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National Football League playoffs The National Football League (NFL) playoffs is the annual single-elimination tournament held to determine the league champion. The four-round tournament is held after the league's regular season. Since the 2020 season, seven teams from each of ...
for the 2018 season began with the Wildcard Round on January 5, 2019, and concluded with
Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
at
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a retractable roof multi-purpose stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) and Atlanta ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, on February 3, 2019, when the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
defeated the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
13–3. For the first time in NFL history, both conference championship games went to overtime. The Patriots became the first team since the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
in 1990–1993 to reach at least three consecutive Super Bowls, and the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl after losing it the previous year.


Participants


Bracket


Schedule


Wild Card playoffs


Saturday, January 5, 2019


AFC: Indianapolis Colts 21, Houston Texans 7

Indianapolis, who had started the year 1–5 and still managed to make the playoffs, buried the Texans with 276 yards and 21 points in the first half. On the opening drive of the game, Colts quarterback
Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football executive and former professional quarterback who is the general manager of the Stanford Cardinal. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons ...
completed three passes to T. Y. Hilton for 63 yards before finishing the drive with a 5-yard scoring completion to Eric Ebron. Then after a punt, Indianapolis drove 75 yards in 9 plays to go up 14–0. The key player on the drive was running back
Marlon Mack Marlon Devon Mack (born March 7, 1996) is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the South Florida Bulls football, South Florida Bulls and was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the f ...
, who carried the ball 6 times for 39 yards, caught a 6-yard pass and finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Houston then drove to the Colts' 45-yard line; but while trying to convert a 4th-and-4, Deshaun Watson's pass was intercepted by Kenny Moore II, who returned it from 10 yards to midfield. Indianapolis then advanced the ball to the Texans' 17-yard line, but they also failed to score when Luck's pass was deflected by J. J. Watt and then intercepted by lineman Brandon Dunn on the last play of the first quarter. Houston had to punt after three plays and the Colts went on to drive to a 21–0 lead by moving the ball 65 yards in 7 plays, featuring two key receptions by receiver
Dontrelle Inman Dontrelle Javaar Inman (born January 31, 1989) is an American former Gridiron football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers football, Virginia Cavaliers and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars of the N ...
. The first was for 21 yards and the second was an 18-yard touchdown catch. Houston responded with their most promising drive of the game, advancing the ball 69 yards to the Colts' 9-yard line. However, on a 4th-and-1 conversion attempt, Watson threw an incomplete pass with 1:24 left in the half. Both defenses controlled the third quarter as the first six drives of it ended in punts. With just over 2 minutes left in the period, the Texans fired up a 16-play, 89-yard drive. Watson rushed for 10 yards, while also completing 9-of-11 passes for 66 yards, the last a 6-yard touchdown pass to
Keke Coutee Key'vantanie "Keke" Coutee (born January 14, 1997) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football at Texas Tech Red Raiders football, Texas Tech and has played in the National Football League (N ...
that made the score 21–7 with 11:04 remaining. Following a Colts punt, the Texans drove to a 3rd-and-10 on the Indianapolis 24-yard line. Watson's next two passes were incomplete, causing a turnover on downs with 4:17 remaining. The Colts then managed to run out the rest of the time, mainly due to plays from Mack, who picked up first downs with runs of 2, 15 and 26 yards. Luck completed 19-of-32 passes for 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and rushed for 29 yards. Hilton was his top receiver with five receptions for 85 yards. Mack carried the ball 24 times for a franchise postseason record 148 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for six yards. Prior to this game, the Texans had not allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. Moore had 6 tackles (5 solo), a sack and an interception. Watson completed 29-of-49 passes for 235 yards, with one touchdown and one interception; he was also Houston's leading rusher with eight carries for 76 yards. Coutee caught 11 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.


