Wild Card weekend games were the most lopsided in 35 years

Jan 8, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) greets New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) after the NFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Wild Card weekend is supposed to be an exciting two-day stretch that kicks off the postseason and gets fans geared up for the unpredictability that comes with the NFL playoffs. The opening round of this year's action did anything but that. In fact, it was one of the worst Wild Card rounds ever.

The average margin of victory in the four games was 19 points per -- or 76 total points. That's the largest average point differential in 35 years, dating back to 1981, according to NFL.com.

It was a slate of games that figured to have a couple of blowouts -- Steelers-Dolphins and Seahawks-Lions -- and it did. However, the Packers surprisingly dominated the Giants en route to a 38-13 victory, while the Texans handled the Derek Carr-less Raiders at home.

What's interesting is just how advantageous home field was in the opening round. Last season, home teams were 0-4 in the Wild Card round. This year, they were 4-0 -- the first time all four home teams won since 2011.

Next weekend's action should be much more exciting with all four being rematches of regular-season games.