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Wild Card Weekend Sets Records as Final-Minute Touchdowns Propel Rams, Bears and Bills

An unprecedented flurry of fourth-quarter swings signals a tighter, younger postseason field entering the divisional round.

Overview

  • Three teams won with go-ahead scores inside the final two minutes: Matthew Stafford hit Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left, Caleb Williams found D.J. Moore with 1:43 remaining, and Josh Allen ran in from the 1 with 1:04 to play.
  • The first four games produced a playoff-record 12 fourth-quarter lead changes, with none decided by more than four points, and the lone outlier came later when the Patriots beat the Chargers 16-3 behind a dominant defensive showing.
  • Chicago erased a 21-3 deficit to beat Green Bay 31-27 for its first playoff victory in 15 years, punctuated by Williams’ late strike to Moore in the rookie quarterback’s postseason debut.
  • San Francisco advanced past Philadelphia but lost tight end George Kittle to a ruptured Achilles, and the 49ers will travel to face the Seahawks next in Seattle.
  • The divisional round is set with the Bears hosting the Rams in Chicago and the Broncos hosting the Bills in Denver, continuing a bracket featuring several quarterbacks in their first or second postseason starts.