The first half of this year's Divisional Round is over and there were plenty of lessons to be learned. One is that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce will continue to make magical plays at this time of year. Another is that Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels is proving that the postseason is a stage that feels pretty comfortable to him, as well. On the flip side, the Texans and Lions realized how much injuries can undermine a talented team in the postseason, as both of those squads suffered from missing key stars in their eventual defeats.
That’s life in the NFL, especially when the playoffs begin. It’s rare to see the favorites always win, and it’s even more apparent that home-field advantage isn’t as advantageous as we often think. Survival at this time of year isn’t about pedigree or experience. It comes down to who’s playing the best and who believes the most in what they can accomplish.
There are still two games to be played Sunday, but we’re going to give you an edition of The First Read for each day that passes in this round. This one will focus on the winners and losers from Saturday’s contest. There were plenty to be found in both categories …
Winners
1) Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce: You wouldn’t know Kelce produced his worst statistical season -- his 823 yards and three touchdowns were career-lows -- based on his record-setting performance in Kansas City’s 20-12 Divisional Round win over Houston. The Texans had no answers for the future Hall-of-Fame tight end, as he led the Chiefs with seven receptions, 117 yards and a touchdown. To understand how vital Kelce was in this contest, consider that he accounted for 66 percent of the 177 passing yards Patrick Mahomes generated. Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy only amassed 45 receiving yards while fellow wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown didn’t even catch a pass. Kelce elevated his game last postseason after an underwhelming regular season. It looks like he’s about to do the same thing this time around.
2) Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels: The rookie quarterback has impressed all season, but Saturday’s 45-31 win over Detroit tops anything he’s done in this league. He threw for 299 yards, ran for another 51 and accounted for two touchdowns while dominating the Lions defense at various stretches of the game. Daniels was great in last week’s wild-card win over Tampa Bay. He was sensational in this contest, as he didn’t turn the ball over and never really seemed fazed by the stage he was playing on. Washington head coach Dan Quinn trusted his young quarterback so much that he went for it four times on fourth down. Daniels helped the Commanders convert three of those. They also scored four touchdowns on four trips inside the red zone. Washington seemed like a cute story when the postseason began, as it was the upstart team that shocked everyone with its immediate success. It’s now time to take it seriously because of the young dude playing quarterback. The Commanders are playing in their first NFC Championship Game in 33 years and they just might win that one with the way he's been playing.
3) Chiefs pass rush: Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been waiting to see his defensive front create more chaos, and that’s exactly what he witnessed in the win over Houston. The Chiefs racked up a season-high eight sacks against the Texans, with defensive end George Karlaftis accounting for a career-best three of his own. This wasn’t the same Chiefs defense that was tied for 18th in the league in sacks (with 39) after finishing second last year in that category (57). Five other defenders recorded a sack in this contest, and only one didn’t involve a defensive lineman (safety Chamarri Conner). The Kansas City defense has asked a lot of All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones over the course of this season, and it was fair to say the pass rush was often non-existent when he wasn’t on the field. That wasn’t the case on Saturday, which is an ominous sign for the Chiefs’ next opponent – Baltimore or Buffalo -- in the AFC Championship Game. If this is the way Kansas City’s defensive line is going to harass opposing quarterbacks moving forward, the route for either of those teams to reach the Super Bowl just became harder.
4) Commanders head coach Dan Quinn: Daniels is the biggest story in Washington, but Quinn’s tremendous work with this team was on display once again Saturday in Detroit. We knew Daniels would find a way to make some amazing plays. The harder question to answer was how the Commanders defense would perform against the league’s best offense. Quinn proved he could generate a game plan that could address that very challenge. His defense gave up its share of big plays, but it also created plenty of its own, with those five turnovers playing a pivotal role in how this game unfolded. The Commanders certainly understand they have weaknesses on defense. What they do best is maximize their opportunities when they arise and that speaks directly to how Quinn coaches. He’s a master of motivating, inspiring and connecting, and this team is playing like it fully believes everything that he’s been selling. Yes, he’s blessed to have a great, young quarterback. He’s also a damn good coach in his own right.
5) Chiefs head coach Andy Reid: He earned his 300th victory with Saturday’s win over Houston, which puts him into select company. The only other coaches to reach that mark are George Halas (324 victories), Bill Belichick (333) and Don Shula (347). Reid also accomplished the feat as his team heads to its seventh straight AFC Championship Game, and it’s only two wins away from becoming the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. There’s little chance Reid will be a prominent candidate in the voting for Coach of the Year, but it’s hard to argue this isn’t one of the most impressive efforts he’s produced in his 12 seasons in Kansas City. The Chiefs have dealt with an assortment of injuries to key players (like running back Isiah Pacheco, cornerback Jaylen Watson and wide receivers Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown), an infusion of new faces (wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Kareem Hunt) and a revolving door at left tackle (where All-Pro guard Joe Thuney has played since Week 15). There were a lot of reasons for this team to flounder along the way. Instead, it has won 16 of 18 games by doing exactly what it did against Houston: staying focused, limiting mistakes and making the plays that matter most. That’s one more testament to the job Reid has done.
