Chargers both qualified for the playoffs, after 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
.
Participants
Bracket
Schedule
The playoffs began with Wild Card Weekend on January 11–13, 2025. The Divisional round was played on January 18–19, with the winners of those games advancing to the Conference Championship games, which were played on January 26. Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
took place on February 9 at the Caesars Superdome
Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
.
Wild Card playoffs
Saturday, January 11, 2025
AFC: Houston Texans 32, Los Angeles Chargers 12
This was the first playoff meeting between the Chargers and the Texans. Houston and Los Angeles did not meet in the regular season. The Texans have made eight appearances in the wild card round in their 23-year history, and they have been played at home in the Saturday, 4:30 p.m. slot each time.
The first half was a low-scoring affair, ending 10–6 to the Texans and highlighted by the two teams' quarterbacks— C. J. Stroud and Justin Herbert
Justin Patrick Herbert (born March 10, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks football, Orego ...
—throwing interceptions on back-to-back plays. The second half produced more points, as Herbert threw three more interceptions. In the fourth quarter, Texans cornerback D'Angelo Ross blocked an extra point
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
attempt and returned it for a defensive two-point conversion, the first such score to occur in a postseason game since the play was added in 2015. This was the first NFL game to end with a 32–12 final score, known as a scorigami
In sports, a scorigami (a portmanteau of ''score (sport), score'' and ''origami'') is a final score that has never happened before in a sport or league's history. The term was originated by sportswriter Jon Bois for American football scores in t ...
. Ladd McConkey
Andrew Ladd McConkey (born November 11, 2001) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, ...
finished the game with 9 catches for 192 receiving yards, breaking the playoff record for receiving yards by a rookie.
This game received significant online coverage as, during the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
broadcast, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph Harbaugh ( ; born December 23, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at ...
was "swallowed" by the ''SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' character "Dirty Bubble".
AFC: Baltimore Ravens 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 14
This was the fifth playoff meeting between the Steelers and the Ravens; the Steelers led 3–1 in previous postseason meetings between the two, all of which were previously played in Pittsburgh. Their most recent playoff meeting came in the 2014 AFC Wild Card round, when the Ravens beat the Steelers 30–17. The two teams split the regular season series, with the Steelers winning 18–16 in Pittsburgh in Week 11 and the Ravens winning 34–17 in Baltimore in Week 16. This was Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
's first exclusive NFL playoff game.
After forcing a punt on the Steelers' first offensive possession, the Ravens went 95 yards on their opening drive, culminating with Lamar Jackson
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Heisman T ...
hitting Rashod Bateman for a 15-yard touchdown to go up 7–0, a lead the Ravens never surrendered. Both teams exchanged punts on their next few possessions before Baltimore scored their second touchdown of the game on a 8-yard run from Derrick Henry
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American professional football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "King Henry", he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build t ...
. Before the half ended, the Ravens scored another touchdown on Jackson pass to Justice Hill, now leading 21–0. Despite the Steelers eventually pulling within two scores in the third quarter, the fourth quarter went scoreless and the Ravens held on to defeat the Steelers 28–14.
Jackson completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 81 yards. Derrick Henry set a Ravens franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game by rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens amassed 299 total rushing yards.
Sunday, January 12, 2025
AFC: Buffalo Bills 31, Denver Broncos 7
This was the second playoff meeting between Buffalo and Denver; the first was in the 1991 AFC Championship, when the Bills beat the Broncos 10–7 in Buffalo to reach Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion f ...
. The Bills and the Broncos did not meet in the regular season. It was Denver's first postseason appearance since winning Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...
nine years earlier.
On the opening possession of the game, rookie Bo Nix
Bo Chapman Nix (born February25, 2000) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first three seasons of college football for the Auburn Tigers ...
capped a five-play opening drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to former college teammate Troy Franklin. The Bills responded with a field goal by Tyler Bass to cap a 12-play drive on their opening possession and then forced a quick three-and-out to get the ball back. James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
added a touchdown on a 5-yard run early in the second quarter to give the Bills a 10–7 lead. Before the end of the first half, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed a 50-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 10–10.
After Bass knocked home a 27-yard field goal at the beginning of the third quarter, leading 13–7, Buffalo broke open the game with a Josh Allen touchdown pass to Ty Johnson on fourth down with 3:06 left in the third quarter. The score held up following a replay review, which showed Johnson's foot touching out of bounds but only after he secured the ball. Moments later, a two-point conversion was successful on a Allen pass to Keon Coleman. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Allen's 55-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Samuel effectively sealed the game for Buffalo. Bass added two more field goals, with the final score being 31–7. The Bills methodically wore down the Broncos in the game with a combined 210 yards rushing (120 yards from Cook, 46 from Allen, 44 from Johnson). Allen added 272 yards through the air, with two touchdowns.
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 22, Green Bay Packers 10
This was the fourth playoff meeting between Philadelphia and Green Bay. The Eagles led the playoff series 2–1, including wins in the 1960 NFL Championship Game and the 2003 NFC Divisional Game, where the Eagles converted on 4th-and-26 on their game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter, although the Packers won the most recent playoff meeting, a 21–16 win in the 2010 NFC Wild Card Game in Philadelphia en route to their win in Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. In the regular season, the Eagles defeated the Packers 34–29 in a neutral-site game in São Paulo, Brazil
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of Yu ...
in Week 1.
