The NFL playoffs started off with an explosion of historic games that demonstrated just how open the field is to win the Super Bowl in 2026. After Wild Card Weekend, both of last year’s Super Bowl teams are out of the playoffs, opening the door for a new Super Bowl winner. In Chicago, the Bears put together the biggest comeback in franchise history, scoring 25 points in the 4th quarter to overcome an 18-point deficit. In addition, the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen earned a playoff road win for the first time since 1992. Consequently, this weekend marked a new era of playmakers at quarterback, including Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, while the old guard of elite quarterbacks remains relevant, with Matthew Stafford leading the Rams to a road playoff victory.
Carolina Panthers = 134 Receiving Yards
The Carolina Panthers came up just short of handing the Los Angeles Rams a second loss this season. Carolina’s defense and offense did a great job of keeping them in the game against the Rams, and thanks to some exceptional offensive efforts, the Panthers led late. The biggest standout was Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker, who had 134 receiving yards for the game and made a few key catches down the stretch. In the 3rd quarter, Coker had a 52-yard reception that set up a touchdown run for running back Chuba Hubbard. And in the 4th quarter, Coker caught a 7-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a 31-27 lead with 2:39 left in the quarter.
Los Angeles Chargers = 7.7% on Critical Downs
Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Chargers have hit a wall in the NFL playoffs, including the last several seasons with quarterback Justin Herbert. While Herbert has shown the ability to be an elite quarterback during the regular season, he has not led his team to a playoff victory. This season, Herbert and the Chargers were eliminated on the road by a Patriots team experiencing a resurgence. A critical part of the Chargers’ losing effort was their failure to convert on 3rd and 4th downs. During the game, the Chargers failed to put together scoring drives, going 0-for-13 on 3rd- and 4th-down attempts to extend drives. The Chargers’ 7.7% success rate on 3rd-and-4th downs was a major factor in their 16-3 loss.
Houston Texans = 23 Unanswered Points
The Houston Texans came into their wild card matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers riding a 9-game winning streak. For three quarters, the game was a defense-heavy, scoring affair, but in the 4th quarter, the Texans’ defense blew up with two defensive touchdowns, a fumble return for a touchdown, and an interception for a touchdown to end the game. In addition, the Texans’ offense also added a field goal and a rushing touchdown to explode with 23 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. Defensively, the Texans shut down the Steelers’ offense completely, and edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter terrorized Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers all game.
Jacksonville Jaguars = -2 Turnover Margin
The Jacksonville Jaguars come into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. For the Jaguars, their win streak that led to the AFC South division championship and a home game in the wild card round of the playoffs made them a favorite to make a run to the Super Bowl. A big part of the Jaguars’ hot streak in the second half of the season was Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s ability to take care of the ball. However, when the Jaguars faced the Buffalo Bills’ defense, Lawrence’s tendency to turn the ball over resurfaced. In a closely contested game against one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC, like Josh Allen, this game was the worst possible time for Lawrence to throw two interceptions, which led to a 3-point playoff loss.
San Francisco 49ers = 31% 3rd Down Rate
For the San Francisco 49ers to move on in the playoffs, it took a team effort, and that has been the case all season. This week, the 49ers kept finding ways to make the next play, including a trick play that resulted in wide receiver Jauan Jennings throwing a touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey. However, the 49ers’ biggest wins came on defense, where they held the Eagles to a 31% success rate on 3rd down. Although the ability to get stops against the Eagles’ offense in those critical situations was just enough to keep the Eagles from overcoming the 49ers’ consistent offensive success.
