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The 2022 Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs is officially in the books. The exciting weekend of games featured 12 teams in action over six games, with the top team in each conference on a bye week. The original playoff field of 14 teams has now been cut down to the final eight on their quest for a Super Bowl.
Simply put, it was an absolutely wild weekend of games. The Wild Card round produced some shocking results and insane situations within the course of the games. Out of all the madness that occurred, here are the top five most shocking events from the first round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs.
#5 - Brett Maher sets an unfortunate NFL record
Brett Maher planted his name in the record books during the Dallas Cowboys game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was, unfortunately, not the type of record any player would ever want to set.
Maher missed an unexplainable four extra-point attempts during the game, the most by any kicker in a single game in NFL history. Had the Cowboys lost the game, this would likely have been higher on the list, but fortunately, they didn't need Maher in this one. They went on to win 31-14 convincingly.
#4 - 3rd-string QB threatens Super Bowl favorites
The Buffalo Bills have been among the projected favorites to win the Super Bowl for the entirety of the 2022 NFL season. They would have been the favorites against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card regardless of the situation. But they became even more favored when third-string rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson was announced as the starter.
The Bills were the biggest NFL favorites for the Wild Card weekend. Their game looked like it would be a blowout after they got out to a quick 17-0 lead in the first half.
The Dolphins shockingly battled back to tie the game and would bring it right down to the final moments. They trailed by just a field goal on their final possession of the game, but came up just short.
#3 - Tom Brady goes down without a fight
Tom Brady has put together the greatest postseason career of any player in NFL history by a significant margin. He always elevates his game for the NFL Playoffs, which is why he's made 10 Super Bowl appearances and won seven rings.
This is why many still believed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be a threat in the NFL Playoffs this year, despite their disappointing 8-9 record.
The Dallas Cowboys quickly put an end to that possibility. They absolutely dominated the game, leading 24-0 at one point and finishing with a commanding 31-14 score. Even those who believed the Cowboys would win this game were surely surprised that Tom Brady basically failed to even be competitive. It's uncharacteristic, to say the least.
#2 - Fumble in the Jungle
The Baltimore Ravens faced an uphill battle against the Cincinnati Bengals after Lamar Jackson was unable to play due to a knee injury. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley competed incredibly against the heavily-favored Bengals. It was a classic division rivalry match that would remain close all the way to the end.
The Ravens had the ball in the fourth quarter of a tied game with the chance to take the lead in a crucial spot. Just a yard away from the endzone, they called a quarterback sneak play for Huntley.
The ball was stripped out of his hands before crossing the goal line and Sam Hubbard returned it all the way for the Bengals' game-winning touchdown.
#1 - Jaguars' historic comeback
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers were expected to have one of the most exciting NFL games during the Wild Card weekend. It eventually ended up living up to the hype, but in an unexpected way.
The game appeared to be out of reach in the first half. The Chargers took a massive 27-0 lead as a result of Trevor Lawrence throwing four interceptions in the first half.
Everything turned around from that point forward as the Jaguars completely flipped the script. They outscored the Chargers by a 31-3 margin the rest of the way to win the game by a 31-30 miracle. They completed the third-largest comeback in NFL Playoff history after Lawrence set a postseason record for most interceptions in a single half of football.
