The opening weekend of the NFL playoffs delivered tight finishes, late comebacks, and season-ending mistakes, while Sunday’s schedule in the NBA and NHL added to a packed sports weekend. Meanwhile, the College Football Playoff national championship matchup is set, with betting markets reacting sharply to recent results.
NFL playoffs: close calls and comebacks
Five games across the National Football League postseason featured narrow margins and momentum swings. New England advanced with a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, leaning on defense after an uneven playoff debut from quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots capitalized late, sealing the game with a touchdown and a strip-sack that ended the Chargers’ hopes.
San Francisco stunned Philadelphia 23-19, overcoming injuries and early mistakes to knock out the Eagles. Christian McCaffrey scored twice, including the decisive touchdown late in the fourth quarter, after Philadelphia failed to capitalize on multiple red-zone chances.
Buffalo edged Jacksonville 27-24 in one of the weekend’s most dramatic finishes. Despite battling multiple injuries, Josh Allen led a late touchdown drive and scored the winning sneak with a minute remaining. The game featured a record number of fourth-quarter lead changes before a tipped interception ended the Jaguars’ final drive.
Chicago rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Green Bay 31-27. Caleb Williams threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to D.J. Moore after a missed Packers field goal opened the door for the comeback.
The Rams completed the weekend with a 34-31 victory over Carolina. After both teams traded late touchdowns, Matthew Stafford engineered a final drive capped by a touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson, ending the Panthers’ upset bid.
The Wildcard round concludes tonight, when the Houston Texans visit Pittsburgh and the Steelers.
NBA: Sunday results
Sunday’s National Basketball Association slate included several notable finals. Orlando defeated New Orleans 128-118, Toronto edged Philadelphia 116-115 in overtime, and Oklahoma City topped Miami 124-112. Denver beat Milwaukee 108-104, Atlanta held off Golden State 124-111, New York downed Portland 123-114, Memphis beat Brooklyn 103-98, Minnesota edged San Antonio 104-103, Phoenix topped Washington 112-93, and Sacramento defeated Houston 111-98.
NHL: busy night on the ice
In the National Hockey League, Winnipeg edged New Jersey 4-3, Columbus topped Mammoth 3-2 in overtime, Vegas cruised past San Jose 7-2, Pittsburgh blanked Boston 1-0, and Nashville defeated Washington 3-2.
College football: championship picture sharpens
Attention now turns to the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 19. Indiana opened as a 7.5-point favorite over Miami after its dominant 56-22 win over Oregon in the semifinals. Miami reached the title game with a 31-27 victory over Ole Miss.
The matchup marks one of the most unexpected championship pairings of the CFP era, with Indiana entering the season as a long-shot contender. With pro and college seasons both delivering surprises, the sports calendar shows no signs of slowing down.
Source: ESPN, The Athletic, nba.com, nhl.com, The Guardian