The final day of Super Wild Card Weekend didn't live up to the hype as far as exciting games go, with the Buffalo Bills taking care of business against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blowing out the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither game was a sight to behold on a rare Monday doubleheader in the playoffs.
There are plenty of questions that linger with the losing teams, as well as some with the winning teams as they move onto the divisional round. The batch of overreactions from Monday's games will certainly play a role in the direction both the Eagles and Steelers are heading.
Which takeaways are overreactions and which are reality? Let's take a look.
Nick Sirianni coached his last game with the Eagles
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
From outside the NovaCare Complex, firing Sirianni makes no sense, right? Sirianni is 34-17 in his three seasons with the Eagles and has the highest win percentage in franchise history (.667), a year removed from taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
Why would the Eagles fire Sirianni? For starters, the head coach was responsible for the defensive play caller change that made the defense worse -- removing his hand-picked selection for defensive coordinator in the process. On offense, Brian Johnson's play calling was laughable compared to Shane Steichen's over the last two years, and this hire was also Sirianni's. There was dysfunction in the locker room amidst mounting frustration with how things were operating across the board.
Sirianni couldn't get the Eagles out of their skid, an indictment of his coaching and his ability to lead. The message was getting stale over the last few weeks. Don't be surprised if there is a change.
Steelers should draft a quarterback in the first round
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
Let's call it like it is. Mason Rudolph replaced Kenny Pickett as the Steelers quarterback at the end of the season and gave Pittsburgh its best change to win. Is Rudolph the long-term answer for the Steelers? Is Pickett?
Eddie Faulkner salvaged what he could out of the Steelers offense since taking over in November, but will he be the offensive coordinator next year? The Steelers will likely hire someone else to run the offense, which could mean a significant change in play calling (and potentially quarterback).
However, since Pittsburgh did use a first-round pick on Kenny Pickett two years ago, the organization will likely want to see it work with an offensive mind that tailors to his strengths. There could be a competition between Pickett and Rudolph for the job, and that's likely how the Steelers will operate this offseason.
Bucs OC Dave Canales will be a head coach this offseason
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
Canales certainly has a case to be a head coach based on his work with Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, and how he revived their careers. Smith had a career year under Canales when he was the quarterbacks coach with the Seahawks, developing him into a top-10 quarterback in 2022.
In his first year as a play caller with the Buccaneers, Canales helped make Mayfield the best free agent signing of the 2023 season. Mayfield threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first season with Canales, reviving his career and making him due for a long-term extension with the Buccaneers. In a quarterback-driven league, Canales should be a hot commodity for any franchise.
However, based on how far the Buccaneers wind up going in the playoffs and how first-year play callers tend to get passed over for another year before getting hired, Canales not getting many interviews or a job this hiring cycle wouldn't be surprising. He should be a head coach based on his resume.
Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen is the new Tom Brady-Peyton Manning
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
Another year, another matchup between Mahomes and Allen in the playoffs. This is the third time in the last four postseasons Mahomes and Allen will face off in the playoffs, with the Chiefs taking the first two at Arrowhead Stadium. For the first time, this showdown will be in Buffalo -- the first true road playoff game for Mahomes.
Since the merger, Mahomes-Allen tied Manning-Brady for the most quarterback matchups in different divisions in a four-season span (seven). They are tied for the most quarterback matchups in the playoffs (3) prior to turning 30 in NFL history (Troy Aikman and Brett Favre had three, as did John Elway and Bernie Kosar), per CBS Sports Research.
Mahomes and Allen are 3-3 against each other (regular season and postseason). This is the matchup that draws eyeballs to the NFL based on classic postseason battles and the consistent success of the Chiefs and Bills.
CBS Sports' Doug Clawson also believes Mahomes-Allen is the new Brady-Manning and explains why here. These two players have been the NFL's best quarterbacks the last four years. Embrace the matchup. Embrace the rivalry.
