 |
 |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
 |
|
Peanut Butter Balls |
0 |
45 |
13 |
5 |
63 |
 |
|
Animals |
25 |
6 |
29 |
10 |
70 |
Indy Stuns Pittsburgh in a Wild Card Classic: Daniels and Gibbs Flip the Script on Lamar's One-Man Show
In a game that started as “The Lamar Jackson Show” and ended as “The Indy Comeback Special,” the Indy Animals survived a first-half blitz from Pittsburgh’s Peanut Butter Balls and pulled off a thrilling 70-63 victory. For the first 20 minutes, it looked like Lamar Jackson was going to single-handedly drag Pittsburgh into the next round—until Indy decided they weren’t ready to pack up their season and go home.
Let’s be clear: Lamar Jackson was playing like a man possessed. By early in the second quarter, he already had 5 touchdowns and 355 yards, casually dismantling Indy’s defense like a child with a box of Legos. “I was feeling pretty good,” Jackson said afterward, shrugging. “Maybe too good.”
Even James Conner got in on the fun, pounding his way to 138 yards and 2 touchdowns, as Pittsburgh raced out to what felt like an insurmountable lead. At one point, the Animals’ sideline reportedly began Googling “how to forfeit without judgment.”
Then something magical happened. With the clock winding down in the second quarter, Jayden Daniels remembered he wasn’t on vacation. He led Indy to a rapid-fire scoring burst, starting with a touchdown drive to WR Garrett Wilson (6 points), which was followed immediately by Jahmyr Gibbs and Chase Brown going berserk like caffeinated toddlers at a bounce house.
Gibbs rumbled for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Brown piled on with 113 yards and 2 touchdowns of his own, flipping the game script like a Netflix thriller. “We just kept feeding the Chases,” Daniels said post-game. “Chase Brown, Chase McLaughlin... heck, we would’ve thrown the ball to Chase Bank if they’d suited up.”
While Lamar Jackson may have had the flash, Indy kicker Chase McLaughlin was the unsung hero, casually drilling four field goals and four extra points to rack up 16 points. That’s right: Indy’s kicker outscored Joe Mixon, Amari Cooper, and DJ Moore combined. Somewhere, a fantasy football kicker enthusiast was quietly weeping tears of joy.
Despite an all-time performance from Lamar, the Peanut Butter Balls’ offense went oddly quiet in the second half. With Indy’s Green Bay defense stepping up for 7 sacks and 2 turnovers, Pittsburgh looked stunned—much like their fans, who began whispering “We traded our first-round pick for THIS?” in unison.
The fallout? Pittsburgh’s season ends, and their first-round pick belongs to New Delhi at #9 overall. Owner Matt Howell now heads into the offseason wondering if a “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” dance ritual could’ve reversed their fortunes.
With the victory, Indy punches their ticket to the Divisional Finals Round, where they’ll head to Philadelphia for a showdown against the Dark Side. Owner Q Ryburn was spotted on the sideline grinning ear-to-ear, saying, “We’re not scared of Philly. As long as we bring our A-game—and maybe another Chase or two—we’ll be just fine.”
Philly fans, consider this your warning: the Animals are loose, and they’re hungry for a trip to the IFFL Super Bowl.
Lamar Jackson did everything short of cooking dinner for the team, but Indy stole the show with a second-half comeback for the ages. This game had it all: comebacks, kicking brilliance, and a Pittsburgh meltdown that had New Delhi’s front office toasting their draft pick. What a game—and what a season finale for the Peanut Butter Balls.
Pittsburgh Peanut Butter Balls |
Pos. |
Player |
Stats |
Points |
QB |
Lamar Jackson |
355 yds, 5 TD's |
33 |
RB |
Joe Mixon |
56 yds |
|
RB |
James Conner |
138 yds, 2 TD's |
13 |
WR |
D.J. Moore |
70 yds |
|
WR |
Amari Cooper |
0 yds |
|
WR |
Joshua Palmer |
10 yds |
|
TE |
George Kittle |
61 yds |
|
K |
Brandon Aubrey |
3 FG's, 3 xp's |
12 |
DEF |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
401yd, 3s, 2f |
5 |
|
|
Total: |
63 |
|
Indy Animals |
Pos. |
Player |
Stats |
Points |
QB |
Jayden Daniels |
292 yds, 2 TD's |
12 |
RB |
Jahmyr Gibbs |
114 yds, 2 TD's |
13 |
RB |
Tyrone Tracy jr. |
35 yds |
|
RB |
Chase Brown |
113 yds, 2 TD's |
13 |
WR |
Garrett Wilson |
56 yds, TD |
6 |
WR |
Cooper Kupp |
0 yds |
|
TE |
Brock Bowers |
35 yds |
|
K |
Chase McLaughlin |
4 FG's, 4 xp's |
16 |
DEF |
Green Bay Packers |
208yd, 7s, 2i, <250yd |
10 |
|
|
Total: |
70 |
|
|