The results of Wild Card Weekend will continue to reveal the picture that is the Divisional Round of the 2020-2021 NFL playoffs. We already know which 14 teams made the playoffs, but what will be the matchups of the final eight teams when the dust settles on Wild Card Weekend?
What are the NFL playoff results from Wild Card Weekend?
Buffalo Bills 27, Indianapolis Colts 24
Josh Allen threw for 324 yards and rushed for 54 as the Bills just defeated the Colts. Allen accounted for three touchdowns clinching the first result of the NFL playoffs this weekend. After a slow start, Stefon Diggs stepped up for 128 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Gabriel Davis and Cole Beasley combined for 144 receiving yards on 11 receptions.
Philip Rivers threw the ball for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor added 78 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Combined with Nyheuim Hines, the Colts had 153 rushing yards on 27 carries. However, it was not enough for the Colts, as they saw their season end in Buffalo. Now, as the offseason approaches, questions surrounding Rivers and his future with the team will be prevalent. Will he retire? Or will the veteran QB test the free agency market once again?
Los Angeles Rams 30, Seattle Seahawks 20
After losing John Wolford early, the Rams had to turn to Jared Goff to win this game for them. Goff only threw for just over 150 yards with a touchdown, as he leaned heavily on the run game and the defense. Cam Akers posted 131 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, adding 45 yards on two receptions.
However, it was the defense who stepped up. Late in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson had thrown for just 125 yards on eight completions from 20 attempts. He finished with 174 yards on 11 completions with two touchdowns. Chris Carson managed 77 yards on 16 carries, but he was the lone bright spot on this offense. Wilson was sacked five times, twice by Aaron Donald. He was also intercepted on a pick-six, which scored the first touchdown of the game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Washington Football Team 23
The Washington Football Team’s Cinderella story came to an end as Tom Brady and the Buccaneers pulled off a closer than expected victory Saturday night. While the game was a lot closer than one might have expected, the Washington defense simply wasn’t capable of slowing Brady and his multitude of weapons down.
With Alex Smith out due to injury, it was journeyman QB Taylor Heinicke who stepped in to try to keep Washington in the game. He played well, throwing for over 300 yards and a touchdown. He was even in a position to lead his team down the field for a game-tying TD, but the Buccaneers defense did just enough to close out the game.
Baltimore Ravens 20, Tennessee Titans 13
In a hard-fought battle in Tennessee, the Ravens were led by 135 rushing yards and a touchdown from Lamar Jackson. Marquise Brown added 109 yards on seven receptions as Jackson had 179 passing yards on 17 completions.
The Ravens defense held Derrick Henry to 40 rushing yards on 18 carries. Ryan Tannehill could only manage 165 passing yards on 26 attempts. The Titans raced out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter. However, the Ravens scored 17 straight points before Marcus Peters intercepted Ryan Tannehill to win the game for the Ravens.
New Orleans Saints 21, Chicago Bears 9
Not a lot of people had very high expectations for the Chicago Bears in this matchup. They were more than 10 point underdogs. We saw why throughout this game. The Saints offense, which was brutal in the first half, was able to figure things out as the game went on. Kamara had over 100 yards, while Drew Brees spread the ball around to 10 different receivers.
Mitch Trubisky, who had seen somewhat of a resurgence in the last few weeks of the season, returned to his lackluster self. It wasn’t all his fault; Matt Nagy and his coaching staff made some terrible calls at numerous points in the game.
Cleveland Browns 48, Pittsburgh Steelers 37
The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers met for the third time this season. This time around, the Browns took advantage of multiple turnovers to take a 28-0 first-quarter lead. The Steelers clawed their way back, but their defense simply wasn’t enough to contain Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
A number of head-scratching coaching decisions (punting on 4th and one) combined with several mistakes from Ben Roethlisberger, made this one out of reach early for Pittsburgh. Now, the Browns will face their toughest test, playing in Kansas City in the Divisional Round against the Chiefs.
Who is playing in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs?
Now that the Wild Card Weekend is over, we know which teams will be playing in the Divisional Round next week. With the college football season coming to a close with the national championship Monday night, we get NFL football on both Saturday and Sunday for the divisional round.
AFC Divisional Round Matchups
(5) Baltimore Ravens vs. (2) Buffalo Bills | Saturday, January 16th, 8:15 PM ET on NBC
(6) Cleveland Browns vs. (1) Kansas City Chiefs | Sunday, January 17th, 3:05 PM ET on CBS
NFC Divisional Round Matchups
(6) Los Angeles Rams vs. (1) Green Bay Packers | Saturday, January 16th, 4:35 PM ET on FOX
Make sure to check out what Mike Tanier thinks about the matchup between the Rams and the Packers in his playoff preview.
(5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. (2) New Orleans Saints | Sunday, January 17th, 6:40 PM ET on FOX
You can read Mike Tanier’s playoff preview for the Buccaneers and the Saints here.
Teams Eliminated from the NFL Playoffs
- Indianapolis Colts (lost to Bills on Wild Card Weekend)
- Seattle Seahawks (lost to Rams on Wild Card Weekend)
- Washington Football Team (lost to Buccaneers on Wild Card Weekend)
- Tennessee Titans (lost to Ravens on Wild Card Weekend)
- Chicago Bears (lost to Saints on Wild Card Weekend)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (lost to Browns on Wild Card Weekend)