In the AFC Wild Card games the Houston Texans defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-14 and the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Miami Dolphins 30-12. Here’s a look at what factors determined the results of both games
Why the Houston Texans Defeated the Oakland Raiders
-It’s not an excuse, but many in the media will quickly point to the fact that the Raiders were starting third stringer Connor Cook due to injuries to starting quarterback Derek Carr, and usual substitute Matt Mcgloin.
-The horrible performance by the rookie quarterback (18-of-45 for 161 yards with one TD and three interceptions for a passer rating of 30.0) explains why Oakland had trouble converting third downs Saturday. The Raiders failed to get a first down on their first 11 attempts and ended 2 of 16 on third downs.
-The Texans got to the quarterback repeatedly. The hole left by tackle Donald Penn (missed the game with a knee injury) was duly exploited by Jadeveon Clowney and the rest of the Texans defense. According to ESPN stats Clowney lined up on the defensive right side on 63 of his 64 snaps on Saturday. As a result, he tallied an interception, a batted pass and four QB pressures. Houston DT D.J. Reader also beat Penn’s replacement Manelik Watson for a sack.
Why the Pittsburgh Steelers Defeated the Miami Dolphins
-The Pittsburgh Steelers’ potent offense drilled Miami’s defense repeatedly throughout the game. The Steelers scored on their first three possessions gaining 219 total yards in the first quarter and 287 yards total in the first half. The score at halftime was 20-6.
-The Dolphins No. 1 cornerback Bryon Maxwell missed a third straight game due to an ankle injury, and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown took full advantage of that. Brown was held to just four catches for 39 yards in Miami’s regular-season win over Pittsburgh, but on Sunday, Brown had four catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
-The Steelers offensive line was able to push around Miami’s defensive line and as result they managed to open big holes for running back Le’Veon Bell and provide quarterback Ben Roesthlisberger with enough time to find Brown. Consequently Bell rushed for 167 yards and two scores while Roethlisberger passed for 197 yards and two touchdowns as he suffered just one sack and was hit only twice during the whole game.
-The Steelers defense performed as expected and looks like it’s back to being the dominating unit that has carried the Steelers to Super Bowl glory in previous seasons. Miami never found rhythm in offense because Pittsburgh sacked QB Matt Moore five times, forced turnovers on three consecutive possessions in the middle of the game, and never really let the Dolphins regroup to mount a comeback.
