2021 NFL playoffs: What we learned from Bengals’ win over Titans in Divisional Round
FULL BOX SCORE
Evan McPherson’s veins run with ice water. As time expired, the rookie kicker booted the game-winning 52-yard field goal Joe Burrow late in the first half moot by banging a 54-yarder. McPherson became the first player in NFL history to make four-plus FGs in multiple games in a single postseason. None of McPherson’s boots were even in doubt off his foot, including his game-winner. In a defensive battle, McPherson’s conversions were the difference in Cincy knocking off the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Joe Burrow overcomes Titans sack-fest. Tennessee pounded Burrow all game, racking up nine sacks, tied for most in the postseason in NFL history. Jeffery Simmons was unblockable, gobbling up Burrow three times. Despite the Titans dominating an overmatched Bengals offensive line, Burrow came through in the clutch Ja’Marr Chase to set up the game-winning field goal showed the QB’s mettle. Generating 348 passing yards seems unimaginable, given that he was pressured on 32.6 percent of his dropbacks. The Bengals feasted off of yards after catch as Burrow was forced to throw short all day – just three pass attempts of 15-plus air yards and none of 20-plus. As a result, Cincy generated a whopping 242 yards after catch. This season, the Bengals divebombed opponents into submission, but as Saturday became a grind-it-out game, Burrow and Co. proved they could win the dogfight, too. Ryan Tannehill, Titans offense stuck in mud. What a waste of a sterling defensive performance in Tennessee. The Titans offense couldn’t get off the ground in the first half, netting just eight first downs on six drives. The contest got off to an ominous start for the No. 1 seed, with Tannehill tossing an interception on the first play from scrimmage. He’d throw two more on the day, all proving costly. The second INT cost Tennessee points in the red zone. The final tipped pass A.J. Brown Derrick Henry Bengals D proves they can hang. Cincy came out flying from the get-go, forcing Tannehill into tough spots. Creative blitzes provided pressure on the QB and forced errant throws. Aside from allowing Brown to go off (5/142/1), the secondary was lock-down. Jessie Bates Mike Hilton’s magnificent tipped INT Larry Ogunjobi, the run defense performed admirably against Henry, holding the RB to just 3.1 yards per carry. The improvement of the Cincy defense has flown under the radar this season. Saturday, on the biggest stage, they forced turnovers in droves and had an answer to parry every Titans punch. Fortune favors the Bengals. Call it luck or good timing, but several plays tipped the Bengals way in a close-fought win. A false start wiped out a Burrow sack on the opening drive that could have pushed Cincy out of field goal range. A late timeout took away another sack. A Bengals penalty on a Titans PAT attempt caused Mike Vrabel to go for 2 early, which Cincy stuffed. That decision had the Titans tied late and still throwing instead of up one and churning the clock. Then CBS cameras caught Taylor attempting to call timeout before Tannehill’s game-sealing INT. The timeout wasn’t granted, thankfully for Cincy. Now the No. 4 seed awaits the winner of the Chiefs-Bills
NFL Research: Joe Burrow is the first QB drafted No. 1 overall to win a Divisional Round playoff game within his first two seasons.
Next Gen Stat of the game: Ja’Marr Chase generated five catches for 109 yards, of which 95 came after the catch. His first four catches went for -1 air yards, -2 air yards, 0 air yards, and 0 air yards. His only catch beyond the line of scrimmage was the final reception which went for 17 air yards to set up the game-winning field goal.
NFL sends memo to remaining playoff teams regarding updated COVID testing cadence
In preparation for this weekend’s Divisional Round matchups, the NFL has issued a statement to the remaining eight postseason teams regarding the updated cadence for COVID-19 testing.
The Friday memo, obtained by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, informed clubs that neither vaccinated nor unvaccinated players will be subjected to daily testing moving forward.
According to Pelissero, the NFLPA-approved change has been made based on info gathered over the past month on the Omicron variant. NFL and NFLPA medical experts saw a decrease in positive cases during that span, an encouraging sign for the league as a whole following decisions to implement targeted testing and revise the window for players to return from COVID protocol late last year.
All players and tiered staff will now be subjected to enhanced symptom screening, symptom-based testing and targeted surveillance testing, per Pelissero.
