for playing his heart out and wearing his emotions on his sleeve.
PATRICK MAHOMES,
QUARTERBACK, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Mahomes didn’t throw a single touchdown pass on Saturday.
But he did put together a tremendous all-around game and didn’t turn the ball
over, despite an injury that freaked fans out in a big way.
Showing off a mastery of Andy Reid’s offense that’s unreal
considering he’s been a starter for just one year, Mahomes distributed the ball
beautifully to the tune of 278 yards through the air. He also scored on a gutsy
Superman dive toward the right pylon in the first half (watch here).
He even had a lot to do with the final rushing touchdown of
the game. As Darrel Williams was stymied near the goal line, Mahomes rushed in
and gave him the final push he needed to get over the line and score. Just
another MVP performance from the second-year wonder.
C.J. ANDERSON,
RUNNING BACKS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
On a night that saw Gurley on the sideline for some extended
periods of time, veteran C.J. Anderson was so money for the Rams. The
27-year-old back only signed on with Los Angeles a few weeks ago, but since
then he’s been a top producer for this offense.
Anderson racked up 123 yards on the ground on 23 carries,
helping significantly lighten the load for Gurley. He also punched in two
rushing scores.
With this bowling ball of a running back making such
consistent gains against the vaunted Dallas front, Los Angeles was able to put
the offense in cruise control and really wore down their opponent.
MICHAEL GALLUP,
WIDE RECEIVER, DALLAS COWBOYS
This rookie receiver has really come into his own with some
big plays the past month or so. He exploded with production in the second half
of Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles, helping the Cowboys claw their way
back into the contest.
Gallup finished the game with six catches for 119 yards,
which is notable all by itself. But really it was his 44-yard gem of a catch in the third quarter that gave the
Cowboys their first real pulse since early in the third quarter.
DEFENSIVE LINE, LOS
ANGELES RAMS
Coming into Saturday night’s game, Los Angeles’ defense had
heard quite a bit about how it was the team’s biggest weakness. Heck, Troy
Aikman made a big fuss about how bad the Los Angeles run defense was not
hours before the game took place.
Well, all that bulletin-board material can be thrown out the
window after what we witnessed on Saturday night in Los Angeles. The Rams
absolutely shut down Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas run game (50 total yards on
the ground). Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and Co. dominated the Dallas offensive
line. Wade Phillips didn’t respect Dak Prescott’s ability to strike downfield
and stacked the box. By shutting down Dallas’ biggest strength, the Rams were
able to completely control the game.
TODD GURLEY,
RUNNING BACK, LOS ANGELES RAMS
When last year’s Offensive Player of the Year got his
chances, he put his best foot forward. Gurley rushed for 115 yards and really
put the game away in the second quarter with his 35-yard scamper for six (watch here).
Though he seemed to still be not quite 100-percent healthy
from the knee injury that kept him out the final two games of the regular
season, Gurley certainly showed his signature burst and power.
Thanks to Los Angeles’ outstanding offensive line, and the
emergence of Anderson as a legitimate backup option, Gurley and the Rams have
quite the recipe for success going forward.
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