• Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen go face to face after wild-card dominance: Jackson and Allen every made unimaginable throws within the wild-card spherical. Now, they face each other within the divisional spherical.
• Bo Nix flashes potential regardless of an offensive dud: He hit Troy Franklin on a pinpoint deep ball to open the scoring in opposition to the Payments.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Attempt PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and find out about 2025’s prime prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting in your favourite NFL workforce.
Estimated Studying Time: 9 minutes
There was some nice quarterback play all through Wild-Card Weekend, from Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen effectively carving by way of defenses to Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels proving they belong with nice rookie performances. Nevertheless, these particular person performs stood out probably the most, that includes both spectacular arm expertise, processing means and anticipation, or playmaking means.
Sick anticipation from CJ Stroud right here pic.twitter.com/cYUwQ8xoSl
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
It took some time for CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans‘ offense to get going, however once they did, it concerned a heavy dose of Nico Collins. On this play, the Texans come out in a two-tight finish set with a fast play-action faux and a dagger idea between the 2 extensive receivers. On a dagger idea, one receiver runs a deep route to assist filter out the safeties and the opposite receiver runs an in-breaking route beneath it. Stroud is aware of that the bottom security will run with the deep route as a result of how his physique is turned, and the linebacker bailing gained’t be capable of flip his hips to make a play on the in route from Collins. He releases this ball proper as Collins breaks on his route, giving the linebacker zero probability to make a play on it. It leads to an enormous first down.
Not nice to present Lamar this clear of a pocket pic.twitter.com/jyO4puplnQ
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 13, 2025
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens‘ offense had been dialed in from the start of the sport, scoring a landing on their opening drive. On third-and-13, the Pittsburgh Steelers have an opportunity to drive the Ravens to kick a discipline aim, however Jackson and his offensive line produce other concepts. The Ravens determine to run deep crossing routes in opposition to a Steelers protection that performs a few of the most man protection within the NFL. Pittsburgh deploys man protection once more on this play, however with two safeties bracketing the primary two crossing routes. That ought to give the Steelers sufficient time to strain Jackson, however the Ravens’ offensive line does an unimaginable job of holding up, permitting Jackson to get to the deep crossing route from Rashod Bateman. He is aware of with the leverage of the cornerback that he’ll have Bateman open and is ready to match the ball into a good window for the primary landing of the sport.
A bit of too late however Russell Wilson made some nice throws pic.twitter.com/rX4lsds8a6
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
It was a sluggish begin from the Steelers’ offense, however they began to get going within the second half. On this play, the Ravens run a zone strain and drop right into a Quarters protection. This route actually shouldn’t be an choice, with each the security and cornerback primarily bracketing it, however a slight flip of the pinnacle strikes security Kyle Hamilton simply sufficient to present Wilson a window. An ideal route from Van Jefferson beats the cornerback, and Wilson throws considered one of his patented moon balls for the Steelers’ first landing of the sport.
The NFL does not need you to see this throw from Bo Nix (they actually do not as a result of they lower off the precise completion on NFL professional’s All-22) pic.twitter.com/N4acGfZhDC
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos got here out as heavy underdogs in opposition to the Buffalo Payments, however that didn’t cease them from attacking. On second-and-4, Nix decides to take a deep shot. The Payments are enjoying a Quarters protection, the place the deep safeties are typically answerable for driving on intermediate routes, as you see from the security on the prime of the display. Due to that, the quarterback can reap the benefits of safeties who aren’t respecting the deep route. Nix sees that the security is initially flat-footed when backpedaling and is simply too late to show his hips to run with Troy Franklin. He is aware of that Franklin’s velocity shall be an excessive amount of for the defender. Nix simply must get sufficient air on the ball to let Franklin run below it, and he does simply that — even whereas taking an enormous hit — for an enormous first landing of the sport.
Unlucky drop however one other nice throw from Bo Nix pic.twitter.com/q7P1chur2T
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
A good thing about attacking that Quarters security early within the recreation is that it forces them to take a seat deeper and opens up some intermediate in-breaking routes. Nix seemed to reap the benefits of that. You may see how a lot deeper each safeties are on this play, which provides Nix two choices. He has two in-breaking routes coming from his proper with neither security ready to drive on them, placing the linebacker in an not possible place. Nix sees that linebacker flip his hips and begin to carry with the primary in-breaking route, so he flips to the one which’s behind it. The linebacker truly performs this about in addition to one can, however Nix’s arm energy beats him. It’s finally dropped by the receiver, although.