Pelissero also noted that individuals on a 90-day test “holiday” after having COVID are still subject to testing if they have symptoms, regardless of their vaccination status. So, while positive tests are near zero right now, it’s still possible a player could miss a playoff game if they’re sick.
Is there a ‘Thursday Night Football’ game tonight? NFL schedule, TV channels for 2022 playoffs
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The NFL had a “Monday Night Football” game a few days ago to close the wild-card round of the 2022 NFL playoffs. While that was a new wrinkle in the postseason schedule, the NFL will not be adding a “Thursday Night Football” game to the schedule.
The NFL’s “TNF” schedule usually ends a couple of weeks before the end of the regular season, as the league wants to give teams adequate time to rest and prepare for their next opponent. As such, the league seems very unlikely to add a Thursday playoff game to the mix at any point, especially since there are only four games left to be played.
The divisional round games will take place on Saturday and Sunday, making this just the second week so far that has had NFL football on just two days of the week. The other came in Week 18.
Here’s everything you need to know about “TNF” for the 2022 playoffs and what you can watch with the program finished for the season.
MORE: Watch NFL divisional round games live with fuboTV (free trial)
Is there a ‘Thursday Night Football’ game tonight?
No, there is not a “Thursday Night Football” game on Thursday, Jan. 20. “Thursday Night Football” is over for this season and will not return until the 2022 NFL regular season begins.
The first Thursday game of the NFL season is usually the season opener. That said, that has usually, in the past, been broadcast by NBC, so it is technically a “Sunday Night Football” game. As such “TNF” won’t officially return until the second week of the regular season, though NFL viewers will be treated to a Thursday night game during the first week of the 2022 NFL season.
The last “TNF” game of the season aired on Dec. 23, when the Titans beat the 49ers 20-17 in a back-and-forth battle. The NFL doesn’t schedule Thursday games during the playoffs so that teams can have adequate time to rest, recover and prepare for their next opponent.
The NFL did host a “Monday Night Football” game for the first time during the 2022 NFL playoffs. The Rams crushed the Cardinals 34-11 in that contest and will now play the Buccaneers on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if having one fewer day of rest proves consequential in that matchup.
IYER: Kyler Murray’s clunky playoff debut should prompt Cardinals changes
Sports on TV today
“Thursday Night Football” is over not only for NFL fans, but for college fans as well. As such, football fans will have to look to other sports to keep them entertained. Basketball and hockey make up a majority of the programming on TV, but if you want some late-night tennis action, the Australian Open will be shown on ESPN2 starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Here’s a look at what you can watch during the time slot normally occupied by “Thursday Night Football.”
- NBA : Mavericks vs. Suns (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) and Warriors vs. Pacers (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
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Mavericks vs. Suns (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) and Warriors vs. Pacers (10 p.m. ET, TNT) NHL : Kings vs. Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Kings vs. Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) NCAAM : Memphis vs. SMU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
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Memphis vs. SMU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) NCAAW : NC State vs. Louisville (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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NC State vs. Louisville (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) Tennis: Australian Open (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
DIVISIONAL ROUND PICKS: Against the spread | Straight up
NFL playoff schedule 2022
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 22
Game Time (ET) Network Stream Titans vs. Bengals 4:30 p.m. CBS fuboTV Packers vs. 49ers 8:15 p.m. Fox fuboTV
Sunday, Jan. 23
Game Time (ET) Network Stream Buccaneers vs. Cardinals/Rams 3 p.m. NBC fuboTV Chiefs vs. Bills 6:30 p.m. CBS fuboTV
Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 30
Matchup Start time TV channel Live stream AFC Championship Game 3:05 p.m. ET CBS Paramount+, fuboTV NFC Championship Game 6:40 p.m. ET Fox Fox Sports app, fuboTV
Super Bowl 56
Sunday, Feb. 13
NFL Divisional Saturday Top Plays: 49ers stun Packers, Bengals down Titans
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National Football League NFL Divisional Saturday Top Plays: 49ers stun Packers, Bengals down Titans just in share facebook twitter reddit link
For the first time since the 2010 season, both No. 1 seeds lost their NFL playoff openers in the divisional round.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals ventured to Tennessee and shocked the top-seeded Titans on a field goal in the final seconds, despite the return of star running back Derrick Henry.