Los Angeles Rams = 275 Passing Yards
The Los Angeles Rams narrowly avoided their second loss on the road against the Carolina Panthers. A big part of the Rams’ winning effort was quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing for 304 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. However, where Stafford picked up a majority of his passing yards was between the numbers on the field. 275 yards of Stafford’s passing yards were in the middle of the field, where the Panthers struggled to consistently make plays in their defensive secondary. In addition to Stafford’s play, Puka Nacua made a big play in the 2nd half when he broke up a Panthers interception in the end zone. Ultimately, Rams tight end Colby Parkinson ended up catching a 19-yard game-winning touchdown to help the Rams stay alive in the NFL playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers = 14% 3rd Down Rate
The Pittsburgh Steelers have not won a playoff game in 9 years, and while the Steelers fought hard to win the AFC North and earn a home playoff game, that did not translate into postseason success. Pittsburgh’s offense and quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggled to move the ball consistently against the Texans’ defense all game. When the Steelers did put themselves in position to score, they had to settle for field goals. Where the Steelers offense struggled most was on 3rd down, where they converted only 2 of 14 attempts, making it impossible for Pittsburgh to put together scoring drives. Despite struggling on offense, the Steelers still had a chance to steal a win until the 4th quarter, when two Steelers turnovers led to defensive touchdowns for Houston.
Philadelphia Eagles = 6 Points in the 2nd Half
In the first half of the Philadelphia Eagles’ card game against the 49ers, the Eagles looked like the team that made a run to a Super Bowl victory last season. However, in the second half, the Eagles’ offense struggled to regain its rhythm. That led to the Eagles failing to finish drives because they couldn’t convert 3rd downs to extend them. Those offensive struggles led to the Eagles scoring only 6 points in the second half. At halftime, the Eagles had a 13-10 lead over the 49ers, but the script flipped in the 2nd half when San Francisco scored 13 points, leading to Philadelphia’s elimination from the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers = 25 4th Quarter Points
For three quarters, it looked like the Green Bay Packers were going to overcome several injuries to their skill players on offense and defense and upset the Chicago Bears. In the first half, the Chicago Bears failed to find a rhythm on offense against the Packers’ defense, and Green Bay went into halftime with a 21-3 lead. However, in the 3rd quarter, the Packers’ offense and quarterback Jordan Love appeared hesitant, and the Packers were shut down by the Bears’ defense for 4 drives in a row. In addition to struggling on offense, Packers’ kicker Brandon McManus missed two field goals and an extra point. At the same time, the Packers’ defense surrendered 25 points to Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense in the 4th quarter.
Chicago Bears = 184 Passing Yards
For two weeks in a row, the Bears have had a slow start on offense and gotten down big against a division rival. This week, the Bears’ offense failed to get started, scoring only three points against a beat-up Packers defense. At halftime, the Packers and Bears went into the break with Green Bay leading by 18 points. But in the second half, the Bears’ defense came alive, shutting down the Packers’ offense and forcing them to punt on four consecutive drives. In addition, the Bears’ offense slowly began to close the gap on the scoreboard, and in the 4th quarter, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams got hot, leading the Bears to their biggest comeback victory in franchise history. In the 4th quarter, Williams passes for 184 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, including a 25-yard game-winning pass to Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore to steal a home playoff win 31-27.
Buffalo Bills = 80% Pass Completion Rate
The Jacksonville Jaguars came into the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. For the Jaguars, their win streak that led to the AFC South division championship and a home game in the wild card round of the playoffs made them a favorite to make a run to the Super Bowl. Consequently, big part of the Jaguars’ hot streak in the second half of the season was Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s ability to take care of the ball. However, when the Jaguars faced the Buffalo Bills’ defense, Lawrence’s tendency to turn the ball over resurfaced. However, in a closely contested game against one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, like Josh Allen, this game was the worst possible time for Lawrence to throw two interceptions, which led to a 3-point playoff loss.
New England Patriots =6 Quarterback Sacks
For the New England Patriots to get their first playoff win since 2019, the Patriots’ defense was going to need to win the battle against a beaten-up Chargers offensive line. For most of the season, the Chargers have been missing offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. The absence of both offensive tackles has made it difficult for the Chargers to protect quarterback Justin Herbert. New England’s defensive line needed to win the battle against the Chargers’ compromised offensive line, and they accomplished that task by sacking Herbert 6 times. Those sacks were the result of a group effort by Milton Williams with 2.0 sacks, K’Lavon Chaisson with 2.0 sacks, Robert Spillane with 1.0 sacks, and Anfernee Jennings with an additional quarterback sack.
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