NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Stats: Bill Belichick suffers his record defeat as New England Patriots head coach

Benedict Bermange picks out the best stats from Super Wild Card Weekend in the NFL playoffs, including a first postseason win in 31 years for the Cincinnati Bengals and Josh Allen's near perfect performance

By Benedict Bermange, Cricket Statistician

Image: Bill Belichick last won a playoff game without Tom Brady as his quarterback back in 1994 when head coach of the Cleveland Browns

Sky Sports Cricket statistician - and big Buffalo Bills fan - Benedict Bermange dives into the NFL playoffs and picks out the best stats from each week...

The Cincinnati Bengals entered this past weekend with the longest active streak of seasons (30) without a playoff win, but they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 for their first postseason victory since the 1990 Wild Card. The Raiders have still not won a playoff game since the 2002 AFC Championship Game.

The Cincinnati Bengals intercept Derek Carr on the final play of the game to win for the first time in the playoffs in 31 years

This was the first playoff game in NFL history in which both teams made at least four field goals with Evan McPherson and Daniel Carlson both converting four kicks. The eight combined field goals tied the record for the most in a playoff game in NFL history.

Highlights of the Las Vegas Raiders' clash with the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round of the playoffs

The Buffalo Bills crushed the New England Patriots 47-17, and in doing so, scored the most points by a team in a game against Bill Belichick - including the playoffs. Belichick has lost by at least 28 points only three times in his career - and all three times to the Bills. In Week Three of the 2003 season, the Bills won 31-0, and in Week 16 of the 2020 season, the Bills won 38-9.

Highlights of the New England Patriots' clash with the Buffalo Bills on Wild Card Weekend in the playoffs

The Bills scored touchdowns on each of their first seven offensive possessions in the game - the first team to do that since the Patriots did so in Week 11 of the 2007 season, against the Bills. They also did not punt, have a field goal attempt or turn the ball over - the first team to ever do so in the same game in NFL history.

Advertisement
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw five touchdowns in their Wild Card victory over the New England Patriots

Josh Allen compiled a passer rating of 157.6 in the win, the second-highest in NFL postseason history.

Highest QB rating in NFL playoff history

Player Team Opposition Game QB rating
Peyton Manning Colts Broncos 2003 Wild Card 158.3
Josh Allen Bills Patriots 2021 Wild Card 157.6
Kurt Warner Cardinals Packers 2009 Wild Card 154.1

The only playoff game that Belichick has won without Tom Brady remains the 1994 Wild Card game for the Cleveland Browns against the Patriots, when Vinny Testaverde was his starting quarterback.

Also See:

Highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles' clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Super Wild Card Weekend in the NFL playoffs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31-15 to pass 30 points in their fifth successive playoff game. The only team with a longer such run were the New Orleans Saints, who scored at least 30 points in six successive playoff games between 2009 and 2011. Before signing Brady, the Buccaneers had only scored 30 points in two of their 15 playoff games in franchise history.

Highlights of the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboy in the Wild Card round of the playoffs

The last four winners of playoff games between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have gone on to win the Super Bowl - in 1981, 1992, 1993 and 1994, and the 49ers will hope that sequence continues after their 23-17 victory in Texas. The Cowboys committed 14 penalties in the loss, the second-most in playoff history, behind only the Raiders being flagged for 17 penalties in a Wild Card game against the Denver Broncos in 1993.

Watch all of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' best throws from his five-TD game against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Patrick Mahomes was dominant in the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, becoming the first player to throw for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns in a playoff victory. The only other player with over 400 yards and five touchdown passes in a playoff game was Ben Roethlisberger in the Steelers' 2017 divisional round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Roethlisberger may well retire after his record fifth defeat in the Wild Card round, moving him ahead of Peyton Manning and Andy Dalton, who each lost four times at the same stage.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray gets tackled in the endzone and David Long Jr. scoops up an interception for a touchdown

David Long's three-yard interception return for a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams in their Monday night victory over the Arizona Cardinals was the shortest pick-six in NFL playoff history.

Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season - featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don't forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports - on the go!

Outbrain