The Eagles recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff and scored a touchdown to take an early 7–0 lead. At the end of the quarter, the Eagles kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 10–0. Following a scoreless second quarter, the Packers cut the lead to 10–3 with a field goal almost 10 minutes into the third quarter, but the Eagles soon extended the lead to 16–3 with a Dallas Goedert touchdown. While the Packers cut the deficit to 16–10 early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown from Josh Jacobs, the Eagles responded with a field goal to go up 19–10. Following a turnover on downs from the Packers, the Eagles kicked another field goal to take a 22–10 lead. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell then intercepted Jordan Love in the end zone, sealing the win for Philadelphia.
A video filmed during the game of an Eagles fan harassing a female Packers fan with derogatory and misogynistic phrases in the stands went viral on social media. The cameraman, who is the woman's fiancée, posted the video online and asked people watching to "help me out and find this man". He avoided any physical altercation with the Eagles fan in order to not get himself kicked out. The Eagles fan was banned for life from attending Lincoln Financial Field, and his place of employment fired him after being notified of his actions and conducting investigations. He later issued an apology.
NFC: Washington Commanders 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20
This was the first playoff matchup between Tampa Bay and Washington since the 2020 NFC Wild Card, when the Buccaneers won 31–23 over the then-Washington Football Team,en route to their win in Super Bowl LV
Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
. The Commanders and Buccaneers met in Tampa in Week 1 of the regular season, with the Buccaneers winning 37–20. This was the fourth playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Buccaneers holding a 2–1 series lead. In addition, this was Washington's first playoff game as the Commanders.
The Buccaneers opened the scoring on a Chase McLaughlin 50-yard field goal on the first possession of the game. On the Commanders' first possession, they turned the ball over on downs after a Jayden Daniels pass to Austin Ekeler on fourth down fell incomplete from Tampa Bay's 20-yard line. After the Buccaneers punted, Washington scored on a Daniels pass to Dyami Brown to cap off a 9-minute, 17-play drive. After a successful Zane Gonzalez
Zane Holden Fortunato Gonzalez (born May 7, 1995) is an American professional football placekicker. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, finishing as the NCAA Division I leader in field goals made at the time prior to be ...
field goal, which made the score 10–3, Baker Mayfield
Baker Reagan Mayfield (born April 14, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma Sooners ...
led the Bucs down the field and scored on a 1-yard pass to Mike Evans, who was covered for most of the first half by rival Marshon Lattimore. This tied the score at 10–10 at halftime.
On the Commanders' first possession of the second half, Gonzalez added another field goal, giving Washington a temporary lead. The next possession, the Buccaneers went ahead 17–13 on a 4-yard Mayfield pass to rookie running back Bucky Irving. The Commanders' next possession saw them drive 67 yards in 12 plays, as the game moved into the fourth quarter. They then failed on a fourth-down conversion for the second time in the game, turning the ball over on downs at the Tampa Bay 3-yard line. Three plays later, Mike Evans made a stretching reach to secure a critical first down, but the Buccaneers gave the ball right back to Washington on next play. Mayfield committed a costly turnover, a botched handoff to rookie Jalen McMillan on a jet sweep, resulted in a fumble recovered by Bobby Wagner
Bobby Joseph Wagner (born June 27, 1990) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah State Aggies and was selected by the Seattle Sea ...
at the Tampa Bay 13. Four plays later, facing yet another fourth-down conversion, a 4th-and-2 at the Tampa Bay 5-yard line, Daniels pass to Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin (born September 15, 1995) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, O ...
gave the Commanders a 20–17 lead. On their next possession, late in the fourth quarter, Tampa Bay could not pick up a first down deep in Washington territory after Mayfield was tackled for no gain on 2nd-and-1, and Irving was tackled for a loss on a seemingly botched 3rd-and-1 running play. McLaughlin kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie the score at 20–20.
With 4:41 left in the game, playing in his first playoff game as a rookie, Daniels led the Commanders down the field in position for Zane Gonzalez to kick a 37-yard field goal. In what immediately became known as the 'Divisional Doink' game due to NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico
Michael Todd Tirico (; born December 13, 1966) is an American sportscaster. He is currently the lead play-by-play announcer for ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', having replaced Al Michaels in 2022, and is set to become the lead play-by-play anno ...
call, Gonzalez's kick sailed toward the right upright, hit the post, but fell through, giving the Commanders the 23–20 victory as time expired. This was the team's first victory in the playoffs since 2005–2006 season (coincidentally, also against the Buccaneers in Tampa) and the first under new owner, Josh Harris. For the third game this season, Washington had a no-turnover, no-punt game.
Monday, January 13, 2025
NFC: Los Angeles Rams 27, Minnesota Vikings 9
This was the eighth matchup in the playoffs between the Vikings and Rams, and the first since the then-St. Louis Rams won 49–37 in the 1999 Divisional Round. The two teams met on October 24 in the regular season, where Los Angeles defeated Minnesota 30–20. Overall, the Vikings hold the 5–2 historical advantage in the playoffs.
On January 9, the NFL announced that the game would be moved to State Farm Stadium
State Farm Stadium is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Glendale, Arizona, United States, west of Phoenix. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) and the annual Fiesta Bowl. It replaced Sun Devi ...
in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...
, due to the series of wildfires in the Los Angeles area.Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
to Kyren Williams. The Vikings went three-and-out on their first possession of the game. The Rams and Vikings exchanged field goals, leaving the score at 10–3. Early in the second quarter, Sam Darnold
Sam Richard Darnold (born June 5, 1997) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans football, USC Trojans, winn ...
had his intended pass to Jordan Addison intercepted by Cobie Durant
Decobie Durant (born February 9, 1998) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs football, S ...
. The Rams, however, could not capitalize off the turnover going a quick three-and-out. On their next possession, the Vikings drove down the field to get in Rams territory; however, Darnold was sacked by Ahkello Witherspoon and simultaneously fumbled the ball, which was picked and scored up by Jared Verse
Jared Verse (born November 4, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Albany Great Danes and Florida State Seminoles. Verse was the 2 ...
for a 57-yard touchdown. The Rams added another touchdown, via a 12-yard Puka Nacua catch from Stafford, to give the Rams a commanding 24–3 lead at halftime.
