Wild Card Weekend isn’t over just yet, with the No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers still set to host the No. 5 Houston Texans on Monday night to finalize the divisional-round lineup. But to this point, the wild card certainly has not disappointed, with plenty of close games.
Despite there still being another matchup on tap, there have already been multiple records set. This is the first time in NFL history that four-plus games were decided by four or fewer points in a single postseason round, per Opta Stats; it’s also the first time there have been six-plus fourth-quarter lead changes in a single playoff round in NFL history, Dante Koplowitz-Fleming of NFL research notes.
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The Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers opened things up with a surprising thriller; after LA entered the week as historic road favorites, its 34-31 win over Carolina came down to the wire as MVP favorite Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard, go-ahead touchdown to tight end Colby Parkinson in the final minute of the game. The Panthers got bad news on top of the loss, as starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu reportedly suffered a ruptured patellar tendon, which could affect his availability next season.
That was followed by another Saturday thriller, as the Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears mounted yet another comeback win — this time, over their NFC North rival, the Green Bay Packers — to advance to the divisional round. The Packers were off to a 21-3 lead in the first half before the Bears dropped 25 points in the fourth quarter to take the win.
On Sunday, the magic continued with the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills defeating Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars, ending Liam Coen’s Cinderella-esque first season as a head coach. After Allen managed a rushing touchdown after the two-minute warning (right after the best tush push ever, perhaps?), a perfectly timed interception from Bills safety Cole Bishop put Allen in position to kneel it out and snag the team’s first road playoff win in 33 years.
The San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles followed that up with another game that came down to the wire, as the Niners dethroned Philly with a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive (and some trickery from wideout Jauan Jennings). Despite the thrilling win, the Niners will have to deal with yet another brutal blow on the injury front, as All-Pro tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles injury, ending his season.
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Despite holding Drake Maye to just one touchdown, the Los Angeles Chargers couldn’t muster up enough offense to take down the New England Patriots. Los Angeles failed to score a touchdown during the contest, losing 16-3 and inviting questions over whether the Chargers’ coaching staff needs to be shaken up over the offseason.
What else is in store this postseason? Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news and injury updates ahead of the divisional round.
Live2 updates
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 6:15 AM PST
Chris Cwik
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is going to be busy before the divisional round of the playoffs. McDaniel is set to meet with four teams about their vacant head-coaching positions.
Those four teams are the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Network.
McDaniel, 42, is also expected to interview for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position.
McDaniel is seeking his next opportunity after going 35-33 over four seasons with the Dolphins. While things looked promising in Miami early in his tenure, it fell apart over the last two seasons, leading to his firing.
Mon, January 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM PST
Chris Cwik
The Los Angeles Chargers looked lifeless on offense during the team’s 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. Justin Herbert and the Chargers couldn’t even muster a touchdown in the loss.
Because of that, head coach Jim Harbaugh received some questions about offensive coordinator Greg Roman after the contest. Harbaugh avoided directly answering them, saying, “I don’t have that answer right now.”
It’s not the first time the Chargers struggled in the postseason with Roman running the offense. In 22 postseason drives with Harbaugh and Roman, the Chargers have just one touchdown.