NFL PLAYOFFS - Divisional Round Recap

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson races for his second touchdown in playoff win.

The NFL Playoffs are ready to advance to the conference championship games next weekend as four teams moved on with their victories. It will be the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Kansas City Chiefs  next Sunday for the AFC championship while the San Francisco 49ers will have the home field advantage against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game. 

Saturday, January 20 

Baltimore 34, Houston 10 - The host Ravens smashed the Texans, outscoring them 24-0 in the second half as quarterback Lamar Jackson rushed for two touchdowns and 100 yards on the ground while also passing for 152 yards and two more scores. The Ravens defense held Houston to just 213 yards in total offense as QB C.J. Stroud had a pedestrian performance, going 19-of-33 passing for 175 yards. The only TD for the Texans came on a 72 yard punt return by  Steven Sims to tie the game at 10-10 with 4:17 left in the first half. The Ravens out rushed the Texans by a 229-38 margin in the blowout win.

San Francisco 24, Green Bay 21 - The host 49ers held off the Packers in a game that went down to the wire with running back Christian McCaffrey (17 carries for 98 yards, two TD) scoring the go ahead touchdown on a six-yard run with 1:07 remaining in the game. The 'Niners overcame a 21-14 deficit by scoring ten points on the TD run and a 52-yard field goal by Jake Moody. The Packers trailed 7-6 at halftime, but two TD passes in the third quarter by QB Jordan Love (194 passing yards, two TD, two INT) gave them the seven point lead entering the fourth quarter. 

San Francisco twice took one-point leads thanks to a 32 yard TD pass by QB Brock Purdy (252 passing yards, one TD) to tight end George Kittle, who had four receptions for 81 yards in the win. McCaffrey gave the 49ers a 14-13 lead with 7:39 left in the third quarter on a 39-yard scoring run. The Packers had a chance to drive for the lead or tying field goal late in the final quarter, but 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw's second interception of the game sealed the victory. 

 

Sunday, January 21 

The Lions celebrate biggest win in 32 years.

 

Detroit 31, Tampa Bay 23 - The Detroit Lions won at home and advanced to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 32 years with the win against the Buccaneers as QB Jared Goff had two touchdown passes (along with 287 passing yards) while RB Jahmyr Gibbs (74 rushing yards) scampered 31 yards for the go ahead score early in the fourth quarter to lead the way. 

 

 This game saw three ties as the stubborn Bucs continually battled back behind QB Baker Mayfield (349 passing yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) as they racked up 408 yards in total offense. But Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes intercepted Mayfield inside of two minutes left to play to seal the win and send the Lions onward in the playoffs.

 

Kansas City 27, Buffalo 24 -  Wide right! 

Buffalo Bills fans know all about that history.  

Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal try with under two minutes remaining and the Kansas City Chiefs won another classic playoff battle between these two teams to advance to their sixth straight AFC Championship game next weekend in Baltimore. It was the first true road playoff game for the Chiefs since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in the 2018 season.

There were five lead changes in this game as Mahomes had two TD passes (both to tight end Travis Kelce, who had five catches for 75 yards) and 215 passing yards in the win. Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco (15 carries for 97 yards) scored the go ahead touchdown on a four-yard run with 14:20 left in the fourth quarter. Bills QB Josh Allen had two rushing touchdowns along with 72 rushing yards and also threw a TD pass (13 yards to WR Khalil Shakir for 24-20 lead late in third quarter) along with 186 passing yards.