NFL Divisional Round Takeaways: Top-seeded Chiefs and Eagles take care of business

Jalen Hurts is still hurt, but he’s not injured — and that’s an important distinction for the top-seeded Eagles.

After steering clear of the injury report all week, Hurts, who sprained his throwing shoulder in Week 15, notched three total touchdowns to help Philadelphia run over the New York Giants on Saturday night.

And we do mean run over. Philadelphia rushed 44 times for 268 yards, gaining more on the ground than New York gained at all.

Pounding the rock is important to the Eagles’ identity, which explains why they ranked fifth as a rushing offence this season (147.6 rush yards/game). But while Hurts sat out in Weeks 16 and 17, the team ran for just 87 and 67 yards, respectively, on a feeble 3.5 yards per carry.

Hurts returned in the season finale against the Giants, but he had his least efficient rushing performance of the year (13 yards on nine carries) while facing nothing but backups. Guiding his squad to a comfortable win in a playoff environment is a nice step forward.

The health of Hurts’ shoulder is still a storyline to monitor, though. At this point in the season, it’s fair to assume most players are banged up — but few have the talent to affect a game like Philly’s dual-threat quarterback.

On a night where the NFC and AFC’s No. 1 seeds both advanced, here are our other takeaways from Saturday’s divisional round action.

What’s next for Jones and the G-men?

Playing on a prove-it contract in 2022, Daniel Jones showed the Giants that he’s worth a new deal.

New York declined to exercise Jones’s fifth-year option in August, which is fair when you consider his 49 turnovers over 38 games from 2019-21. Carelessness won’t keep you around.

But under first-year coach Brian Daboll, Jones cut down on his turnovers (nine in 17 games) while establishing a far more threatening — and thus, valuable — presence with his legs.

Jones joined Hurts, Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in the upper crust of rushing quarterbacks. All five had 700-plus rushing yards, while nobody else in the league made it to 450.

With an unglamorous cast of pass catchers, Jones’s willingness to keep the ball often kept the Giants in games.

So, then, how will he be repaid? New York projects to have more than $52 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, which is among the highest sums in the league.

This could be an offseason of upheaval for the Giants, with guys like Jones, Saquon Barkley and Darius Slayton all set for free agency. But 2022 performances — paired with a positive direction for the team — should encourage New York to bring back its top contributors.

Henne-thing is possible

Backup quarterbacks are insurance policies, personified. You never want to use yours, but in a bind, it’s awfully comforting to have a good one.

Kansas City called on its backup, Chad Henne, early in the second quarter after a Jacksonville defender landed on Patrick Mahomes’ right ankle.

As Mahomes skipped gingerly to the locker room, Henne’s entrance marked a potential inflection point. The Chiefs led by three, starting a possession on their own doorstep. What followed was a no-nonsense, 98-yard drive culminating with a touchdown pass for the vet.

For a guy taking his first meaningful snaps since Week 7 of last season — with only one start since 2014 — that’s not too shabby. And sure, rookie tailback Isiah Pacheco bruised his way to 57 rush yards on the drive, but Henne ensured the offence hummed without a hitch.

The Chiefs never trailed on Saturday, which misleadingly saps some drama from what Henne orchestrated. That 98-yard drive was the longest drive in Kansas City’s postseason history, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Put an inexperienced quarterback in his shoes, and we might’ve seen the game move in a different direction.

For as nice as Henne’s low-heartbeat contributions were, though, the Chiefs were surely relieved to have Mahomes return to action. He played the entire second half, hopping off his one good ankle to deliver a decisive touchdown pass with seven minutes left.  

Mahomes said afterward that his X-rays came back negative and he’ll be “good to go” for the conference championship. The Chiefs are obviously at their best with the MVP-in-waiting under centre, but now we know this team has a serviceable backup plan, too.

Started from the bottom

Jacksonville’s unprecedented uprising ended at Arrowhead. But there’s a lot to like about this team moving forward:

• The Jaguars are the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game after finishing in the league basement the previous season (for those scoring at home, they also finished last in 2020).

• After leading the NFL in interceptions as a rookie, Trevor Lawrence bounced back in a major way under the tutelage of former Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville’s Urban Meyer experiment feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?

• Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, both of whom set career-high marks in yards and receptions this season, are under contract for two more years. And let’s not forget this team traded for Calvin Ridley during the season.

• With the fourth-youngest roster, Jacksonville finished 10th in scoring offence and 12th in scoring defence.

Playing in a division with the aging Titans, directionless Colts and hapless Texans, Jacksonville could very feasibly be favoured to win the AFC South again next year.

So if you’re a Jaguars fan, hang your head high. There should be sunny skies ahead in North Florida.