Saturday is now wrapped up for the Wild Card matchups of the 2015 NFL Playoffs.
We saw the Carolina Panthers upset the Arizona Cardinals, pummeling them at home with a 27-16 victory. The Panthers, who were 4-8-1 at one point in the season, have rallied and are now on a five-game winnings streak.
It's the defense that has been carrying this squad, and as long as their offense can remain efficient, this team could make a serious run in the postseason despite their unconvincing record.
The defense definitely showed up on Saturday, holding the Cardinals to a record 78 yards of total offense. Yes, that's right—78 yards ... for the whole damn game.
We'll see if Carolina can do anything next week when they go on to road to face either the Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers, teams they faced in the regular season already.
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The Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers game was in a lot similar fashion to the Panthers-Cardinals game.
The Ravens came in as the underdog and absolutely pummeled the Steelers, who were considered strong favorites at home on Saturday night.
Baltimore came away with a 30-17 victory, with their defense holding the Steelers down. Ben Roethlisberger struggled, having a crucial interception at the very end to put in the dagger.
The loss of Le'Veon Bell clearly hurt Pittsburgh in this game. They were unable to do the things they wera accustomed to on offense, and you could see how much that affected Big Ben.
As for the Ravens, Joe Flacco was solid for the most part. The defense, though, was amazing. It looks like they could be in for another strong run.
Another key stat for the Ravens: they finally beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs. They had been 0-3 against them prior to this game. Another thing to note: they face the New England Patriots next week.
We all know how great the games between these two teams are, especially in the playoffs. I expect a good one next week. Hopefully, with me being an Indianapolis Colts fan and such, Baltimore gets the upset win.
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Now, let's get set for Sunday's Wild Card matchups.
We have the Colts hosting the Cincinnati Bengals. Whoever wins faces the Denver Broncos in the next round. I have the Colts getting the dub here.
Then we have the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Detroit Lions. This looks like it could be a major shootout. I think Dallas wins, though.
Sunday's games should be good, though. Can't wait!
