New Jersey., The tradition of bathing the coach is back. Fans counted down the final seconds and fireworks lit up the sky at the end of the game at MetLife Stadium. Tears flooded the players’ dressing room. Yes, the New York Giants are back in the postseason after beating the Indianapolis Colts 38-10. On this first day of 2023, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their second South championship in the National Conference by beating the Carolina Panthers 30-24.
The Giants’ joy was more than justified, since they had not reached this stage since 2016. They did so thanks to Daniel Jones, who threw two passes to touchdown and scored another running pair.
At the start of the season, the Giants were among the teams least likely to reach the playoffs. The club had five consecutive losing seasons, including a four-win season in 2021 that led to the firing of coach Joe Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman.
It all paid off, as the Giants (9-6-1) overcame injuries and a poor 2-4-1 record in November and December to become the third team from the NFC East to advance to the postseason with Philadelphia and Dallas.
Brian Daboll was doused with the orange drink after the game, a Giants team tradition that dates back to Bill Parcells in the 1980s.
In Tampa Bay’s win, Tom Brady threw passes for 432 yards, including three long touchdown yards, to Mike Evans to beat Carolina 30-24 after turning the game around.
Evans caught 10 passes, rushed for 207 yards, scored on passes of 63, 57 and 30 yards and became the first NFL player to record nine consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
A turnover led to a play in which Brady scuttled and went for a touchdown from 1 yards out to seal the game with 1:58 remaining.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) compromised the top spot in the NFC, which means a first-round bye as well as home field advantage, after a 20-10 home loss to the New York Saints. Orleans.
The Buffalo Bills (12-3), who play the Bengals today, also failed to secure the top spot in the AFC after the Kansas City Chiefs beat visiting Denver 27-24.
Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins, playing without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, sidelined with a concussion, missed their chance to reach the postseason with a 23-21 loss to the Patriots in New England.
Washington squandered an opportunity to quicken the pace of the playoffs by losing a 24-10 home game against Cleveland.
Buffalo, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Baltimore and the Los Angeles Chargers had already clinched a spot in the AFC. Likewise, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Dallas and San Francisco had their positions for the National.
In more NFL results: Arizona 19 Atlanta 20, Chicago 10 Detroit 41, Jacksonville 31 Houston 3, San Francisco 37 Raiders 34, Jets 6 Seattle 23, Minnesota 17 Green Bay 41 and Rams 10 Chargers 31.