Participants,

This past weekend could have been wilder than Wild Card Weekend!!  Between upsets, blowouts, and late score submissions, we had it all wrapped into a tidy little 2-day package.  Let’s get right into the details:

San Francisco 27, Minnesota 10
As predicted (a rarity this weekend), the 49ers cruised into the NFC Championship game with a thorough drubbing of the hopeful Vikings.  The 49er D came to life and impressed with their pass rush, continually putting pressure on Minnesota QB Cousins.  Not too much excitement in this predictable game, other than the fact that 1 participant failed to submit his picks on time (and forfeiting 25 precious points in the process).

Buffalo Bill dominated in this game, with a variance of 7 and 157 points, significantly ahead of the nearest competitor (who earned 109).  Pete the Terp surprisingly forgot to submit his pick on time and was penalized 25 points (and half the distance to the goal).

Tennessee 28, Baltimore or Less (go for Less) 12
What happened?  The Super Bowl favorite Ravens were totally outplayed on both sides of the ball and super-QB Lamar Jackson turned in maybe his least impressive game of the year.  Not a good time to do that…  Titan RB Derrick Henry, as predicted by THE Commish earlier, turned in almost another 200 yard game, falling 3 short of that mark.  And again, Tennessee QB Ryan Tannehill passed for less than 100 yards in a victory as underdog.

Buffalo Bill once again earned the top spot in the HSBT with 92 points, while JTB was close on his heels.  Pete the Terp again suffered the woes of a late pick for a Saturday game, adding to the disappointment of the Ravens game.  The #6 seed  Titans are in the AFC Championship game.  The last time that happened was in 2011, when the 13-5 Jets advanced similarly.

Kansas City Chiefs 51, Houston (what happened?) Texans 31
In the most exciting game of the weekend by more than a long shot, this game was indescribable and unbelievable.  Too many firsts to mention, but when you’re at home and down by 24 early in the 2nd quarter, things start to look gloomy.  I did mention to Comeback Kid and Greg the Great (via Slack, which you should all join!) that this game felt like the Houston vs. Buffalo playoff game of 1993, when the Bills were down by 31 at half and came back to win.  6 possessions, 6 TD’s for the super-explosive Chiefs in less than 2 quarters quickly erased that 24-point deficit and propelled them to another home game next weekend.

Once again, Buffalo Bill got the top spot with 69 points, while 4 participants each earned 45 points.

Green Bay Discount Double Check Packers 28, Se(ya)attle Seahawks 23
Any game after the Kansas City thriller would be a letdown, but Seattle QB Russell Wilson would not let down in pursuit of an elusive victory at Lambeau.  Packer QB Aaron Rodgers made several key plays to lead the Pack on to SF next Sunday.  It was a close and entertaining game, enjoyed more so by the fireplace watching the players run around in 21 degree weather.

Buffalo Bill had the 2nd most points in this one, as JTB came to life with an 85-point showing to capture game honors.

HSBT Standings Update
8 games down and 3 left to go.  Historically, 55% of the available points are still up for grabs.  Nobody is going to win the 100 point Super Bowl Bonus.  Here is how the standings are looking right now:

• Buffalo Bill (445 points) – had his best Divisional Game total (with 379) and is poised to win it all for the 1st time since 2003?
• JTB (328) – looks like he is ramping up towards his 2nd trophy in 3 years?
• 2020 Winner (288) – a solid performance over the weekend
• HenricoFiveOh (271) – a model of consistency over the weekend.  Can he win the trophy for a 2nd consecutive year?
• Comeback Kid (234) – keeping pace, even while he’s out of the country
• Greg the Great (212) – the Seattle game let him down, but he’s ready for the next round
• Pete the Terp (125) – the late pick submission hurt immensely, as did the Ravens loss.  Can he find a way to get back in the mix?

Enjoy your week and I’ll be sending out the customary analysis and predictions as we near the Sunday afternoon kickoff.

Until then, I am
THE Commish