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The NFL wildcard playoff round started on January 10th 2026, so far we’ve had some upsets, some expected results and of course some surpises.
49ers-Eagles on Wild Card Weekend Sunday: What We Learned from San Francisco’s 23-19 win
San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19
San Francisco overcame an early Achilles injury to George Kittle and a stingy Philadelphia defense to take down the Eagles in Sunday’s playoff matchup, pulling ahead twice in the fourth quarter on two scores by Christian McCaffrey.
Following the second with 2:54 remaining, the Niners’ oft-maligned defense held tough to deliver the wild-card victory. (Originally From NFL.COM)
The 49ers will now travel to Seattle to take on the NFC’s top-seeded Seahawks, setting up a rematch of the regular-season finale that helped determine the NFC West.
The whole NFC Divisional Round was cemented by this result; the Rams and Bears are now slated to face off in Chicago next weekend.
For the Eagles, their Super Bowl defense has ended in similar fashion to how much of their season played out — with an uneven offensive performance unable to capitalize on a great defensive one.
Bills-Jaguars on Wild Card Weekend Sunday: What We Learned from Buffalo’s 27-24 win
Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24
Allen leads Bills to comeback road playoff win. Battered, bruised, knocked around, Josh Allen still answered the bell in the clutch. The reigning NFL MVP came in with a foot issue, and before the first half was over was checked for a concussion, injured his hand on a throw and had his knee twisted on a touchdown run. Nothing slowed the Bills’ Superman. Allen played a nearly perfect game, spraying passes all over the field. He completed 28 of 35 passes (80%) for 273 yards, 7.8 yards per attempt, with a touchdown for a 108.7 passer rating. The beast also added 11 carries for 33 yards and two rushing scores. With a questionable receiver corps, Allen fit the ball in tight windows with extreme accuracy. If not for a couple of dropped passes, his numbers would be even more impressive. In a wild fourth quarter, Allen was the best player on the field. Leading his first career postseason game-winning drive, the QB was magnificent. With a free-rusher in his face, Allen laid a ball perfectly to Brandin Cooks for 36 yards to put the Bills in charge of the final two minutes. With James Cook and the running game stuffed, Buffalo needed MVP Allen to carry the load. He delivered.
Bills D comes up with key turnovers. Sean McDermott’s defense might not be the stingiest, but it came up with massive plays to help Buffalo into the Divisional Round. Buffalo’s run defense remains leaky, allowing Jacksonville’s top two backs to average 8.4 yards per carry and keep Josh Allen off the field for stretches. However, the pass defense remains stellar. The Bills came up with two INTs and a pivotal turnover on downs in the second quarter. Gregory Rousseau provided some pop up front with five QB pressures and a sack, and the secondary stepped up. Veteran Tre’Davious White had a turn-back-the-clock performance. The cornerback allowed just one catch for 3 yards on four targets with three pass breakups. White’s biggest play silenced the Jags. On the first snap after the Bills took the lead, the sage defender blanketed Jakobi Meyers, forcing a tight window throw over the middle. White tipped the pass and the ball fell into safety Cole Bishop’s lap. Ball game.
Packers-Bears on Wild Card Weekend Saturday: What We Learned from Chicago’s 31-27 win
Bears win yet another thriller. After spending the week talking about the importance of starting fast, the Bears did the opposite. Chicago’s opening drive, a 16-play march, ended in just three points. The Bears’ first drive of the second half went similarly, leaving them with just six points late in the third. Following a first half in which they appeared more like a sieve than a resistance unit, Chicago’s defense clamped down, got multiple stops and repeatedly helped position the Bears in advantageous spots. Chicago’s offense consistently failed to capitalize, though, throwing a fourth-down interception in Green Bay’s red zone in the third quarter and settling for a field goal on their next visit. Fortunately for the Bears, Green Bay afforded Chicago enough time to continue to chip away at their lead and Caleb Williams eventually found the same clutch gene that has powered the Bears to a collection of heart-stopping wins in the 2025 season. This comeback required contributions from nearly everyone: Devin Duvernay returned a punt to the Packers’ 35 to help the Bears eventually score a quick three points, Colston Loveland powered a touchdown drive that D’Andre Swift finished with two hard runs (including a 6-yard score), Williams made a miraculous, physics-defying throw to Rome Odunze on a must-have fourth down to keep their hopes alive late in the fourth quarter and DJ Moore hauled in the game’s most important touchdown to put the Bears ahead for good. Dennis Allen’s defense had to stand tall throughout the second half just to buy their offense time to figure things out, too, and by the time the clock hit triple zeroes, the Bears had a team victory that meant more to the franchise than any other over the last 15 years. It’s only fitting that they did it in thrilling fashion.
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
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