After a Super Wild Card Weekend that wasn’t so super, the divisional round of the playoffs has already more than made up for it with three upsets in the first three games of the round.
The first upset came on Saturday afternoon when the Bengals knocked off the top-seeded Titans 19-16 thanks to a walk-off field goal by rookie Evan McPherson. The Bengals are now headed to the AFC Championship for the first time since the 1988 season.
In the nightcap on Saturday, the 49ers also pulled off an upset when they beat the Packers 13-10 thanks to a walk-off field goal from 45 yards out by Robbie Gould. With the loss, Aaron Rodgers is now 0-4 in his career against the 49ers in the playoffs. That’s the most losses in NFL playoff history by one quarterback against a single opponent.
The loss by both the Packers and Titans marks the first time since 2010 that both one seeds have gone down in the divisional round.
The divisional games on Sunday also started off with an upset and this one ALSO had a walk-off field goal as Matthew Gay hit a kick from 30 yards out to give Los Angeles a wild 30-27 win over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. The win by the Rams means that they’ll be hosting the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. The division rivals played each other twice this year with the 49ers sweeping the series. The Rams have lost six straight to San Francisco.
As for the Bengals, they’ll be traveling to either Buffalo or Kansas City for the AFC title game. The Bills and Chiefs will be kicking off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Here’s a look at the playoff schedule along with the results of each game that’s been played so far.
Super Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 15
- (4) Bengals 26-19 over (5) Raiders. The Bengals ended their 31-year playoff drought, but things definitely got dramatic before that happened. The Bengals’ win wasn’t clinched until Carr threw an interception from Cincinnati’s 9-yard line with 12 seconds left in the game. In his first playoff start ever, Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes, while kicker Evan McPherson set a franchise record for playoff field goals with four.
- (3) Bills 47-17 over (6) Patriots. The Bills handed the Patriots a historical beatdown in a game that was never close. The Bills scored a touchdown on each of their first seven possessions, which is something that had never been done before by any playoff team in the Super Bowl era. The Bills’ offensive blitzkrieg was led by Josh Allen, who threw for 308 yards and five touchdowns on a night where the Bills totaled 482 yards.
Sunday, Jan. 16
- (2) Buccaneers 31-15 over (7) Eagles. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 31-0 lead in this game and never looked back. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and then Tampa Bay’s defense did the rest with two interceptions and a sack of Jalen Hurts.
- (6) 49ers 23-17 over (3) Cowboys. The 49ers looked like they were on their way to a blowout win with a 23-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but then things took a dramatic turn after the Cowboys mounted a furious comeback to cut the lead to 23-17. However, the comeback fell just short with the Cowboys’ final drive of the game ending at San Francisco’s 24-yard line.
- (2) Chiefs 42-21 over (7) Steelers. The Steelers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after scoring a defensive touchdown, but it was all Chiefs after that. Patrick Mahomes threw for 404 yards and five touchdowns as Kansas City rolled to a win that will now set up a rematch with a Bills team that beat the Chiefs earlier this season.
Monday, Jan. 17
- (4) Rams 34-11 over (5) Cardinals. The Rams scored the first 28 points of this game and it was never close after that. A big reason the Rams were able to jump out to such a big lead is because the Cardinals offense fell on its face coming out of the gate. The first half was a total nightmare for an Arizona team that only totaled 40 yards in the first two quarters while also watching Kyler Murray throw a pick-six.
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 22
- (4) Bengals 19-16 over (1) Titans. For the first time in 33 years, the Bengals are headed back to the AFC Championship Game. Although Joe Burrow got beat up in the game — he got sacked nine times — he still managed to throw for 348 yards to propel the Bengals to one of their biggest wins in franchise history. The Bengals wouldn’t have won this game without Evan McPherson, who hit four field goals, including the game-winner from 52 yards out as time expired.
- (6) 49ers 13-10 over (1) Packers. The 49ers were able to pull off the upset in Green Bay thanks in large part to some stellar special teams play. Not only did the 49ers block a field goal in the game, but they also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to tie the game at 10 with just 4:41 left. Robbie Gould then punched San Francisco’s ticket to the NFC Championship with a 45-yard field goal as time expired.
Sunday, Jan. 23
- (4) Rams 30-27 over (2) Buccaneers. Tom Brady almost pulled off another improbable comeback, but Matthew Stafford mustered up just enough magic in the final minute to lead Los Angeles to the win. At one point, the Buccaneers trailed 27-3, but they managed to tied things up at 27 after a wild fourth quarter. The Rams were able to escaped with the win though after Matthew Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp for a 44-yard play with under 10 seconds left. The pass play set up a 30-yard walk-off field goal by Matthew Gay.
- (3) Bills at (2) Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+). In the most anticipated game of the divisional round, we’ll be getting a rematch of last season’s AFC title game. Although the Chiefs won that one, the Bills won the most recent game between these two teams when they won 38-20 in Kansas City back in Week 5.
Championship Sunday
Jan. 30
AFC Championship
Bengals at Chiefs/Bills, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
NFC Championship
49ers at Rams, 6:40 p.m. ET (Fox)
Super Bowl LVI
Feb. 13
AFC champion vs. Rams/49ers in Los Angeles, 6:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
