Jayden Daniels leads Commanders to first playoff win in nearly 7,000 days, 23-20 over the Buccaneers
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jayden Daniels ran for a critical first down to set up Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal that clanged off the right upright and went through as time expired, and the Washington Commanders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in an NFC wild-card game for the franchise’s first playoff win in 6,945 days. Daniels became the third rookie quarterback in three years to win a playoff game. The Commanders will face the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the divisional round. Daniels threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers missed several opportunities and the veteran quarterback committed a critical turnover in the fourth quarter.
Hurts tosses 2 TD passes and Goedert throws 3 stiff-arms to lead Eagles past Packers 22-10
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes in his first game since a late-season concussion, Dallas Goedert threw three stiff-arms on a rugged touchdown catch and the Philadelphia Eagles rode their NFL-best defense to a 22-10 wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. Hurts threw for a modest 131 yards but played with no hesitation as he came back from a three-week layoff after a concussion in December. The NFC East champions will host a divisional round game against the winner of Monday night’s game between Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams next week.
Josh Allen leads balanced offense as Bills dominate Broncos for 31-7 wild-card win
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, James Cook scored on a 5-yard run and finished with 120 yards rushing, and the Buffalo Bills leaned on a balanced offensive attack in a 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in a wild-card playoff game. The Bills methodically wore down the Broncos by scoring on six of their first seven drives in building a 31-7 lead in an outing where they finished with a 23-minute edge in time of possession. The five-time AFC East defending champion Bills advanced to the divisional round for a fifth straight postseason, and will face the third-seeded Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night. The seventh-seeded Broncos were outclassed in their first playoff appearance since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015.
Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen will face off for a berth in the AFC championship game
Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen won’t decide the NFL MVP next week. The stakes are higher with a spot in the AFC championship game on the line. Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will visit Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round while Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. The winners face off on Jan. 26 for a berth in the Super Bowl. In the NFC, the Washington Commanders will play at the top-seeded Detroit Lions after knocking off the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New England hires former Patriots Super Bowl champ Mike Vrabel as coach
The New England Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel as their head coach. The move comes after Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo after the team’s season finale victory over the Buffalo Bills to finish 4-13 in his lone season as coach. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also interviewed for the job. But Vrabel, a fan favorite during eight seasons as a player in New England where he was a member of its first three Super Bowl winners and an inductee into the team’s hall of fame in 2023, was the preferred candidate.
Turning the page: Eagles receiver A.J. Brown reads inspirational book on sideline during playoff win
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A.J. Brown had a novel ideal to pass time on the bench during Philadelphia’s wild-card playoff game. The Eagles wide receiver passed on the playbook and checked out an inspirational title. Brown casually flipped through the pages of “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy. Brown had time for some light reading with only one catch for 10 yards in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 22-10 wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. The book is described on the cover as one that will “Train your mind for extraordinary performance and the best possible life.”