A T. J. Hockenson catch-and-run added a touchdown for the Vikings in the third quarter, but they never seriously got back into the game. The Rams defeated the Vikings, 27–9, for their first playoff win since winning Super Bowl LVI
Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 NFL season, 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2021 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles ...
.
Los Angeles' defense registered nine sacks on Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold, tying a playoff record. Darnold's 82 yards lost on sacks were the most of any quarterback in a playoff game since the 1970 merger.
Divisional playoffs
Saturday, January 18, 2025
AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Houston Texans 14
This was the third overall playoff meeting between the Chiefs and Texans. The Chiefs won the first two playoff meetings, most recently the 2019 AFC Divisional Game, which the Chiefs won 51–31 in Kansas City en route to winning Super Bowl LIV
Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 NFL season, 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2019 Kansas City Chiefs season, Kansas City ...
despite trailing 24–0 during the second quarter. In the regular season, the Chiefs defeated the Texans 27–19 in Kansas City during Week 16.
The Chiefs, playing in their first meaningful game since Christmas Day, 24 days prior, received an immediate boost when kicker returner Nikko Remigio returned the opening kickoff for 63 yards. A Texans unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the play took the ball to Houston's 13-yard line. The Chiefs went three-and-out and kicked the field goal to take the early lead. The Texans responded with a Kaʻimi Fairbairn
John Christian Kaiminoeauloamekaikeokekumupaa Fairbairn (born January 29, 1994) is an American professional football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Playing college football for the UCLA Bruins, he was a ...
field kick after a 10-play drive, tying the game. Harrison Butker kicked the Chiefs into the lead on the next possession with a 36-yard field goal. A few possessions later, Fairbairn missed a 55-yard kick wide to the right, giving the Chiefs a short field. The Chiefs scored on this possession; a Kareem Hunt short touchdown run at the goal line, which was highlighted by a Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
pass and run to Travis Kelce
Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
for 49 yards, the longest playoff reception in Kelce's career. Fairbairn snuck in a 48–yard field goal on the next possession just before halftime, to pull the Texans within seven points.
The Texans opened the third quarter with the ball and scored on a Joe Mixon 13-yard run to cap a 10-minute drive; however, Fairbairn missed the extra-point, leaving Houston one point behind, 13–12. The Chiefs responded with seven minute and 44 second drive, with a Mahomes to Kelce touchdown catch as Mahomes was falling to the ground. It was the duo's 18th touchdown connection, extending their playoff record for a quarterback and pass catcher. In the fourth quarter with 10:05 left in the game, the Texans failed on a fourth down on Kansas City 40-yard line. On the play, C. J. Stroud was sacked by regular season team sack leader George Karlaftis for 16 yards, the fourth sack of the game for Kansas City's defense. The teams exchanged three-and-outs before Harrison Butker extended the Chiefs lead to 23–12 with a field goal late in the fourth quarter. Stroud led the Texans to the red zone on the next possession, but an eighth sack against him forced him out of the game with an injury. On the next play, Fairbairn missed his third kick of the game, via a block by Leo Chenal. Chiefs punter Matt Araiza took a safety rather than punting the ball back to the Texans to end the game.
The game became controversial with viewers due to controversial penalties that were believed to benefit Patrick Mahomes. After what appeared to be a clean hit from Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. on Patrick Mahomes, officials penalized Anderson for roughing the passer, which gave the Chiefs a first down instead of a fourth and long. Anderson later said in his postgame interview that the game was "us vs. the refs"; Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was quoted as saying, "We knew going into this game that it was us versus everybody... And I mean ''everybody''."
The Chiefs' 23–14 win gave them 16 playoff wins in the Mahomes–Reid
Reid is a surname of Scotland, Scottish origin. It means "red".
People with the surname
* Alec Cunningham-Reid (1895–1977), British politician
* Alan Reid (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alex Reid (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alexan ...
era. In addition, Andy Reid joined the 300-win club with the victory. Kansas City will host the AFC Championship Game next Sunday, in what will be their seventh straight AFC Championship game, one short of the record set by the 2011–2018 Patriots.
The Chiefs became the first team in NFL postseason history to win while forcing no turnovers and being outgained by at least 100 yards. Previously, teams were 0–49.
NFC: Washington Commanders 45, Detroit Lions 31
This was the fourth overall playoff meeting between the Lions and Commanders. Washington won each of the three previous playoff meetings, with the most recent meeting being in the 1999 NFC Wild Card, where the then-Washington Redskins defeated the Lions 27–13 in Washington. Washington and Detroit did not meet in the regular season.
A Zane Gonzalez
Zane Holden Fortunato Gonzalez (born May 7, 1995) is an American professional football placekicker. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, finishing as the NCAA Division I leader in field goals made at the time prior to be ...
kickoff out of bounds gave the Lions the ball at their own 40-yard line, but they went three-and-out. On Washington's first possession, they failed on a fourth-down trick play involving backup quarterback Marcus Mariota
Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
on Detroit's 28-yard line. The Lions scored a touchdown on the very next possession, highlighted by 48 all-purpose yards from running back Jahmyr Gibbs on the possession, who also scored it on the short goal-line run. Zane Gonzalez kicked a field goal on Washington's next possession to carve into Detroit's lead, 7–3.