NFC: Dallas Cowboys 24, Seattle Seahawks 22

Dallas outgained Seattle in total yards 380–299 and limited the Seahawks, the #1 rushing offense during the regular season, to just 73 yards on the ground. Dallas scored on their opening drive, advancing the ball 54 yards in 10 plays on the way to a 39-yard field goal by Brett Maher. This would be the only score of the first quarter, as the next six drives ended in punts. In the second quarter, Seattle quarterback
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
's completions to Ed Dickson and
Tyler Lockett Tyler Deron Lockett (born September 28, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played 10 seasons in t ...
for gains of 26 and 40 yards set up
Sebastian Janikowski Sebastian Paweł Janikowski (; born March 2, 1978) is a Polish former professional player of American football who was a placekicker for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Oakland Raiders. He played college fo ...
's 27-yard field goal. Dallas responded with a drive to the Seattle 40-yard line, but it ended there as Maher missed a 58-yard field goal attempt. Seattle took over on their own 48-yard line; Wilson's 25-yard pass to Lockett on the ensuing drive set up another Janikowski field goal to give Seattle a 6–3 lead. A few plays into the Cowboys' next possession, they faced 3rd-and-1 with 1:11 left in the half.
Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995), nicknamed "Zeke", is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team College ...
took a handoff, ran to the right and raced down the sideline for a 44-yard gain to the Seahawks' 22-yard line. Four plays later,
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...
finished the 75-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver
Michael Gallup Michael Gallup (born March 4, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Butler Grizzlies and Colorado Stat ...
with 28 seconds left, giving Dallas a 10–6 lead. Lockett gave Seattle a chance to score by returning the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to the Cowboys' 49-yard line; Seattle could only advance to the 39-yard line from there and ended the half with Janikowski's missed field goal attempt from 60 yards. Janikowski injured his leg on the kick and had to miss the rest of the game, turning the kicking duties over to rookie punter Michael Dickson. With 8:04 left in the third quarter, Seahawks defensive back Neiko Thorpe managed to knock Michael Dickson's 45-yard punt away from the end zone, where it was downed by Seattle on the Cowboys' 2-yard line. Dallas failed to gain any yards over their next three plays and Chris Jones' 42-yard punt gave the ball back to Seattle on the Dallas 44-yard line. Faced with 4th down and 4 after three plays, Seattle decided to go for the first down, a gamble that paid off as Wilson threw a pass to Doug Baldwin, who barely managed to keep his feet in bounds while hauling in the ball at the left sideline for a 22-yard gain. Then when faced with 3rd-and-5, Wilson managed to pick up the first down himself on a 7-yard run. Finally with just over 2 minutes left in the quarter, Wilson finished the 9-play, 44-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run; Mike Davis ran for a successful two-point conversion, giving the Seahawks a 14–10 lead. Michael Dickson drop-kicked the ensuing kickoff, which went to running back Rod Smith at the 20-yard line, where he returned it 15 yards. Four plays later, Prescott completed a 34-yard pass to
Amari Cooper Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
at the Seattle 16-yard line, setting up Elliott's 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Dallas a 17–14 lead with just over 12 minutes left. After three plays,
Tavon Austin Tavon Wesley Austin (born March 15, 1990) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, receiving first-team All-American honors twice and was selected by the St. Loui ...
returned Michael Dickson's 60-yard punt 51 yards to the Seattle 38-yard line. Dallas was now in prime position to take a late-game two-score lead, but after driving to the 16-yard line, Prescott threw a pass to Noah Brown that bounced off his shoulder and was intercepted in the end zone by K. J. Wright as he fell to the ground. Still, Dallas' defense rose to the occasion and forced a punt, which
Cole Beasley Cole Dickson Beasley (born April 26, 1989) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football at SMU Mustangs football, Southern Methodist University and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undra ...
returned 7 yards to the Dallas 37-yard line. The Cowboys went on to drive 54 yards in 11 plays, aided by three Seattle penalties, including two pass interference calls on third down plays. Elliott also made a big impact with a 17-yard run, while Prescott converted a 3rd-and-14 with a 16-yard run before taking the ball into the end zone himself on a 1-yard score. This gave Dallas a 24–14 lead with 2:14 left. On the second play after the kickoff, Wilson's 53-yard completion to Lockett gave Seattle a first down on the Dallas 13-yard line. Wilson followed this up with two completions to backup running back J. D. McKissic, the first for 6 yards and the second a 7-yard touchdown pass.
Chris Carson Christopher Dewayne Carson (born September 16, 1994) is an American former professional football running back. He played for five seasons for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), after playing college football at Butler Co ...
then scored on a two-point conversion run, cutting the score to 24–22 with 1:16 left. However, Michael Dickson's ensuing drop kick went right into the hands of Beasley, enabling Dallas to run out the rest of the game and secure their first playoff win since the 2014 playoffs. For Seattle, this was their first one-and-done postseason since 2004. This was the second playoff meeting between Seattle and Dallas; Seattle won the previous meeting in the 2006 Wild Card round when Dallas quarterback
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Eastern Illinois Pan ...
botched the snap on a field-goal attempt. Prescott finished the game 22-of-33 for 226 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. He also rushed for 29 yards and a touchdown. His top receiver was Cooper, who caught seven passes for 106 yards. Elliott had 26 carries for 137 yards and a touchdown, while also catching four passes for 32 yards. For Seattle, Wilson completed 18-of-27 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, while also running for 14 yards and a score. Lockett caught four passes for 120 yards, returned a kickoff for 52 yards and gained 22 yards on three punt returns. Michael Dickson averaged 51.4 yards per punt on his seven punts and put one of them in the 20.


