The Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills are one step away from the Super Bowl in the NFL.
The favored Packers defeated the Los Angeles Rams with 32:18 in the Divisional Round on Sunday night, led by their strong star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The German wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown caught a 27-yard pass on the way to the NFC conference finals.
Rodgers with historic performance
Rodgers fulfilled his dream of the NFC Championship Game in front of a home crowd with a top performance – even if it will only be a few thousand due to the corona pandemic. “It’s definitely a very emotional moment,” Rodgers said. He threw two touchdown passes and scored another on foot. (All playoff games are here in the LIVESCORES)
No Packers playmaker had succeeded in the playoffs since the legendary Bart Starr in the so-called “Ice Bowl” on December 31, 1967 at Lambeau Field. The spectacular 58-yard ball on Allen Lazard barely seven minutes before the end sealed the success. The recently strong Rams defense got Green Bay under control too late.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the guests received 10:25 – that was too much in the end, despite decent performances from quarterback Jared Goff (21 of 27 for 174 yards) and running back Cam Akers (90 yards, one touchdown).
Black day for ex-MVP Jackson
The Bills then drew 17: 3 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on the one hand did not get his dreaded running game rolling and on the other hand he threw an interception, which Taron Johnson carried back into the Ravens end zone for the playoff record of 101 yards (setting the record). By the end of the third quarter, Jackson had to leave the field with a suspected concussion. A bitter end for the playmaker.
Bills dominate with defense
The Bills controlled the best running game in the NFL from the start. Jackson only managed 42 yards on the ground, forcing him to throw.
So one-dimensional he only brought 14 balls to the man and was sacked three times. Apart from receiver Stefon Diggs (8 catches for 106 yards, one touchdown), the bills had hardly any highlights to offer on the offensive, but they didn’t lose any ball.
After a defensive first half (3: 3), Diggs broke the spell in the third quarter with his touchdown from MVP candidate Josh Allen (23 of 37 for 206 yards). Johnson’s interception return combined with Jackson’s injury brought the preliminary decision. Substitute Tyler Huntley was overwhelmed.
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Bills in the first championship game since 1993
The Packers await either Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the New Orleans Saints in their freezing Lambeau Field, which for the first time this season allowed around 8,000 spectators. In the AFC, the Bills challenge the defending champions Kansas City Chiefs or the Cleveland Browns in their first championship game since 1993, who also meet on Sunday.
In 1993, the Bills had reached the Super Bowl for the fourth time in a row and lost (against the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and two Dallas Cowboys) – a record unmatched to this day.
The conference finals will be played on January 24th. The Super Bowl will be played in Tampa on February 7th.
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With sports information service (SID)
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