Just before the end of the first quarter, Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single- ...
was sacked and fumbled deep into Washington's territory. This turnover turned into points, as Washington's next drive ended in a Brian Robinson Jr. goal-line touchdown run, which included the Commanders going for it on fourth down (and succeeding) for the second time this game and the fifth time so far this playoff. A Sam LaPorta one-handed red zone catch from Goff immediately gave the Lions the lead back, 14–10. This was another short-lived lead, as the Commanders scored a minute and 21 seconds later on a Daniels screen pass to Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin (born September 15, 1995) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, O ...
for 59 yards. The following possession saw the Goff throw a pick-six to Commanders cornerback Quan Martin
Jartavius Quan Martin (born April 17, 2000) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for t ...
, extending the Commanders lead, 24–14. On the interception run back, Goff was hit by Frankie Luvu in the head and had to come out of the game. On the next possession, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater
Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the 2013 Sugar Bowl, and was selected as the final first round pick of ...
came into the game and the Lions scored on a Jameson Williams end-around for 61 yards, now trailing just by 3. A few moments later, Daniels hit Dyami Brown for an over the shoulder 38-yard catch, in what was considered a "no-look" catch as safety Kerby Joseph hit Brown's facemask before he could see the ball. Later in the possession, Daniels found veteran tight end Zach Ertz for a 5-yard touchdown to extend their lead back to 10. Goff came back into the game and committed his third turnover in the game on an interception by rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil
Mike Sainristil ( ; born October 3, 2000) is a Haitian American professional football cornerback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American playing college football for the Michigan Wolverines, wi ...
on a pass intended for Jameson Williams in the endzone. The Commanders took a 31–21 lead on the top seeded Lions into halftime. Overall, in the second quarter, both teams combined for 42 points, the highest scoring second quarter in NFL history. The teams also combined for 621 yards and seven different players scored a touchdown in the opening half. Coincidentally, with Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
announcing the game for Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
, it was the first playoff game to feature 600+ yards from both teams in a half since Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
, a game that Brady's Patriots lost.
The Lions opened the scoring with an 11-play touchdown drive, with Gibbs scoring his second running touchdown of the game. On the drive, the officials called a facemask penalty on what would have been a third-down stop, although replay showed David Montgomery shoulder pad was pulled, not his facemask. Additionally, on the drive, off of a pitch from Jared Goff, David Montgomery shoveled a pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 20-yard catch and run to covert a pivotal first down. Washington responded the next possession scoring a touchdown on a 1-yard run from Robinson to extend their lead back to 10, 38–28. A trick play by the Lions on their next possession this time backfired, as Jameson Williams threw an interception on a pass intended for Gibbs. It was an interception by Sainristil, his second of the game. Commanders furthered the lead on a Jeremy McNichols 1-yard run, who was the eighth player in the game to score a touchdown. In the lead-up to the touchdown, the Commanders went for it again on fourth down with Daniels competing a pass to McLaurin on 4th-and-2 from Detroit's 13-yard line. It was their seventh time going for it on fourth down in the playoffs thus far. In the last 4:33 of the game, the Lions could only muster a field goal. Goff threw his third interception of the game (and fourth overall turnover, including his first quarter fumble) on the Lions last possession of the game. It was intercepted by safety Jeremy Chinn for Washington's fourth interception of the game.
Daniels and Commanders ran out the clock and they were onto their first NFC Championship Game in 33 years, with a 45–31 upset of the Lions. The 45 points for Washington was the most they had ever scored in the playoffs. With the Commanders' win, the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
now own the longest active conference championship appearance drought in the NFC, having last made it in 1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
and being the only NFC team yet to make a conference championship appearance in the 21st century. With the defeat, the Lions joined the 2011 Green Bay Packers as the only 15-win team to not win a game in the playoffs.
Sunday, January 19, 2025
NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 28, Los Angeles Rams 22
This was the fourth meeting between the Eagles and Rams in NFL playoff history, with the Rams having won two of the three prior matchups; the then-St. Louis Rams won 29–24 won the most recent playoff meeting in the 2001 NFC Championship Game at the Edward Jones Dome
The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Dom ...
in St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. In the regular season, the Eagles defeated the Rams 37–20 during Week 12 in Los Angeles.
The Eagles and Rams traded touchdowns on their first possessions. The Eagles scored on a 44-yard run from quarterback Jalen Hurts
Jalen Alexander Hurts (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
Hurts began his college football career with the Alabama Crims ...
, while the Rams finished their drive off with a pass from Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
to tight end Tyler Higbee
Tyler Higbee (born January 1, 1993) is an American professional football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and was selected by the Rams in th ...
. The score was not tied due to Jake Elliott's missed extra point after the Hurts run. The two teams then matched each other with punts. Late in the first quarter, the Eagles went in front with a 62-yard touchdown run from Saquon Barkley
Saquon Rasul Quevis Barkley ( ; born February 9, 1997) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany ...
; it was Barkley's third touchdown against the Rams this season, after breaking the Eagles single-game rushing record against them in Week 12. Joshua Karty added a field goal for the Rams on their next possession to cut the Eagles' lead to 13–10. Neither team scored for the rest of the second quarter as the game went into halftime.
