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| Bears QB Caleb Williams celebrates the huge comeback win over Green Bay. |
They did it again!
The improbable Chicago Bears came back from a 21-3 halftime deficit as well as a 15-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Green Bay Packers, 31-27 at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday night in the NFC Wild Card playoffs. Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams (361 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) saved the best for last once again as he and the Bears completed their seventh come from behind victory by scoring 25 points in the final quarter.
The Packers rolled out to a 21-3 lead thanks to QB Jordan Love (323 passing yards, four TD) who threw scoring passes to three different wide receivers, including Romeo Doubs, who hauled in eight receptions for 124 yards. The Bears cut the lead to 21-9 early in the fourth quarter as kicker Cairo Santos made two field goals before Williams and company, along with a better defensive effort, took over. Following a six-yard scoring run by Bears running back D'Andre Swift and the fourth TD pass in the game by Love (this one to rookie WR Matthew Golden), Williams threw TD passes to WR Olamide Zaccheaus and then to DJ Moore, a 25-yard strike for the 31-27 lead with 1:43 remaining in the game.
The Bears defense held the Packers out of the end zone and advanced to the divisional round with their first post-season win since the 2010 season. The Packers hurt themselves as kicker Brandon McManus missed an extra point kick and also missed two field goals, including a 44-yard attempt with a 27-24 lead late in the fourth quarter.
Earlier on Saturday, the Los Angeles Rams survived a nail biter against the host Carolina Panthers, 34-31 as QB Matthew Stafford (303 passing yards, three TD, one INT) threw a 19-yard TD pass to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left in the game. The Panthers had forged ahead twice in the fourth quarter on a three-yard scoring run by RB Chuba Hubbard and a seven-yard scoring pass from QB Bryce Young (264 passing yards, one TD, one INT and one TD run) to WR Jalen Coker with 2:39 remaining in the game.
The Rams raced out to a 14-0 lead thanks to a TD reception and run by wide receiver Puka Nacua, who had ten receptions for 111 yards in the win. The Panthers clawed their way back in with the late score in the first half on Young's touchdown run and trailed, 17-14 at the break. The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter prior to the fireworks and drama in the fourth quarter that saw four lead changes. With the win, the Rams advanced to the divisional round for the second straight year.
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| Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills got it done on the road to advance in the AFC playoffs. |
On Sunday in Jacksonville, the Buffalo Bills circled the wagons when it mattered most and scored on a one-yard touchdown run by QB Josh Allen (273 passing yards, one pass TD, two rush TD) with 1:04 remaining for a 27-24 victory against the upstart Jaguars. Following that, Bills safety Cole Bishop intercepted Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence to seal the game. It was Buffalo's first road playoff win since the 1992 season when they beat Miami in the AFC Championship Game. The game went back and forth with the Bills ahead 13-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Lawrence (207 passing yards, three TD, two INT) threw two scoring passes while Allen threw a 15-yard TD pass to Austin Kincaid before scoring the game winning touchdown to advance his team against the Denver Broncos next week.
The San Francisco 49ers knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19 for a playoff road win as quarterback Brock Purdy (262 passing yards, two TD, two INT) threw the second touchdown pass of the game to running back Christian McCaffrey with 2:54 left to play. The Eagles led 19-17 after Jake Elliott made a 33-yard field goal with eight minutes left. The 49ers took a 17-16 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when wide receiver Jauan Jennings tossed a 29-yard TD pass to McCaffrey. In the first quarter, the 49ers took a 7-0 lead when Purdy hit WR DeMarcus Robinson (six receptions for 111 yards) on a two-yard scoring pass. The Eagles came right back with tight end Dallas Goedert scoring on a one-yard run, but the extra point kick was missed and that factored in late in the game when Philadelphia came up short having to score a touchdown in the closing minutes. The 49ers lost tight end George Kittle for the rest of the year with an Achilles injury.
On Sunday night, the New England Patriots won a hard fought game, 16-3 against the Los Angeles Chargers as Patriots QB Drake Maye (268 passing yards, one TD, one INT and lost fumble) hit tight end Hunter Henry on a 28-yard scoring pass early in the fourth quarter for the only touchdown in the game. The game was tied 3-3 late in the first half when New England sacked Chargers QB Justin Herbert, but no late hit was called and the Chargers had to punt, which led to a Patriots 35-yard field goal by Andy Borregales and a 6-3 halftime edge. The second half was more of the same as the defenses on both sides held things in check until the Patriots touchdown for the 13-point lead. It was the first playoff win for New England since their Super Bowl title following the 2018 season as they sacked Herbert six times while the Chargers defense sacked Maye five times in the loss.
The Houston Texans dismantled the host Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-6 on Monday night to advance to the divisional round as their defense scored twice (33-yard fumble return by Sheldon Rankins and 50-yard interception return by Calen Bullock) and quarterback C.J. Stroud (250 passing yards, one TD, one INT, two lost fumbles) threw a six-yard TD pass to Christian Kirk (eight receptions, 144 yards) and running back Woody Marks (19 carries for 112 yards) scored on a 13-yard run. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers lost a fumble and threw the "pick six" interception as the Steelers faded in the second half after trailing by just 7-6 at halftime. The Texans outgained the Steelers by a margin of 408 yards to 175 yards and their defense had four sacks.
NFC Wild Card Results
L.A. Rams 34, Carolina 31
Chicago 31, Green Bay 27
San Francisco 23, Philadelphia 19
AFC Wild Card Results
Buffalo 27, Jacksonville 24
New England 16, L.A. Chargers 3
Houston 30, Pittsburgh 6
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