The National Football League playoffs began this weekend with the Wild Card round, and several games featured former Mississippi State standouts.

Here’s a roundup of which players took part in the playoffs, and which ones will have a part to play in the Divisional round next weekend.

Emmanuel Forbes, Los Angeles Rams

Former Bulldog corner and first-round draft pick Emmanuel Forbes is a player reborn with the Los Angeles Rams. He was claimed off of waivers after his release from the Washington Commanders midseason in 2024, and he has taken full advantage of his second chance in the NFL.

Forbes posted career highs with three interceptions and 18 passes defended in 2025, playing in every game for the Rams on their way to clinching the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs.

In his first playoff appearance, Forbes recorded six tackles and a run stuff as the Rams won 34-31 in a hotly contested Wild Card game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday. The defense as a whole didn’t cover itself in glory, allowing two fourth-quarter touchdowns to give up a lead, but the unit did enough to shut down the Panthers in the final seconds and punch their ticket to the Divisional round against the Bears.

Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears returned to the playoffs in their first season under new head coach Ben Johnson, and came out on top over their old rivals Green Bay in one of several back-and-forth games from Wild Card weekend.

Montez Sweat, who became a cornerstone on the Bears’ defensive line after a trade from Washington in 2023, helped the defense show up clutch in the second half, allowing just six points from the Packers as the team overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit for a 31-27 victory.

Sweat ended the night with three tackles, three QB hits and one pass defended at the line as the Bears held down Jordan Love and the Green Bay offense late. Sweat got the final pressure on Love as the clock hit zero, forcing a quick desperation heave to the end zone that fell incomplete as the Bears sealed the win.

The unit allowed just 99 rushing yards on the night as well, with leading rusher Josh Jacobs averaging just 2.9 yards per carry.

Sweat posted one of his most consistent seasons in 2025, starting every game for the fourth year in a row and setting a new personal best with 10 sacks and recording team highs with 13 tackles for loss.

The Bears will face the Rams at home next week in the Divisional round.

Logan Cooke, Jacksonville Jaguars

It wasn’t too busy a day for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee from the Jaguars. A 2024 Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection. Cooke still had a productive outing, hitting two punts for 100 yards with a long of 58 yards, pinning the Buffalo Bills inside their own 20-yard line once and not allowing either kick to be returned.

The Jaguars played an instant classic against the Bills, but ultimately lost the game after a late touchdown drive by Josh Allen.

Cooke ends the season ranked ninth in average yards per punt, just three yards shy of leaders Daniel Whelan and Matt Haack.

Denico Autry and Woody Marks, Houston Texans

In what might have been Aaron Rodgers’ last NFL game, the show was stolen by a nightmarish Texans’ defensive line. Autry helps form a fearsome group along with Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter and a rotating cast of interior guys and pass rushers. Autry recorded a half sack, but also had two QB hits and two passes defended on the line to help add to the pile-on in the Steelers backfield.

On the other side of the ball, the Texans offense overcame three turnovers thanks in part to a smothering performance by the defense and the first 100-yard rushing game for rookie Woody Marks, who led the team with 112 yards on 19 carries and sank the final dagger into the Steelers with a fourth-quarter touchdown.

The pair of former Bulldogs will see action next week against the New England Patriots in the Divisional round at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Posted in College Sports

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