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Column: Thoughts on first round of NFL playoffs, including Patriots and Saints making surprise exits

NFL hype can be thicker than avocado dip mixed with nacho cheese, but give the league this:

The Super Bowl tournament delivered on drama this past weekend, launching the four-round event.

Even with zebras acting oddly, three of the four “wild card” games commanded and held attention for some three-plus hours. That’s three months in today’s world.

While the Seahawks-Eagles game was an exception, it still held serve in comparison to the Golden Globes show later Sunday night, even with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston having a moment.

In five words or fewer, here are headlines to the first-round events that reduced the playoff field to eight teams.