Patriots, 49ers, Bills, Bears & Rams Advance to NFL’s Divisional Round/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The NFL playoff picture sharpened as the Patriots, 49ers, Bills, Bears and Rams advanced from the wild-card round. Brock Purdy, Josh Allen and Caleb Williams delivered clutch performances in comeback wins and dominant efforts. The divisional round now features marquee matchups across both conferences.
NFL Wild-Card Weekend Quick Look
- Patriots dominate Chargers with defense-led win
- 49ers rally late to eliminate defending champion Eagles
- Josh Allen powers Bills to rare road playoff victory
- Bears erase big deficit for first playoff win since 2010
- Rams survive Panthers scare with late Stafford touchdown
- Divisional round matchups set for Saturday and Sunday
Patriots, 49ers, Bills, Bears & Rams Advance to NFL’s Divisional Round
Deep Look
The NFL playoff field narrowed dramatically after a wild-card weekend filled with comebacks, defensive showcases and late-game heroics. The New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams all punched their tickets to the divisional round with victories that highlighted different paths to postseason success.
San Francisco delivered one of the weekend’s most dramatic moments by knocking out the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Brock Purdy connected with Christian McCaffrey on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 2:54 remaining, completing a 23-19 comeback on the road. McCaffrey also scored earlier on a trick play, hauling in a 29-yard touchdown pass thrown by wide receiver Jauan Jennings. The win sends the No. 6 seed 49ers to face the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks next Saturday.
In Foxborough, the Patriots leaned on a suffocating defense to overwhelm the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3. New England sacked Justin Herbert six times and limited Los Angeles to just 207 total yards. The victory reinforced the Patriots’ identity as a disciplined, physical team capable of controlling games without needing explosive offense. As the No. 2 seed, New England will host the winner of Monday night’s matchup between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Josh Allen once again proved to be Buffalo’s difference-maker. The Bills rallied past the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 in a road win that carried historic significance. Allen scored on a 1-yard run late in the fourth quarter, then watched as Cole Bishop intercepted Trevor Lawrence to seal Buffalo’s first playoff road victory since the 1992 AFC championship game. The No. 6 seed Bills now travel to face the top-seeded Denver Broncos.
Saturday’s games delivered the weekend’s most chaotic moments. Chicago stunned the Green Bay Packers with a furious comeback. The Bears trailed 21-3 at halftime and were still down 27-16 midway through the fourth quarter before rookie quarterback Caleb Williams took over. Williams threw two late touchdown passes, including a 25-yard strike to D.J. Moore that gave Chicago a 31-27 lead with 1:43 remaining. Green Bay’s final desperation heave fell incomplete, securing Chicago’s first playoff win since the 2010 season. Williams finished with 361 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a breakthrough performance.
The Rams opened wild-card weekend with a nail-biter against the Carolina Panthers. Despite being double-digit favorites, Los Angeles needed a late 19-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Colby Parkinson to escape with a 34-31 victory. Stafford, fresh off earning All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns. Puka Nacua added 10 catches for 111 yards, a receiving touchdown and a short rushing score.
Los Angeles advances to the divisional round for the second straight season and will face the Bears on the road. Last year, the Rams came within 13 yards of eliminating Philadelphia before their season ended, making this return another step in a consistent playoff run.
With the wild-card round complete, the divisional slate is set. On Saturday, the 49ers visit Seattle and the Bills head to Denver. Sunday features Chicago hosting Los Angeles and New England awaiting its opponent. After a weekend defined by resilience and late-game execution, the path to the conference championships is now clearly drawn.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.