What We Learned in the Divisional Round of the N.F.L. Playoffs
The New York Times
Jimmy Garoppolo screened his way back to a conference championship, the Bengals’ defensive front outshone its stars, and only Kansas City benefited from home-field advantage.
This weekend’s divisional-round games provided a few surprises, beginning with the top seeds in both conferences getting tossed, Joe Burrow’s being sacked nine times overcoming Ryan Tannehill’s three interceptions and Aaron Rodgers’s earlier-than-predicted consideration of his next team.
Perhaps the biggest shock, however, is this: Jimmy Garoppolo is one plane ride and 60 minutes of game time away from his second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons. In spite of an offensive performance in which yardage gains were hard to attain in Green Bay’s snowy weather, San Francisco escaped with a 13-10 win over the N.F.C.’s top-seeded Packers and will face the Los Angeles Rams on the road in the conference championship game.
On Saturday night, playing through injuries to a hand and a shoulder, Garoppolo had just 131 passing yards on 19 attempts, with no touchdowns and an interception. His just-enough performance won’t tamp down the excitement of 49ers fans who have eagerly awaited the emergence of his understudy, the rookie Trey Lance, who is set to lead the franchise into the future. But it was good enough, or as good as the Packers’ special teams, at toppling Green Bay, as was the case in the 49ers’ win in the N.F.C. championship game for the 2019 season.