And in the nightcap, the hard-nosed San Francisco 49ers turned the momentum with a blocked punt for a touchdown and pulled off a huge comeback victory over Aaron Rodgers and top-seeded Green Bay.
Here are the top plays from Saturday:
San Francisco 49ers 13, Green Bay Packers 10
That was easy
Green Bay wasted little time getting things going, opening with a 10-play, 69-yard drive capped by AJ Dillon’s burst up the middle for six.
Punched free!
Fred Warner came away with a momentum-shifting play, poking the ball loose from GB’s mitts, and giving his team a critical turnover.
Tight end U
George Kittle placed his imprint on the game near the close of the second half, coming away with a nimble one-handed grab on the sideline to spark San Francisco’s first meaningful drive of the game.
A critical mistake from Jimmy Garoppolo, though, thwarted the Niners’ attempt for points later in the drive. He threw an untimely interception to Adrian Amos.
Blocked!
The Packers had a chance to extend their lead before halftime, but San Francisco blocked Mason Crosby’s field-goal attempt.
Do not pass “Go”
Down 10-3 and with the final quarter halfway through, the 49ers went for a crucial 4th-and-1. But the Packers’ defense proved too dominant.
Special teams stunner
After San Francisco forced a three-and-out by the Packers, their special teams defense pulled off an incredible blocked punt and rookie safety Talanoa Hufanga returned it for a touchdown. And just like that, we had a tie game.
Gould-en
After the Niners charged down the field in the final minutes of regulation, Robbie Gould was called on to seal a stunning comeback for the Niners and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Gould nailed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in front of a stunned Green Bay crowd. San Francisco will play at either Tampa Bay or the L.A. Rams for the right to go to Super Bowl LVI.
Cincinnati Bengals 19, Tennessee Titans 16
Surprise!
Cincinnati came away with a game-changing interception on the game’s very first play.
Jesse Bates III stepped in front of a Ryan Tannehill pass to give the Bengals the ball in Tennessee territory.
The King is back
Henry didn’t waste much time doing what he does best: scoring touchdowns.
He took the snap in a wildcat formation and powered in to cap a nine-play, 84-yard drive.
At the half, Cincy led 9-6 on the back of three field goals from Evan McPherson.
Mix ’em up!
The Bengals finally found the end zone in the third quarter, courtesy of a well-executed run from Joe Mixon.
Sky-high!
Tennessee bounced back comfortably with a commendable drive following Cincy’s score, but the Bengals’ defense came away with a huge takeaway to quell the Titans’ momentum.
Mike Hilton went airborne to swat away a Tannehill screen attempt, plucking the ball out of the air following his deflection for the team’s second INT.
Plucked!
We’ve got another INT, this time from the Titans’ side of things. Amani Hooker scraped the pigskin off of the ground for Tennessee’s first turnover.
One hand for safety
The Titans capitalized on the takeaway with a crucial score of their own. AJ Brown made a dazzling one-handed grab in double-coverage to tie things at 16.
Third times the charm!
Cincy picked off Tannehill for the third time, collecting its biggest turnover yet with 20 seconds remaining. Logan Wilson made the play of the day, and his team’s season, to give the Bengals the ball in a massive spot.
Walk-off!
The squad got into decent field position for a game-winning field goal try. Evan McPherson, the team’s rookie kicker, split the uprights on a 52-yarder with three seconds left to send his Bengals into the next round with a stunning 19-16 upset.
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Coldest NFL games in history: Here’s a list of the 10 coldest football games ever played
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Green Bay is not a fun place to play in the playoffs.
Along with Lambeau Field being one of the most hostile road environments in the NFL, it is also one of the coldest in which to play, often delivering sub-zero temperatures with which opponents have to contend.
Saturday’s NFC divisional round matchup between the Packers and the 49ers will be no different, as the Weather Channel is expecting the temperature to dip down to 0 degrees Saturday night, just in time for 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
It won’t be the coldest game in NFL history, barring a drastic change in the weather, and it won’t even be the coldest ever in Green Bay. Sporting News dives into the coldest regular- and post-season games in NFL history.
MORE: How cold is it at Lambeau Field?
What is the coldest game in NFL history?
There has never been a game that has approached the record for the coldest in NFL history.
