NFL Wild Card Saturday 2023 takeaways from 49ers vs. Seahawks, Jaguars vs. Chargers
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Brock Purdy AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
On Saturday, Wild Card Weekend opened with four teams that have quarterbacks making their postseason debuts as starters. That gave us a glimpse into the potential future of the NFL and Geno Smith, which has been the subject of one of this season’s most intriguing comeback stories.
In the first playoff game of 2023, the Seahawks came out with a fight against the San Francisco 49ers and led 17-16 at halftime, but fell short in the second half due to penalties and turnovers. The NFL’s hottest team extended its winning streak to 11 games.
What awaits the 49ers in the Divisional Round? How can the Seahawks retool their roster in the offseason?
The Los Angeles Chargers headed off to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a contest that pitted rising quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence against each other.
However, Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. stole the show early with three first-half interceptions. Nevertheless, Lawrence and Co. managed a memorable comeback victory to advance to the Divisional Round.
Let’s dive into our biggest takeaways from Saturday’s games.
Trevor Lawrence shows his worst and best in an exciting playoff debut win
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Trevor LawrenceAP Photo/John Raoux
Within 60 minutes, Trevor Lawrence was about to dig a big hole for his team and then pull it out in a 31-30 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Lawrence’s playoff debut couldn’t have gone any worse than the first half. By the middle of the second quarter he had already thrown four interceptions. Also, Los Angeles recovered a punt after the ball bounced off Chris Claybrooks’ helmet, setting the Chargers up for a 23-yard field goal.
Jacksonville found some light at the end of an error-plagued first half and marched down the field in the second quarter with 24 seconds remaining for a touchdown drive. In hindsight, the Jaguars started their comeback with that possession.
In the second half, Jacksonville surpassed Los Angeles 24-3, and Lawrence led three touchdown drives to convert in a two-point game. Finally, Riley Patterson put the icing on the comeback cake with a game-winning 36-yard field goal.
The Jaguars haven’t done their best in the past two weeks, turning the ball six times between Week 18 and Saturday’s wildcard contest, but they’ve won six straight games.
Jacksonville pulled itself out of big holes several times with a playful quarterback who doesn’t shy away from adversity.
As the No. 4, the Jaguars play the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs when they are the lowest remaining seeds among AFC playoff teams. However, if the No. 7 Miami Dolphins upended the No. 2 Buffalo Bills or the No. 6 Baltimore Ravens upended the No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville would avoid a trip to Kansas City.
Losing the Chargers should raise question marks over Brandon Staley’s future
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Brandon StaleyAP Photo/Chris Carlson
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley drew widespread criticism for his decision to play key players in Week 18 — a game that did not affect his team’s playoff placement. In that contest, edge rusher Joey Bosa (groin), linebacker Kenneth Murray (neck), and wide receiver Mike Williams (back) all went down with injuries. Bosa and Murray played Saturday night.
According to NFL Network Ian RapportThe Chargers made an “organizational decision” to play their starters in a game in which Williams — the regular-season lead at the Reception Yards — sustained a transverse process fracture in his back.
In William’s absence, tight end Gerald Everett filled a gap in air attack, recording six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Keenan Allen caught six passes for 61 yards and Austin Ekeler grabbed a couple of quick touchdowns, but Los Angeles still couldn’t stop the Jacksonville Jaguars, who came back 27-0 and won 31-30.
The Chargers offense went stone cold in the second half, scoring touchdowns on three of five trips into the red zone. Perhaps Williams could have helped Los Angeles break Jacksonville’s momentum with some crucial first downs, but we’ll never know for sure.
Still, we can question Staley, who is a former defense coordinator. His defense allowed the Jaguars to pace up and down the field and score 31 points between the last minute of the second quarter and the final tick in regulation.
With Sean Payton in the mix for a new head coaching job, general manager Tom Telesco should offer him the position to break away from Staley, who has been making questionable decisions during games (hyperaggressive fourth down calls) and with his roster staff in the past week.
Brock Purdy shines after a rocky start as the 49ers Showcase Super Bowl Sizzle
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Brock PurdyAP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
In the opening 30 minutes, Brock Purdy had some rookie moments, making some questionable decisions from the pocket and struggling to place the ball in the right spots for his playmakers.
Purdy could have thrown a touchdown to wideout Jauan Jennings on San Francisco’s first drive, but he threw the ball to his open receiver late, allowing cornerback Tariq Woolen close the gap under cover. The signal caller also missed wide receiver Deebo Samuel in midfield for a big win.
After halftime, Purdy settled down, making quicker decisions with the ball and connecting with his playmakers, who had a wide space down the middle of the field for most of the game. In a 41-23 win, he walked 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns for 16 yards and a score on the floor.
Purdy also had help from his supporting cast. Running back Christian McCaffrey and Samuel hit the Seahawks defense. The former had a 68-yard run and the latter hit a 74-yard touchdown reception. Both rushed for more than 136 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage.
Meanwhile, the 49ers’ second-half defense looked the No. 1 unit in all respects in points and yards allowed, pinning the Seahawks to six garbage-time points in the final 30 minutes of regulation.
Once again, San Francisco looked strong on both sides of the ball. Now the 49ers are waiting to take on the higher-seeded teams from the remaining NFC Playoffs in the Divisional Round.
The Seahawks’ surprise 2022 season is over, setting the stage for an intriguing offseason
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Geno SmithMichael Owens/Getty Images
Despite starting briefly on Saturday, the Seattle Seahawks are well ahead of what many thought the team would end up in the 2022 season.
Last offseason, the Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, and many analysts predicted they’d end up with a losing record well outside the playoff picture, but Geno Smith helped lead Seattle into the postseason, after it missed the cut last year.
Smith had an efficient first half, hitting wideout DK Metcalf with a 50-yard touchdown pass to put Seattle 14-13 ahead of San Francisco. The Seahawks didn’t concede a penalty in the first half, but things went downhill after halftime.
Seattle turned over the ball on two of his first three drives and committed five penalties in the second half. Smith lost a fumble in the red zone and threw an interception after a four-game drive ended in a punt. They couldn’t keep up against a Super Bowl contender and fell apart.
Looking ahead to the offseason, Seattle wants to keep Smith, according to NFL Network Ian Rapport. You can draft a new multi-year deal or mark it as a franchise.
Additionally, the Seahawks hold the No. 5 pick overall (above Denver) in the 2023 draft, so they can also pick a quarterback to replace Smith or pick the best available player on their draft board to bolster a playoff roster.
Seattle is also expected to return to No. 20 depending on how the rest of the playoffs fare. After a strong draft in 2022, the front office has good faith it could enlist two more immediate contributors in this year’s rookie class.
The Seahawks’ 2022 season ended in an 18-point loss, but they’re set for long-term playoff contention if Smith continues to play at a high level and general manager John Schneider uses his draft picks wisely.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.