After the first day of the Divisional Round it is clear: This year’s Super Bowl champion has to win four games. Because the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, who were not playing last weekend, failed miserably. On a memorable day.

Munich – The final NFL Saturday of this season was one with thunder. Tennessee Titans as AFC’s top seed – out! Green Bay Packers as top seed of the NFC – out!

Within a few hours, the two teams that had no games in the Wild Card Round said goodbye. Once again it became clear: The tone is set in the regular season, but the music plays in the playoffs.

The Packers now can’t buy anything for their 13 wins this season – just as the Titans can’t buy anything for their 12 wins in 17 games.

Last 2011 both top seeds out before Championship Games

For the first time in eleven years, the two top-seeded teams in the Conferences will miss the Championship Games. Back then, the Atlanta Falcons lost to the Packers, who ultimately triumphed in the Super Bowl, with 21:48, and the New England Patriots lost to the New York Jets with 21:28.

Now the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers were out of their league. In both games, however, it seemed as if the favourites had tripped themselves up in the end.

Only A.J. Brown stands out for the Tennessee Titans

The Titans started 16-19 against the Bengals with an interception by Ryan Tannehill, who ultimately threw the ball the wrong way three times. Until the first touchdown midway through the second quarter, the offensive machine barely managed a first down.

The Nashville team never really got rolling. Derrick Henry managed a tidy 62 yards and a touchdown in his comeback. Otherwise the burden was on the shoulders of A.J. Brown (182 receiving yards for a touchdown), Julio Jones caught passes for 62 yards.

Ryan Tannehill will be “remembered for a long time “

D’Onta Foreman’s 45-yard run into the red zone that was worth watching destroyed Tannehill with the ensuing interception. “It’s brutal,” the quarterback said of his night of turnovers after the loss, “It’s going to hurt for a long time. It’s going to stick in my mind for a long time. I’m going to need a lot of time to get over it.” He added: “Only time can heal things like that.”

It was the sixth loss of the season for the Titans. In five of them they put 16 points or less on the scoreboard. Especially galling: head coach Mike Vrabel’s team won against four of the teams still in the race this season: the Buffalo Bills (34-31), Kansas City Chiefs (27-3), Los Angeles Rams (28-16) and 49ers (20-17).

Mike Vrabel: “Not done enough to win “

So there was clearly more to these Titans than the round of the best eight teams. “I don’t think Ryan or I or anybody did enough to win the game,” Vrabel admitted: “The defence could have committed a couple of turnovers, but they didn’t.”

In addition, the coach lamented, “Our third down conversions weren’t good enough, our touchdown yield in the red zone. But we all have to play better and coach better. “

Green Bay Packers only loss to Saints by fewer points

The Packers should have the latter written all over them after their 10-13 loss to the 49ers. The only time the Wisconsin team put fewer points on the scoreboard was in the crushing 3:38 loss to the New Orleans Saints at the start of the season.

At the time, this could be explained by the fact that Aaron Rodgers had a late start to his preparation and therefore still had some sand in his gears. Since then, however, the “Gunslinger” has been in impressive form, and with Randall Cobb, one of his favourite starting line-ups, he is ready for action again.

Aaron Rodgers “frustrated” with own performance and being out

However, not much went right against the team from Rodgers’ Californian home. The offensive highlight was already set in the first drive with the touchdown by A.J. Dillon. Rodgers remained without a score, but could at least rely on Aaron Jones (129 receiving yards and 41 rushing yards) and Davante Adams (90 receiving yards).

The playmaker, who was considered the favourite for the MVP award, said he was “super disappointed. Drained. Frustrated with my game. Frustrated with how it ended. But still thankful for this season and the guys. “

Special teams of the Green Bay Packers flop several times

The Packers’ special teams ultimately broke their back. At the end of the first half, a field goal attempt by Matt Crosby was blocked, and in the fourth quarter a blocked punt was even converted by the visitors for a touchdown. To make matters worse, only ten players from “the Pack” were on the field for Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal.

For Head Coach Matt LaFleur that was “unacceptable. But that’s on me too. “

Matt LaFleur: “Blocks played a big part” in defeat

About the fumble that led to the touchdown, he said, “Obviously you can argue that made the difference, but I think it was more than just the one play. I don’t even know exactly what happened there, I’ll have to watch it again on tape. We had two blocks in the game and they obviously played a big part in us losing.”

Now there is time enough to analyse the mistakes. But without a doubt LaFleur and Co. know: Whoever allows himself such slip-ups has no business in the Championship Game.

Even the best regular season of all teams won’t help.