With the field now covered in snow, the game became a defense and turnover battle in the second half. In the third quarter, both teams exchanged field goals to keep the Eagles lead to three points. With 26 seconds left in the third quarter, Hurts was sacked for a safety by Rams defensive tackle Neville Gallimore
Neville Gallimore (born January 17, 1997) is a Canadian professional football nose tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, and was selected by the Dallas Cowb ...
to reduce the deficit to a single point. On the previous possession, Hurts seemed to injure his knee on a sack by Jaylen McCollough. Now in the fourth quarter, with the weather conditions worsening, the Eagles capitalized on a Kyren Williams fumble that saw the Eagles start at the 10-yard line of the Rams. The Eagles marched the ball to the Los Angeles 1-yard line, but a false start penalty from veteran lineman Lane Johnson
David Lane Johnson (born May 8, 1990) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Eagles fourth overall in the 2013 NFL draft. He played college ...
on fourth down led to Philadelphia electing to kick the field goal, which was successful. On the subsequent drive by the Rams, Stafford lost the ball on a sack that saw the Eagles get the ball at the Rams 38-yard line; they drove down to have Elliott deliver a field goal to extend the lead to 22–15. After the Rams punted on a three-and-out, Saquon Barkley
Saquon Rasul Quevis Barkley ( ; born February 9, 1997) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany ...
broke the game open with a 78-yard touchdown run, his second rush of 70 yards or more against the Rams this season; however, Elliott missed another extra point for the second time of the game. Now trailing 28–15, the Rams went 70 yards in less than two minutes, culminating with a Stafford touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson from 4 yards out to make the score 28–22 with 2:48 remaining. After forcing a punt, Stafford and the Rams received the ball back with just over two minutes left. They drove the ball down the field, getting to the 13-yard line of Philadelphia with 1:14 to go; however, a Jalen Carter
Jalen Da'Quan Carter (born April 4, 2001), is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was a unanimous All ...
sack of Stafford on third down and an incomplete pass on fourth down gave Philadelphia the win and their second NFC Championship berth in three seasons.
AFC: Buffalo Bills 27, Baltimore Ravens 25
This was the second overall playoff meeting between the Bills and Ravens. In their only other meeting, the Bills won the 2020 AFC Divisional Game, 17–3. In the regular season, the Ravens defeated the Bills 35–10 during Week 4 in Baltimore. This game featured the two favorites for the NFL MVP
In American football, most valuable player (MVP) awards are given by various entities to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the most valuable during the regular season. Organizations which issue an NFL MVP award include t ...
, Bills quarterback Josh Allen
Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys football, Wyoming Cow ...
and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Heisman T ...
.
Before the game, at a press-conference on January 13, Ravens head-coach John Harbaugh
John William Harbaugh ( ; born September 23, 1962) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia ...
, alongside the rest of the press-conference, laughed when a reporter called Buffalo a "city of losers" in reference to a clip he made on his radio show As the Ravens took the field, the Bills played the clip from the radio show over the stadium loud-speakers resulting in a chorus of boos from fans.
The Ravens received to start the game. The teams traded touchdowns on their opening dives, with a 16-yard Jackson pass to Rashod Bateman being followed by a drive that ended with a 1-yard Ray Davis rushing touchdown for the Bills. On the subsequent drive, Jackson threw an interception to Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp
Taylor Michael Rapp (born December 22, 1997) is an American professional football safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams ...
; the Bills failed to score and punted after four plays. The Ravens started from their own 9-yard line and drove the ball all the way to the Buffalo 28-yard line but Jackson fumbled the ball when being sacked by Damar Hamlin
Damar Romeyelle Hamlin (; born March 24, 1998) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pi ...
that saw Von Miller
Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American professional American football, football linebacker. Miller played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies football, Texas A&M Aggies, where he earned consensus College Football All-A ...
recover the fumble and return it all the way to the Baltimore 24-yard line. Four plays later, Josh Allen
Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys football, Wyoming Cow ...
scored on a tush push rush to give Buffalo the lead. The Ravens marched the ball down the field on their next drive (getting as close as the 2-yard line) before being stopped on the goal-line, which saw them decide to have Justin Tucker
Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional football kicker. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending 13 seasons with the ...
kick a 26-yard field goal to narrow the deficit. The Bills responded by also marching the ball down the field (going 70 yards in 3:27) with Allen again scoring a rushing touchdown on a 4-yard play action draw that saw Buffalo go up 21–10 with 0:16 in the first half.Derrick Henry
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American professional football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "King Henry", he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build t ...
5-yard run; however, the two-point conversion attempt to try and tie the game was batted down by Bills linebacker Matt Milano for an incompletion. Starting at their own 30, the Bills went 37 yards to setup a 51-yard field goal attempt by Tyler Bass to make the score 24–19 with 12:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. On the next drive, when Jackson completed a pass to tight end Mark Andrews to the 44-yard line of Buffalo, Terrel Bernard forced a fumble that he recovered to give Buffalo the ball. The Bills responded with a grinding drive of 52 yards that took five minutes off the clock that culminated with Bass making a 21-yard field goal (after Buffalo elected to kick on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line) with 3:29 remaining to give Buffalo a 27–19 lead. A subsequent penalty on the kick return meant Baltimore started at their own 12-yard line. The Ravens drove down the field quickly, going 88 yards in eight plays that saw Jackson throw a 24-yard pass to Isaiah Likely in the end zone to cut the deficit to two. On the two-point conversion attempt, Jackson threw it to Andrews near the pylon, but Andrews dropped the pass. With 1:33 remaining, the Ravens attempted an onside kick, but Rasul Douglas recovered it for the Bills. Buffalo had one 17-yard running play to burn the last Ravens timeout before kneeling the ball to end the game.
Conference Championships
Sunday, January 26, 2025
NFC Championship: Philadelphia Eagles 55, Washington Commanders 23
This was the second ever playoff meeting between Washington and Philadelphia; their first came in the 1990 NFC Wild Card Game, in which the Redskins defeated the Eagles 20–6 at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating ca ...
in Philadelphia. In the regular season, the Eagles and Commanders split the series, with the Eagles winning 26–18 in Philadelphia in Week 14 and the Commanders winning 36–33 in Washington in Week 16. This marked the first time that the NFC Championship was a divisional matchup since the Rams and 49ers from the NFC West met in the 2021–22 playoffs and was the first involving NFC East sides since the Giants played the Redskins in 1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
.
