The NFL playoffs began on Saturday, Jan 11, with the first two matchups of the wildcard round. The first matchup kicked off in Houston with the Texans taking on the Los Angeles Chargers. At halftime, the Texans led 10-6, but in the second half, the Chargers began to unravel. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw four interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and the Texans won 32-12.
The next game was a rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens jumped out to a 21-0 lead at halftime, and Russell Wilson could not put Pittsburgh back in the game. Baltimore won 28-14, led by 186 yards and two touchdowns from running back Derrick Henry. The matchup further intensified criticism of the Steelers, who have consistently made the playoffs but have not had recent success.
Sunday’s slate began with the Denver Broncos traveling to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The Broncos, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, got off to a hot start, with rookie quarterback Bo Nix finding his former college teammate Troy Franklin for a 43-yard touchdown. However, the game was all Buffalo after that. The Bills pulled away in the second half behind two touchdown passes from Josh Allen and a touchdown run by James Cook. The Bills won 31-7.
The next game of the day was in Philadelphia, where the Eagles hosted the Green Bay Packers. The game started badly for Green Bay when they fumbled on the opening kickoff, and the Eagles recovered and quickly scored. Quarterback Jordan Love threw three interceptions, and the Eagles won 22-10.
The final matchup of Sunday was the best game of the weekend, with the Washington Commanders playing at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington made a remarkable turnaround after finishing 4-13 in 2023, going 12-5 led by incredible play from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Both teams were evenly matched, and the game was tied 10-10 at halftime. A key mistake by the Buccaneers allowed the Commanders to take a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Daniels led Washington on a game-winning drive, and they won 23-20 on a walk-off field goal for their first playoff victory in 20 years.
The final matchup of the wildcard round was between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, played in Arizona due to wildfires in Los Angeles. Despite their 14-3 record, Minnesota looked outmatched. The Rams defense swarmed Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and dominated the whole game, winning 27-9.
The divisional round kicked off on Jan. 18, with the Texans traveling to Kansas City to play the top-seeded Chiefs. Despite Houston QB CJ Stroud being sacked eight times, the Texans hung in until the fourth quarter, with Kansas City winning 23-14. The game ended with the Chiefs going to their seventh straight AFC championship game.
The next game of the day was between the Commanders and the NFC top-seeded Detroit Lions. Despite their injuries, Detroit was predicted to beat the underdog Commanders. Both teams started strong in the first half, but several turnovers by Lions quarterback Jared Goff, including a pick six, gave Washington a 31-21 lead at halftime. Goff continued to turn the ball over in the second half, and the Commanders won 45-31, spoiling the Lions’ Super Bowl hopes.
The divisional round continued with the Rams taking on the Eagles. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead with long touchdown runs by Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. The Eagles led 13-10 at halftime, but a weather change in the second half led to a snow-covered field. Saquon Barkley broke the deadlock with a 78-yard touchdown run, and the Rams were unable to fight back. Philadelphia won 28-22, advancing to the NFC championship.
The final game of the divisional round was between the Bills and Ravens, featuring quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. The game began with mistakes by Jackson, allowing the Bills to take a 21-10 lead into the second half. The Ravens charged back, but a fumble by tight end Mark Andrews gave the Bills the ball, and they took a 27-19 lead. Jackson led the Ravens back, scoring with 1:33 left to cut the deficit to two points. However, Andrews dropped a pass on the two-point conversion, and the Bills won 27-25.
In an NFC East rivalry matchup, the Eagles took an early 7-3 lead on a 60-yard touchdown by Barkley. The Eagles led 27-15 at halftime, and after capitalizing on several turnovers by Washington, the game ended in a blowout win for Philadelphia, 55-23. The Eagles punched their ticket to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
The AFC Championship was a familiar matchup, as it was the fourth time in five seasons that Kansas City had played Buffalo in the postseason. Allen was looking to get his first win against Mahomes in the playoffs. The game remained close in the first half, with the Chiefs holding a 21-16 lead. With the Bills up 22-21 early in the fourth quarter, a quarterback sneak by Allen on fourth and one was ruled short, although it seemed he successfully gained the first down. The Chiefs would eventually take the lead with three minutes left, and Allen’s pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid on fourth down fell short, giving the Chiefs a 32-29 victory.
The Super Bowl was a rematch of two years ago, where the Chiefs won 38-35 over the Eagles. Mahomes and Kansas City were looking to be the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row, while Hurts and Philadelphia were attempting to win their first ring since 2018. Both teams started off slow. Hurts put the Eagles on the board with a touchdown run, but later threw an interception deep in Chiefs territory. The Eagles’ defense overwhelmed Mahomes, who threw two interceptions. Philadelphia entered halftime with a 24-0 lead. Hurts hit Devonta Smith on a 46-yard touchdown, putting the Eagles up 34-0. Mahomes threw three touchdowns, but it was too late. The Eagles won 40-22 for their second Super Bowl, ending the Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat. Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP.
