NFL Wild-Card Sunday 2024 Takeaways: What's Next for LAR and DET?
On Sunday, NFL Wild Card Round action featured a perennial playoff contender in the Dallas Cowboys going against an upstart Green Bay Packers squad and a couple of high-scoring offenses in a matchup between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
The Cowboys hosted the Packers in the first contest of the doubleheader.
Green Bay opened the game with a scoring drive and never let up, scoring through the air and on the ground with a balanced attack.
In a blowout win over the Cowboys, the Packers proved to everyone that they're not too young for playoff success.
As for Dallas, owner Jerry Jones may need to consider a new direction after another disappointing postseason exit.
The Lions and Rams traded scoring drives through most of the first half, and even though both clubs slowed down offensively in the second half, the matchup met expectations from a competitive standpoint.
What's next for all four teams from Sunday's games?
Young Packers Hit Instant Growth Spurt, Showing Their Future Is Now
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The Green Bay Packers demolished the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 at AT&T Stadium.
Jordan Love had an efficient performance, completing 16 out of 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns, and he had help from running back Aaron Jones, who recorded 21 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Safety Darnell Savage scored on a pick-six.
Green Bay, the youngest team among this year's playoff squads, didn't just show potential for the long-term future. It put the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers on notice for next week's contest. The Packers have won four consecutive games, and you can see the confidence in their performances.
In his first season as a full-time starter, Love looks like a franchise quarterback with the tools to lead Green Bay on a deep playoff run. He's a mobile signal-caller with a strong arm, and he's pinpoint accurate, completing at least 64.1 percent of his passes in eight of his last nine games.
Love has a bevy of pass-catchers 25 years old or younger at wide receiver and tight end. On Sunday, Romeo Doubs led the group with six catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Fellow wideout Dontayvion Wicks and tight end Luke Musgrave also reached paydirt.
At 29 years old, Jones is the elder statesman, but he's provided complementary balance, rushing for 111-plus yards in four consecutive outings.
San Francisco will be favored over Green Bay in the divisional round, but the Packers' young, hungry bunch won't back down. They've already exceeded expectations this season.
Cowboys Must Pull Plug on Mike McCarthy's Low-Ceiling Tenure
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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones needs to think about how he's going to elevate his good, but not Super Bowl-caliber football team.
Jones should start with a big decision on head coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy has shown he's good enough to lead the Cowboys to division titles, but one can argue that Dallas needs a fresh new mind to get the club over the top.
In each of the last three campaigns, the Cowboys have bowed out of the playoffs before the NFC Championship Game, losing to the San Francisco 49ers twice before Sunday's loss to Green Bay.
While some may believe that McCarthy deserves to keep his job with a 63 percent regular-season win percentage in Dallas, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Cowboys' playoff performance could determine the strength of McCarthy's job security.
"There continues to be a feeling from people around the league, and even some within the Cowboys organization, that coach Mike McCarthy will be measured by how Dallas' final game goes.
"If the Cowboys play well in the postseason, McCarthy would have an excellent chance to keep his job. But if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years, then some say that change could come to Dallas."
Based on Schefter's report, Jones might be fuming after the Packers humiliated the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Typically, owners don't like to be embarrassed by their teams. Consequently, McCarthy may lose his job in this uncomfortable scenario.
Lions Motor City Mojo Gives Them Divisional Round Edge
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We can officially say these aren't the same old Detroit Lions. The Lions beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 to win their first playoff game since the 1991 season.
As expected, the Lions offense put pressure on the Rams to keep pace, but their defense deserves praise for its red-zone stands throughout the contest. Los Angeles failed to score a touchdown on all three of its red-zone trips.
Because the two-seeded Dallas Cowboys lost to the seven-seeded Green Bay Packers, Detroit will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Philadelphia Eagles next week.
At home, the Lions have the fifth-best average scoring margin leaguewide. Furthermore, both the Buccaneers and Eagles have a glaring weakness in pass defense, ranking 29th and 31st, respectively, in yards allowed per game.
The Lions match up well with whoever wins between the Buccaneers and Eagles. With a 6-2 regular-season home record plus a momentous playoff victory in front of their crowd, the Lions have Motor City mojo on their side going into the Divisional Round.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for 277 yards and a touchdown against Los Angeles, could post big passing numbers next week.
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Rams Must Reload Offense to Keep Their Playoff Window Open
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Quarterback Matthew Stafford will turn 36 years old in a few weeks. Over the past couple of seasons, wideout Cooper Kupp has battled injuries and his receiving numbers have dropped a bit. He'll turn 31 years old in June. Versatile offensive lineman Joe Noteboom, who signed a three-year, $40 million extension in 2022, isn't a reliable option at left tackle because of his injury history and subpar play at the position.
In the offseason, the Rams must reload on the offensive side of the ball.
Over the last two years, the Rams found a couple of fifth-round gems in running back Kyren Williams and wideout Puka Nacua.
Now, general manager Les Snead has to find a left tackle to protect Stafford—better pass protection could extend his career. The Rams should add a wide receiver in case Kupp needs to play fewer snaps in his eighth season. Keep in mind that wide receiver Demarcus Robinson will be a free agent in March.
Perhaps the team adds another running back to complement Williams in the backfield. Also, who's going to be Stafford's primary backup? Los Angeles placed rookie fourth-round quarterback Stetson Bennett on the non-football injury list to allow him to address personal issues.
If the Rams want to stay in the playoff mix, they will need some reinforcements to maintain their top-eight scoring offense.
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