This was the ninth NFC Championship Game appearance for the Eagles, who came in with a 4–4 record in the round but won their last two appearances in 2017 and 2022. The Commanders made their seventh NFC Championship Game in franchise history and first since their Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
run in 1992; they previously were 5–1 in the round. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the sixth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship in NFL history, hoping to become the first rookie quarterback to reach and start a Super Bowl, while Jalen Hurts
Jalen Alexander Hurts (born August 7, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
Hurts began his college football career with the Alabama Crims ...
sought to become the first quarterback to return to the Super Bowl after losing in his first Super Bowl start since Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly (born February 14, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers o ...
.Zane Gonzalez
Zane Holden Fortunato Gonzalez (born May 7, 1995) is an American professional football placekicker. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, finishing as the NCAA Division I leader in field goals made at the time prior to be ...
34-yard field goal. The Eagles countered with a Saquon Barkley
Saquon Rasul Quevis Barkley ( ; born February 9, 1997) is an American professional American football, football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany ...
60-yard touchdown run on their first play of the game; it was Saquon's third postseason run of 60 yards or more.
Washington's next drive stalled when Zack Baun punched the ball out of Dyami Brown's arms on a catch and run; the ball was recovered by Reed Blankenship just before going out of bounds. With the ball on Washington's 48-yard line, the Eagles scored on a touchdown on Barkley 4-yard run with 3:43 left in the first quarter, putting the score at 14–3. The Commanders executed a fake punt on a Tress Way pass to backup tight end Ben Sinnott on their next possession. Their drive would stall, but a Zane Gonzalez 46-yard field goal cut the Eagles' lead to 14–6. The Eagles drove the ball down the field, but a Hurts' sack by Frankie Luvu on 3rd-and-6 moved the ball back to Washington's 36-yard-line; the next play Jake Elliott missed a 54-yard field goal. The Commanders promptly responded, as a few moments later, Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin (born September 15, 1995) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, O ...
found the endzone after a 36-yard catch-and-run from Jayden Daniels with 7:05 left in the second quarter; they however failed on a two-point conversion that would have tied the score at 14. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their next drive, benefiting from a Hurts to A. J. Brown connection on a 4th-and-5 for 31 yards. Color commentary Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
pointed out that the play should have been a penalty due to Barkley holding a Commanders' defender just before Hurts released the pass. Nevertheless, the Eagles finished off the drive on a Brotherly Shove play from the 1-yard line. After the play, veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore was called for unnecessary roughness against A. J. Brown, which caused a short brawl. Instead of going for the extra-point field goal, the Eagles failed on a two-point conversion from the 1-yard line. On the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles recovered their second kickoff fumble of the playoffs. With the ball at Washington's 24-yard line, the Eagles drove the ball to the Commander's 4-yard line before a Hurts to Brown touchdown pass and catch gave the Eagles a 27–12 lead with 0:39 seconds left in the half. Daniels and the Commanders drove down the field, which allowed Gonzalez to kick a 42-yard field goal just before half, leaving the score at 27-15 at halftime. There were no punts in the first half, the first time this has happened in a Conference Championship game since 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
.
On their second possession of the third quarter, the Eagles went up 34–15 on a Jalen Hurts 9-yard run, his second rushing touchdown of the game. The Commanders responded on their next possession with a Daniels 10-yard touchdown run; their successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 34–23. At 2:29 left in the third quarter, Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu came up with a tackle for loss on a Barkley run on 3rd-and-5, forcing an Eagles punt. On the Commanders' next possession, they suffered their third fumble loss of the game when backup running back Austin Ekeler caught the ball on a short pass, fell down, and loss the ball when he got up due to Oren Burks punching the ball out of his hands.
In the fourth quarter, after a 22-yard run by Barkley, as well as three straight encroachment penalties on Washington's defense (two of which were on Luvu), the Eagles scored a touchdown on a Hurts Brotherly Shove from the 1-yard line, his third rushing touchdown of the game. On their next possession, the Commanders were stopped on fourth down on their own 31-yard line. Pass interference by Jeremy Chinn on tight end Dallas Goedert set up the Eagles to score their sixth touchdown of the game; the 4-yard scoring run from Barkley was his seventh touchdown against the Commanders during the season and extended the Eagles' lead to 48–23. With the game out of reach, backup running back Will Shipley added the Eagles seventh touchdown of the day on 2-yard run with 4:51 remaining in the game. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett
Kenneth Shane Pickett (born June 6, 1998) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers football, Pittsbu ...
kneeled the ball on the Eagles' next possession to secure the team's fifth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. The Eagles' 55 points were the most scored by a team in any championship game.
The Eagles offense broke out of their mini-slump in a big way. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 246 yards, the second time since Thanksgiving and his first playoff game since Super Bowl LVII that he passed for over 200 yards. A. J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Dallas Goedert caught seven passes for 85 yards. Barkley ran for 118 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns, putting him just 29 yards away behind Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
' all-time record for combined regular-season and playoff rushing yards in a single season. Hurts added 16 yards on the ground to go along with three touchdowns. Third-string running back Will Shipley also had 77 yards on the ground and a touchdown while also causing a fumble for the Eagles on a kickoff return just before the second half. Altogether, the Eagles broke the record for most rush yards in a NFC Championship Game.
During postgame celebrations in Philadelphia, an 18-year-old Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
student fell from a light pole on Sunday night and died a few days later.
AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs 32, Buffalo Bills 29
This was the seventh playoff meeting between the Bills and Chiefs, and the fourth in five seasons. The Chiefs lead the historical playoff series 4–2, including the 2021 AFC Divisional Game, where the Chiefs offense orchestrated a game-tying drive in the final 13 seconds of regulation. The most recent playoff meeting came in the 2023 AFC Divisional Game, which the Chiefs won 27–24 in Buffalo en route to winning Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...
after Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal wide right in the final two minutes of regulation. The last conference championship meeting was the 2020 AFC Championship game, which the Chiefs won 38–24. In the regular season, the Bills defeated the Chiefs 30–21 in Buffalo during Week 11.
This was the seventh straight AFC Championship Game appearance (and eighth overall) for the Chiefs. The eighth team to win back-to-back Super Bowls, they became the fourth team to reach the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
in three consecutive seasons, after the 1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
–1973
Events January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, 1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
–1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, and 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
–2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
; however, Kansas City is the first team to win two straight Super Bowls and then return for a third consecutive year, as the Dolphins lost their first, the Patriots their second, and the Bills all three. This is the seventh overall AFC Championship Game appearance for the Bills, who have not won a conference since their four consecutive AFC Championship Game victories from 1991 to 1994, one of which (1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
) was against the Chiefs; that game is also the last time they beat the Chiefs in the playoffs.
The Chiefs started off the scoring via a Kareem Hunt 12-yard run on their first possession. On the next possession, Bills' kicker Tyler Bass connected on a 55-yard field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. Consequently, ...
, the longest postseason kick in the history of Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).
It was built at the same time as neighboring Kauff ...
. With 57 seconds left in the first quarter, Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
fumbled on Buffalo's 23-yard line; it was Kansas City's first offensive turnover since Week 11, which coincidentally came against Buffalo. The Bills took the momentum and scored on their next possession at in the second quarter via a James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
6-yard run, his 20th total touchdown (regular season and playoffs) of the season. The Chiefs responded with an eleven-play drive on a Mahomes touchdown pass to rookie Xavier Worthy
Xavier Worthy (born April 27, 2003) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns, earning three All-Big 12 honors. Worthy ...
, taking the lead, 14–10. The Bills went three-and-out and a Nikko Remigio 41-yard punt return set up the Chiefs on the Bills 29-yard line. Then, Xavier Worthy caught a questionable jump ball catch on 3rd-and-5, taking the ball to Buffalo's 3-yard line. With 1:55 left in the half, Mahomes ran it in on a rollout to the right from Buffalo's 1-yard line to go up 21–10. On the Bills next possession, a Mack Hollins 34-yard pass from Josh Allen
Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys football, Wyoming Cow ...
cut the lead to one score. The Bills tried to cut the lead to three points by attempting a two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion, two-point convert, or two-point attempt is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that ...
, but receiver Curtis Samuel was stopped short of the goal line. The game went into halftime with Kansas City holding a 21–16 lead.
Kansas City's first drive out of halftime stalled on a Matt Milano sack
A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag.
Sack may also refer to:
Bags
* Flour sack
* Gunny sack
* Hacky sack, sport
* Money sack
* Paper sack
* Sleeping bag
* Stuff sack
* Knapsack
Other uses
* Bed, a slang term
* Sack (band), ...
of Mahomes on 3rd-and-11 on Buffalo's 37-yard line. Buffalo proceeded to take the ball down the field and scored on a James Cook 1-yard run on 4th-and-goal, taking the lead, 22–21. Bass made his extra point attempt, but Chiefs safety Justin Reid
Justin Quintin Reid (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional football safety for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal. He was selected by the Houston Texans ...
was called for offside, having come over the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped in an attempt to block the kick. The Bills had the choice of declining the penalty, which would've resulted in a successful extra point, or accepting the penalty, which would allow them to attempt another two-point conversion, but from the one-yard line instead of the two-yard line due to the penalty. The Bills accepted the penalty, and their second two-point conversion attempt of the game, a QB sneak by Allen, was unsuccessful. On the ensuing possession, the Bills defense held the Chiefs to a punt, giving Buffalo the opportunity to possibly go up by two possessions. However, the drive ended with no score after the final two plays, and in particular Josh Allen's fourth-and-inches quarterback sneak, were controversially ruled short of the line to gain, turning the ball over to the Chiefs on Kansas City's 41-yard line with 13:01 left to play.
The Chiefs responded to it with a five-play, 59-yard touchdown drive capped off by a 10-yard Mahomes run, his second rushing touchdown of the game and third overall in the postseason; on the two-point conversion, Mahomes found Justin Watson at the back of the endzone to take the lead 29-22. The Bills then marched down the field on a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a four-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Samuel on 4th-and-goal, and after Bass made the extra point, the score was tied at 29 with 6:15 left in the game. The Chiefs' next drive stalled on Buffalo's 17-yard line, with the Bills holding them to a Harrison Butker field goal, giving the Chiefs a 32–29 lead with 3:33 left to play. The Bills got the ball back, and needed to either kick a field goal to tie the game or score a touchdown to take the lead in order to avoid a fourth consecutive playoff loss to the Chiefs. However, the Bills were only able to get one first down, a Josh Allen 13-yard scramble on 2nd-and-11 from the Buffalo 29-yard line. After the scramble, first and second down resulted in incompletions before Allen connected with Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
for five yards on 3rd-and-10, setting up a do-or-die 4th-and-5 for the Bills. On the play, Kansas City defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...