Losers
1) Lions head coach Dan Campbell: Detroit’s coach has done a phenomenal job of changing the entire culture around this franchise over the last four seasons. Saturday’s loss to Washington easily should be the toughest loss Campbell has endured during his tenure. This team went 15-2, earned the top seed in the NFC and overcame an assortment of injuries throughout the season. This was supposed to be the year when the Lions finally broke through and reached their first Super Bowl. Instead, they imploded in epic fashion in front of their home fans. It wasn’t just the five turnovers and the inability contain Daniels and the Commanders offense. It was the way Washington overwhelmed a Lions team that has long prided itself on toughness. This could be the best shot Campbell ever had of winning a championship with this bunch, especially if both of his coordinators -- Ben Johnson on offense and Aaron Glenn on defense -- end up landing head-coaching jobs.
2) Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud: Houston’s star quarterback had to know this matchup with Kansas City was going to be an uphill battle. The Texans came into this game with only one starting wide receiver still healthy from Week 1 (Nico Collins), running back Joe Mixon playing on a gimpy ankle and an offensive line that surrendered 54 sacks this season (tied for 30th in the league). However, all those issues didn’t keep Stroud from battling and giving his team a shot in this contest. The Texans defense did its part – holding the Chiefs to 212 yards and just four conversions on 11 third-down situations – but Stroud simply didn’t have enough firepower to pull off this upset. He also took one hell of a beating. Along with sacking him eight times, the Chiefs battered Stroud so much that he needed to be helped off the field in the final minutes after aggravating a knee injury sustained in the first half. It’s been a long year for a Texans team that fell short of high expectations for several reasons, including debilitating injuries. Saturday’s loss was yet one more example of how much of a price Stroud paid for those problems.
3) Lions quarterback Jared Goff: It was a long night for Goff, who couldn’t find a way to keep pace with Daniels and the Commanders offense. Goff finished with four turnovers – a fumble and three interceptions – and it was two of those picks that devasted the Lions early in this game. The first was an interception that Washington safety Quan Martin snared in the second quarter and returned 40 yards for a touchdown that gave the Commanders a 24-14 lead. The second pick came when Goff tried to hit wide receiver Jameson Williams on a long post pattern late in that same quarter, only to see Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil undercut the route and grab the pass in the end zone. Those mistakes played a major role in the Lions trailing 31-21 at halftime. They could never catch the Commanders after that, not with Goff forced to throw on nearly every down. He’s enjoyed a great season, one that saw him play at an MVP level at various stretches. The problem was the Lions needed that same player in this contest, and he simply didn’t show up.
4) Texans special teams: The Texans couldn’t have endured a worse game at a more critical point from these units. Let’s start with kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn. He missed a 55-yard field goal in the second quarter that could’ve tied the game at six and then sent an extra point wide right after Houston opened the second half with a 15-play, 82-yard scoring drive that lasted just over 10 minutes. It would be an understatement to say Fairbairn was a problem for the Texans on Saturday. You could see the way his teammates deflated after he missed that extra point, which would’ve tied the game at 13. The Texans also opened the game by allowing a 63-yard kick return by Nikko Remigio and ended their final possession by watching Leo Chenal block another field-goal attempt by Fairbairn. It’s hard enough to beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium in the playoffs. There’s no way any team is doing that with special teams play as bad as Houston displayed on Saturday.
5) Lions defense: There haven’t been many games where you could see the Lions feeling the toll of countless injuries on defense. Unfortunately for Detroit, Saturday’s loss to Washington was one of them. As much as the Lions believed they could overcome anything, it was apparent that they didn’t have enough juice on defense to deal with what the Commanders threw at them. The Lions had a substantial number of key defensive players land on injured reserve at some point this season, including defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. It also was no secret that Detroit had trouble containing mobile quarterbacks all season, and Daniels proved to be too much to handle. It wasn’t just that the rookie played well. It was that he made playing well look effortless against a team that was primed to win a championship this season. The one thing the Lions always believed was that their offense could score with any team in the league. That didn’t end up happening on Saturday night, and that beleaguered defense simply wasn’t equipped to deal with a Commanders team that is growing up in a hurry.