This must be unlawful pic.twitter.com/36pkoGDVXK
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 13, 2025
Josh Allen is thought for extending performs and turning nothing into one thing unimaginable. On a fourth-and-1 late within the third quarter, he does simply that. Ideally, the Payments wish to hit one of many whip routes from Khalil Shakir on the backside or Curtis Samuel on the prime, however Allen opts in opposition to these and appears like he desires to scramble to get the primary down. The Broncos do a terrific job of containing him, however they aren’t ever in a position to truly put strain on him. Not many quarterbacks are going to aim this throw and even suppose it’s affordable, however Allen has one of many strongest arms within the NFL and the final word religion in it. Ty Johnson finally ends up coming all the best way from the underside left of the sphere to make this play, and Allen leads him completely behind the tip zone, the place Johnson makes an unimaginable catch for a landing.
Good pre-snap communication from the road and Jayden Daniels to select up the blitz, nice throw, unimaginable catch from Terry pic.twitter.com/P9D1r8gwzq
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 13, 2025
Jayden Daniels’ rookie 12 months has been historic, and he got here out firing in his first profession playoff recreation. Todd Bowles’ Tampa Bay protection is thought for its unique blitz packages, and the Commanders‘ offense is aware of that to achieve success, it has to establish and choose up these blitzes. The Buccaneers try this right here by sliding the offensive line to the fitting to select up the blitz from Lavonte David. David does find yourself blitzing, and the road will get it picked up, however the operating again is now in a one-on-one scenario with a blitzing Antoine Winfield Jr. The again does simply sufficient to present Daniels time to throw a deep fade to Terry McLaurin. It’s an ideal ball however an excellent higher contested catch for an enormous third-down conversion early within the recreation.
*cooks kiss* pic.twitter.com/yz71TGVNPd
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 13, 2025
That is one other nice Jayden Daniels play, this time on a fourth down late within the recreation to take the lead. Daniels begins by studying the idea to the fitting facet. If the protection is enjoying man protection, he would look to throw the slant from Dyami Brown working as much as the nook route from Zach Ertz. The Buccaneers find yourself enjoying zone protection, that means neither of these routes is accessible, so Daniels shortly strikes off it and will get to the bottom of his development. He sees that with two beneath defenders, Terry McLaurin might want to win on an in-breaking route in opposition to a cornerback enjoying exterior leverage. He trusts him to win and is aware of the beneath defenders will step up on the check-down to the operating again. Daniels proceeds to throw an correct ball for a go-ahead landing.
Patented Stafford facet arm dot whereas getting hit pic.twitter.com/63xEa2iXy5
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
The Rams had been dominant from the beginning, led by a formidable defensive efficiency, however Matthew Stafford nonetheless had his justifiable share of nice performs. Stafford is thought for attacking tight home windows and having the ability to throw precisely from any arm angle. After a play-action faux, he shortly acknowledges that the Vikings are sending a zero-blitz — that means everybody in protection is enjoying man-to-man and the remainder of the protection is blitzing. Due to that, he is aware of the security may have too far to go to select up the crossing route from Hunter Lengthy. With a free rusher in his face, Stafford drops his arm angle barely to forestall him from batting it down and throws an ideal ball, hitting the receiver in stride.
Tough recreation general from Darnold however this throw, whereas getting hammered, is unimaginable pic.twitter.com/H9ZGxnKp06
— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) January 14, 2025
General, it was a tough recreation for Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ offense. However this throw highlights Darnold’s expertise. The Rams rotate right into a Cowl-3 look, and with the middle-of-the-field security turning his hips away from the deep put up, Darnold is aware of he has an opportunity to make this throw to Jordan Addison. You want some particular arm expertise to aim this throw from such a good pocket. He finally ends up throwing this greater than 50 yards within the air proper on the cash to Addison, who isn’t in a position to haul it in.