“The Ice Bowl” earned its name for a reason, as the 1967 NFL Championship between the Cowboys and the Packers in Green Bay set the undisputed standard as the coldest game on record.
According to NFL Communications, the game-time temperature was 13 degrees below zero. That didn’t stop 50,861 people from attending the game, selling out Lambeau Field.
Moving the ball wasn’t easy for either team. Though the final score was 21-17, both teams finished with fewer than 200 total yards, with Green Bay — the winner of the game — racking up 195 yards to Dallas’ 192.
Green Bay’s next game was in much more favorable conditions. The Packers went on to Super Bowl II to face the Raiders in Miami, where the temperature was 60 degrees.
How cold was the coldest NFL game?
The thermometer at Lambeau Field would have said that it was minus-13, but it was even colder to those in the stadium.
NFL Communications reported that the wind chill was at minus-48 degrees, adding to the cold.
The report said that the playing surface was nearly frozen after a layer of condensation had formed between the tarp and the field, and that once the tarp was removed, the field froze. Packers running back Chuck Mercein said that Astroturf “was like a pillow” compared to the frozen tundra.
Where was the coldest NFL game ever played?
It should come as no surprise that the coldest game ever played was at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay has been home to not just the coldest game in NFL history, but several of the most frigid.
According to Stathead, the average temperature for playoff games at Lambeau Field is 21.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest it has ever been for a playoff game was 35 degrees, when it hosted the Rams on Jan. 16, 2021. It is one of only two games played at the stadium in the playoffs that came in at a temperature above freezing.
Four of the games played there have either been in the single digits or in the negatives.
Top 10 coldest games in NFL history
Cowboys at Packers: Dec. 31, 1967
“The Ice Bowl” was the coldest when it was played, and it remains the coldest — by far — to this day. Though other games in NFL history have reached the negatives, none have reached negative double-digits.
Chargers at Bengals: Jan. 10, 1982
The Chargers were in for a rude awakening on their playoff trip to Cincinnati for the AFC Championship.
While back home in San Diego, the high was 70 degrees and the low was 56, according to Weather Underground, the Chargers had to contend with the brutally cold environment of Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.
The game was minus-9 degrees, with a wind chill of minus-32. In that cold, what was the league’s No. 1 offense in both points and yards froze, with San Diego scoring just one touchdown on 301 total yards with four turnovers. The Bengals were much more at home in the cold as they scored 27 points on 318 total yards with only one turnover to advance to the Super Bowl.
Seahawks at Vikings: Jan. 10, 2016
Yes, 34 years later another game recorded negative temperatures.
The Seahawks traveled to Minneapolis to face the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium in an NFC wild-card matchup. The termperature was minus-6 degrees with a wind chill of minus-25.
But while Minnesota was more accustomed to the cold than the visiting Seahawks, there was no advantage displayed on the field. Both offenses were quiet, with Seattle mustering just 226 yards, while Minnesota could only gain 183. The Seahawks won 10-9 to advance to the next round, where they lost to the Panthers.
Bears at Vikings: Dec. 3, 1972
There are two NFL regular-season games that were below zero. Both were in Minnesota. Both in the same season. Both minus-2 degrees.
The first of the two games came in a Week 12 matchup against the NFC North rival Bears. With wind chill, the conditions were at minus-15 at Metropolitan Stadium.
Much of the offense for the two teams came via field goals, with the Vikings kicking three and the Bears kicking another as Minnesota edged out Chicago 23-10 to move to 7-5 on the season.
Packers at Vikings: Dec. 10, 1972
Another freezing afternoon in Minneapolis.
Once again the home of the Vikings played host to a freezing cold game. The temperature was minus-2 with wind chill of minus-19 the week after the Vikings endured another sub-zero matchup.
This week, they were unable to hold up against the Packers, who were coming off a cold game themselves, having beaten the Lions 33-7 in 13-degree weather at Lambeau Field. The Packers scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to run away from Minnesota 23-7. The Vikings had 144 yards of offense to Green Bay’s 270.
Giants at Packers: Jan. 20, 2008
Only one more game in NFL history has been recorded as below zero, per Stathead, and that would be the 2008 NFC Championship.
