49ers defense is healthy again and more lethal than before

The insanity from Wild Card Weekend didn't let up in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. The sixth-seeded Tennessee Titans pulled off another upset, this time against the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, and the Kansas City Chiefs capped off an epic comeback. With the conference championship games looming, here are four takeaways from the Divisional Round.

1. Niners defense is healthy again and more lethal than before

The San Francisco 49ers hosted their first playoff game inside Levi’s Stadium (the Niners’ home since 2014) and skipped past the Minnesota Vikings with a 27-10 win.

San Francisco’s second-ranked defense (281.8 yards per game) had been dealing with a plethora of injuries during the second half of the season but returned defensive end Dee Ford, linebacker Kwon Alexander, and safety Jaquiski Tartt on Saturday.

The newly healthy unit put on an exceptional performance, as the Niners held star running back Dalvin Cook to 18 yards on nine carries. Until late in the fourth quarter, Minnesota had only generated 81 yards of offense and ended the game with 147, which set a playoff record for the 49ers defense.

San Francisco also tallied six sacks, including a pair from rookie sensation Nick Bosa. The Niners permitted just seven Minnesota first downs, the third-fewest in a playoff game in NFL history, and kept the Vikings from gaining a first down for more than 27 minutes of game time.

Minnesota’s NFC North mate, Green Bay, should be shaking ahead of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The Packers already fell, 37-8, at Levi’s Stadium in Week 12.

2. The Ravens built up too much rust after resting

Quarterback Lamar Jackson and his 14-2 Ravens crushed the league in the regular season. But a first-round playoff bye and an additional period of rest for the starters in Week 17 of the regular season seemed to disrupt the momentum Baltimore had created.

It didn’t help that running back Mark Ingram played through a calf injury and mustered 22 yards on six carries. Baltimore’s receivers also dropped six passes, and the offense fell out of sync quickly in the first quarter.

Jackson, the MVP frontrunner, completed 31 of his 59 passes for 365 yards and ran for a team-high 143 yards on 20 carries. That gave him one more record on the season, as the first quarterback to pass for at least 300 yards and rush for at least 100 in a playoff contest. Unfortunately for Jackson, he coupled that history with two interceptions and a fumble on a sack.

Tennessee capitalized on the Ravens’ mistakes and scored all of its points following takeaways and fourth-down stops. The 2019 rushing leader, Derrick Henry, exposed Baltimore’s fifth-ranked run defense and broke free for 195 yards. He also added a passing touchdown to his stat sheet on a trick play in the third.

Henry became the first player to record 180 yards or more rushing in three consecutive games and the first running back to register a passing touchdown in the playoffs in 32 years. The Titans will now get to face Kansas City’s 26th-ranked rushing defense. If Tennessee can win, the team will make its second trip to the Super Bowl in franchise history.

3. The Chiefs can score faster than anyone

Kansas City came out cold against the Houston Texans and dug a 21-point hole by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter Texans head coach Bill O’Brien decided to fake a punt on fourth-and-4 and failed miserably, which led to a Travis Kelce score. On the ensuing kickoff return, DeAndre Carter fumbled and set up another Kelce touchdown.

By halftime the Chiefs were up 28-24, and that score set a record for most first-half points (52) in a playoff game.

The scoring didn’t stop there. Kansas City racked up 41 consecutive points and managed to score a touchdown on seven straight offensive drives, which set another record. The Chiefs also ended the 51-31 shootout as the only team to win a playoff meeting by at least 20 points after trailing by at least 20.

Last season's MVP, Patrick Mahomes, accounted for five passing touchdowns, with four in the crucial second quarter.

The Chiefs’ lightning-quick offense will go up against the Titans on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. Tennessee notched a 35-32, come-from-behind victory against KC in Week 10, when Derrick Henry rushed for 188 yards and two scores.

If the Chiefs can stop Henry this time, the team will reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years.

4. Aaron Rodgers shines with help from Davante Adams, Aaron Jones

Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers looked like his younger self Sunday, in a 28-23 win against the Seahawks. The 36-year-old quarterback put up 243 yards through the air and two touchdowns, both to star receiver Davante Adams.

Adams caught eight passes for 160 yards, a Packers postseason record. Running back Aaron Jones added 62 yards on the ground and two TDs in the first half.

Seattle nearly mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Green Bay’s defense held off Russell Wilson on his final drive. Then Rodgers stepped in and converted on two third downs to kill the clock and send the Packers to the NFC Championship Game.

Rodgers owns the fifth-most playoff touchdown passes (38) and is the only quarterback in the championship round who has played in a Super Bowl.

He’ll need to lean on his veteran experience Sunday, when the Packers visit the No. 1 seed 49ers. This will be Green Bay’s third appearance in the NFC title game in six years.

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