Pack in the pros: NFL Playoffs edition

NC State had several alums playing the opening weekend of the NFL Playoffs, so let’s have a look at how they did:

— Germaine Pratt stepped in front of David Carr’s desperation pass in the waning seconds to seal the Bengals’ first playoff win since the Renaissance.

Pratt was second on the team with nine tackles, including one for a loss. Teammate B.J. Hill has a couple of tackles as well, including a sack.

— On the other side, NFL All-Pro punter A.J. Cole kicked a pair of lovely, magnificent punts for the Raiders, though somehow these kicks did not propel Las Vegas to triumph. Cole averaged 49.5 yards per punt.

— The Patriots got themselves run off the field by Buffalo, but Jakobi Meyers had a solid playoff debut: six catches for 40 yards, with a long of 19 yards. Maybe New England should have tried letting him throw the ball.

— Kentavius Street recorded one tackle in the 49ers’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He did not factor into any of the stupidity that occurred during the fourth quarter of that game, and there was a lot. Seemingly everyone was in on it. So kudos to Kentavius for a sharing a good lesson about peer pressure for the kids.

— In Kansas City, Joe Thuney did some good and solid blocking up front, and while I don’t want to say that was the entire reason why the Chiefs won, certainly it was a big part of it.

— The Steelers also lost in large part because they released Jaylen Samuels in October, and therefore no longer have Jaylen Samuels.