Brett Favre’s final game in Green Bay was a cold sendoff as he had to contend with both the red-hot Giants and the minus-1 degree temperature and minus-23 wind chill.
Favre was held to just 236 passing yards and Green Bay amassed just 28 rushing yards, while the more balanced New York offense recorded 134 rushing yards and 251 passing yards from Eli Manning. The two teams went to overtime tied at 20, but the Giants won on a field goal from Lawrence Tynes, his third of the afternoon, to move on to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Patriots.
Raiders at Packers: Dec. 26, 1993
Talk about getting frozen out.
The Raiders traveled from sunny Los Angeles, where Weather Underground had reported it was 58 degrees at the time of kickoff against the Packers, to Lambeau Field, where it was 0 degrees with a wind chill of negative-20.
And the thermometer wasn’t the only zero on the board that day. The Raiders mustered just 182 yards with four turnovers and were held scoreless against the host Packers, who had 329 yards of offense and scored 28.
Raiders at Bills: Jan. 15, 1994
That wasn’t the last time the Raiders would face frigid temperatures that season, but the next time, they were better prepared.
Traveling to Buffalo, where it was 0 degrees with a wind chill of minus-14, the Raiders were clearly more ready for the elements in their AFC divisional round matchup. They scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 17-13 halftime lead and took a 23-22 edge just before the fourth quarter.
However, the Bills took a late 29-23 lead on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jim Kelly and would hold on to win by that score. The Bills only outgained the Raiders 355-325 in the matchup.
Steelers at Bengals: Dec. 10, 1977
The AFC Championship at Riverfront takes the cake for the coldest game played in Cincinnati, but the Bengals have been host to several other notably cold matchups.
The next coldest was between Cincinnati and the rival Steelers at Riverfront Stadium back in 1977 in Week 13 of the regular season. The temperature was 0 degrees with a wind chill of minus-17.
In the battle between two future NFL MVPs, Ken Anderson claimed the edge against Terry Bradshaw, as his third-quarter touchdown pass put Cincinnati up 17-10, which would be the final score. Anderson had 303 passing yards, while Bradshaw had 246 with a pick-six.
Broncos at Chiefs: Dec. 18, 1983
Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium has also been known to deliver some of the league’s most frigid games, and Dec. 18, 1983, against the Broncos holds the Chiefs record for the coldest.
Those at the stadium endured the 1-degree temperature with wind chill of minus-19. And only the ones cheering on the hometown Chiefs left feeling warmed by victory.
Kansas City got off to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never took its foot off the gas, running away from Denver 48-17. John Elway threw four interceptions in the game, while the Chiefs saw both quarterback Bill Kenney and running back Theotis Brown score multiple touchdowns.
Coldest games at Lambeau Field
There aren’t many places that deliver cold weather as consistently as Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the NFL.
According to Stathead, the Packers are tied with the Bears for the most games — regular season and playoffs — with temperatures at 10 degrees or below with 12 such matchups. However, only Green Bay has had games with temperatures in the negatives.
Obviously the “Ice Bowl” once again takes the record for the coldest game here.
Here’s a rundown of the games played at Lambeau Field colder than 10 degrees, according to Stathead.
Opponent Date Outcome Temperature Cowboys Dec. 31, 1967 W 21-17 -13 Giants Jan. 20, 2008 L 23-20 -1 Raiders Dec. 26, 1993 W 28-0 0 Bears Nov. 28, 1976 L 16-10 2.2 Lions Dec. 22, 1990 L 24-17 2.6 Texans Dec. 7, 2008 L 24-21 3 Panthers Jan. 12, 1997 W 30-13 3.3 49ers Jan. 5, 2014 L 23-20 5 Lions Dec. 4, 1977 W 10-9 5.6 Vikings Dec. 11, 1988 W 18-6 6.1 Falcons Dec. 8, 2013 W 22-21 9
The Packers are a 6-5 in home games where the temperature is below 10 degrees. However, in home games below freezing, they are far more successful, boasting a collective record of 74-32.
Of course, the last time Green Bay hosted a team in sub-10 degree weather, it was to the 49ers in the playoffs in 2014, and the Packers lost that game. They’ll hope on Sunday that the outcome is more favorable and that for the first time in the Aaron Rodgers era, the Packers can beat the 49ers in the playoffs.