Poorly Named “Wild Card” weekend features Blow Outs and Blown Calls

The NFL Wild Card weekend wasn’t very wild last weekend. Of the six games played, five of the home teams won and the other game—between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys—was a flag-filled slog that eventually came down to the last play that never took place. The other games feature blowouts and lent credence to the thought that adding a seventh spot to each conference was little more than ill-advised money grab. Which means in the NFL that they are here to stay.

The games, many of which were snooze fests, do set up some interesting match ups in the divisional round this weekend. The Green Bay Packers will rejoin the competition off their 1st-round bye and host the upstart niners, who held on for victory over the Cowboys when their OC called a QB draw with little time on the clock and watched that clock tick away before they attempt a game saving passing into the endzone. Goodbye to the perennial favorite Dallas squad who will now go through some interesting self-evaluation and perhaps change in the offseason.

The Titans host the hotter than July Cincinnati Bengals, the Chiefs have a rematch with the Bills, who might have left it all on the field against their rival Bill Belichick and the Pats in a beatdown that now leaves them without a playoff win since a one Mr. Brady left town. Speaking of Tom Brady, he and his beat-up Bucs will host the LA Rams coming off a dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night and look to be on a roll. Matthew Stafford picked up his first playoff victory in any uniform and is looking for another one.

Vikings Territory senior writer Joe Oberle and the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig will be on hand to review and preview all the games—and they can report how their picks went last week. One of them has a lead going into the Divisional Round weekend of games. They will also be discussing every that went on in Purple Nation the past week, as it has already been a tumultuous offseason. Here is a list of the topics to be heard on the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast. You won’t want to miss it.

Justin Jefferson misses 1st team All Pro by one vote—but it wasn’t because of Mark Craig’s vote.

Deebo Samuel’s receiving yards were dwarfed by Jefferson.

Ben Goessling of the Strib wrote an extensive piece on dysfunction in the Vikings locker room this past season (and Craig contributed to the reporting).

Mike Zimmer reportedly hadn’t talked to Rick Spielman in month. WTH?

The Vikings GM search is heating up. Who do we like?

They are also interviewing coaching candidates even before the GM is in place.

Predictions for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Can the Niners take down the Pack?