Steve Spagnuolo
Stephen Christopher Spagnuolo ( ;(Italian: born December 21, 1959) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Spags", Spagnuolo started his NFL coac ...
chose to heavily blitz Allen, causing him to heave the ball to Dalton Kincaid. The ball was catchable, but Kincaid misread the pass and dropped it while sliding. Buffalo then used a timeout after each play the Chiefs ran in an effort to get the ball back, but Kansas City was able to get a first down and kneel out the clock to secure their berth in Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
.Josh Allen
Joshua Patrick Allen (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wyoming Cowboys football, Wyoming Cow ...
and Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
recorded similar statistics: Allen went 22–34 with 237 yards passing and two passing touchdowns, while Mahomes went 18–26 for 245 yards and one touchdown. On the ground, Allen went for 39 yards on 11 carries, while Mahomes had 43 yards on 11 carries with two scrambling touchdowns. In nine composite matchups between the Chiefs and Bills (regular season and playoffs), Mahomes's team now has outscored Allen's 245–240.Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Co ...
for the second-most wins by a quarterback in playoff history and trailing only Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
and his 35 wins.
Super Bowl LIX: Philadelphia Eagles 40, Kansas City Chiefs 22
This was the second time the Eagles and the Chiefs met in the Super Bowl, just two years after their first in Super Bowl LVII
Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...
.
Media
United States
Broadcasting rights of the Wild Card round is split between the NFL's existing broadcasters: CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
, NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
and Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
. CBS has two games, an AFC contest which it is guaranteed annually, as well as a second game as part of a rotation with Fox and NBC since 2020.Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
had an alternative broadcast of CBS' Saturday Wild Card game. Fox is also guaranteed an NFC Wild Card game annually.ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
and the '' Manningcast'' on ESPN2. This was the first season Prime Video exclusively streamed a Wild Card game, purchasing the rights to the game that Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
streamed exclusively last season. Prime Video had previously simulcast one of CBS's Wild Card games in 2020–21 and 2021–22.
This was the second season that ESPN/ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC each aired one divisional playoff game.
CBS and Fox had the AFC Championship Game
The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
and NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
, respectively.Super Bowl LIX
Super Bowl LIX was an American football championship game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2024 NFL season, 2024 season. In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII two years prior, the National Football Conf ...
under the annual rotation of Super Bowl broadcasters.
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes (, ) is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the ...
, Fox Deportes and Universo
Universo is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He was created by Jim Shooter and Curt Swan, and first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #349 (October 1966).
Fictional character biography
P ...
/Telemundo air all ESPN/ABC, Fox and NBC games in Spanish respectively. For the first time, Fox Deportes
Fox Deportes (formerly Fox Sports en Español) is an American pay television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming in Spanish, aimed at the Hispanic population in the United States. Launched in 1993, Fox Deportes, a divis ...
and Telemundo
Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
will share the Spanish rights to the Super Bowl.Paramount+
Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
and ESPN+
ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by ESPN Inc., which is a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communicati ...
streamed all NBC, CBS and ESPN/ABC games, respectively,Tubi
Tubi (stylized as tubi) is an American over-the-top ad-supported streaming television service owned by Fox Corporation since 2020. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2023, Tubi, Credible L ...
will stream Super Bowl LIX. The league's streaming service NFL+
NFL+ is an over-the-top subscription service operated by the National Football League (NFL) in the United States. The service offers live-streaming of the radio broadcasts of all NFL games, streaming of the television broadcasts of in-market gam ...
stream every postseason game on mobile devices only, regardless of broadcaster.
International
This was DAZN
DAZN (; pronounced "da zone") is a British Over-the-top media service, over-the-top sports Sports broadcasting, streaming and entertainment platform. Founded in 2007 as Perform Group via the merger of Premium TV Limited and Inform Group, it is o ...
's second year of a ten-year agreement to distribute the NFL Game Pass International service, offering live NFL playoff games.
Specific country rights include:
*Australia: ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
*Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia: Arena Sport
Arena Sport is a regional pay television sports television network, network. It consists of 3 premium and 11 regular channels and is coverage area includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
It sh ...
*Brazil: ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
/RedeTV!
RedeTV! (, also Rede TV! or RTV! or TV Ômega) is a Brazilian television network owned by Amilcare Dallevo and Marcelo de Carvalho. It is the newest television network, among the five major networks in Brazil, being a relaunch of Rede Manchete ...
*Canada: TSN/ CTV
*Denmark: TV 2
*Finland/Sweden: TV4
*France: beIN Sports
beIN Sports ( ) is a Qatari multinational network of sports channels owned and operated by the media group beIN. The network has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its ...
, W9RTL
RTL may refer to:
Media
* RTL Group, a European TV, radio, and production company
*** List of RTL Group's television stations (including part-owned channels)
*** List of RTL Group's radio stations
** RTL Lëtzebuerg, usually referred to simply a ...
*Japan: Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...
*Mexico: Canal 5, ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
/Star+
Star+ (Star Plus; stylized as ST★R+) was a short-lived subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service available in almost all Ibero-American states. The service was owned by The Walt Disney Company through the Disney Entertai ...
, Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
*New Zealand: TVNZ
Television New Zealand (, "Te Reo Tātaki" meaning "The Leading Voice"),
more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a New Zealand state-owned media company and Crown entity. The company operates a television network, streaming service, and news se ...
*Norway: VGTV
(), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is the most-read online newspaper in ...
*South Korea: Coupang Play
Coupang Play () is a South Korean video on demand over-the-top streaming television service launched by Coupang in December 2020. It is based on the former Hooq's assets. After the 2022 '' Saturday Night Live Korea'' sketch lampooning Korean pre ...
*Spain: Movistar Deportes
*Taiwan:
*Thailand: TrueVisions
True Visions Group Co., Ltd. is the largest provider of a cable analog television (CAtv) and digital satellite television (DStv) in Thailand. TrueVisions is a subsidiary of the business division of True Corporation.
Prior to February 2007, ...
*United Kingdom: Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2024-25 Nfl Playoffs
Playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
NFL playoffs
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...