Sunday, January 6, 2019


AFC: Los Angeles Chargers 23, Baltimore Ravens 17

The Chargers recorded six sacks, jumped out to a 23–3 lead and halted a late Ravens rally, forcing
Lamar Jackson Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the Heisman T ...
to fumble on the final drive to earn a trip to New England. On the Ravens' second possession of the game, Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram forced a fumble from Kenneth Dixon that was recovered by safety Adrian Phillips, giving Los Angeles the ball on the Baltimore 14-yard line. Three plays later, Michael Badgley kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Los Angeles a 3–0 lead. Then the Chargers' defense forced a punt, which Desmond King returned 42 yards to the Ravens' 42-yard line, setting up a 53-yard Badgley field goal that increased their lead to 6–0. Early in the second quarter, Phillips intercepted a pass from Jackson to give the Chargers a first down on the Ravens' 44-yard line. From there, they drove 27 yards to go up 9–0 on Badgley's third field goal. Following another Ravens punt, Los Angeles drove 53 yards in 12 plays to score on Badgley's fourth field goal on the last play of the half, giving them a 12–0 lead. King returned the second half kickoff 72 yards to the Ravens' 35-yard line, but this time the Chargers failed to score when Badgley's field goal attempt was blocked by Za'Darius Smith. After a Ravens punt, linebacker Patrick Onwuasor forced a fumble from Chargers tight end Virgil Green that was recovered by linebacker C. J. Mosley on the Los Angeles 21-yard line. This set up
Justin Tucker Justin Paul Tucker (born November 21, 1989) is an American professional football kicker. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spending 13 seasons with the ...
's 33-yard field goal, cutting the score to 12–3 with 8:34 left in the third quarter. At the end of Los Angeles' next possession, the Ravens got another scoring opportunity when Javorius Allen blocked Donnie Jones's punt, resulting in Baltimore taking over on the Chargers' 40-yard line; they only managed to gain 4 yards with their next three plays and Tucker's 50-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Los Angeles then drove 60 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 28-yard completion from
Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...
to Mike Williams on the Ravens' 15-yard line. On the next play, Melvin Gordon ran the ball 14 yards to the 1-yard line. The Ravens managed to keep Los Angeles out of the end zone for the next three plays, but Gordon scored with a 4th down 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the 4th quarter; Rivers completed a pass to Williams for a two-point conversion, giving the Chargers a 20–3 lead. A sack by Ingram on the Ravens' ensuing drive forced them to punt from their 14-yard line and Sam Koch's 31-yard kick gave the Chargers good field position on the Ravens' 45-yard line. Los Angeles then drove 16 yards, including a 9-yard scramble by Rivers on 3rd-and-8, to score on Badgley's 5th field goal, from 47 yards, that gave them a 23–3 lead. Taking the ball back with 9:02 left, Baltimore drove 75 yards in eight plays, including Jackson's 29-yard completion to Willie Snead on 4th-and-11. On the next play, Jackson threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to receiver
Michael Crabtree Michael Alex Crabtree Jr. (born September 14, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, twi ...
, making the score 23–10. The Chargers recovered Baltimore's ensuing onside kick attempt, but still had to punt after three plays. Baltimore went on to drive 85 yards in 12 plays, the longest a 39-yard completion from Jackson to Dixon. On the last play, Jackson threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree, narrowing their gap to 23–17 with 2:06 left. Baltimore then forced a punt with 45 seconds to go, giving them one last chance to drive for a winning touchdown, but Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu forced a fumble while sacking Jackson and Ingram recovered it to give Los Angeles the victory. Rivers completed 22-of-32 passes for 160 yards and rushed for 15 yards. Ingram finished the game with seven tackles (two for a loss of yards), two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Phillips had five tackles (three solo), an interception and a fumble recovery. King returned a kickoff for 72 yards and had four punt returns for 46 yards. Jackson completed 14-of-29 passes for 194 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception; he was also Baltimore's leading rusher with 9 carries for 54 yards. Onwausor had seven tackles (six solo), a sack and a forced fumble.


NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 16, Chicago Bears 15

Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
threw the game-winning touchdown pass to
Golden Tate Golden Herman Tate III (born August 2, 1988) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish footb ...
with 56 seconds remaining and then defensive tackle Treyvon Hester blocked a 43-yard
Cody Parkey Cody Parkey (born February 19, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an ...
game-winning field goal attempt with five seconds remaining to seal it for the Eagles. Both offenses had a slow start of the game. Philadelphia quarterback
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
completed 4/6 passes for 57 yards on the opening drive, setting up Jake Elliott's 43-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. The next three drives ended in a punt, two of which were three-and-outs. Foles was picked off by Roquan Smith at the beginning of the second quarter when the Eagles were 10 yards into Chicago territory. Smith returned it into the end zone for what would have been a Bears touchdown, but he was ruled down by contact at Chicago's 35-yard line. The interception started a 47-yard drive in which Mitchell Trubisky completed 3 passes for 28 yards and rushed for 6. The possession ended in a
Cody Parkey Cody Parkey (born February 19, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an ...
36-yard field goal to tie the game at 3–3. Philadelphia went deep into the Bears' territory in their next possession, but a Foles pass intended for
Nelson Agholor Nelson Efamehule Agholor (born May 24, 1993) is a Nigerian-American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. During h ...
was intercepted by Adrian Amos inside the end zone. After another three-and-out by each team, Chicago set up the final drive of the quarter, starting from their own 11-yard line. Trubisky completed 6/8 passes for 59 yards, the longest a 23-yard catch by Anthony Miller, as the team drove 78 yards to go up 6–3 on Parkey's 29-yard field goal as time expired in the half. The Eagles scored the first touchdown of the game in the third quarter to regain the lead. At the start of the drive, a late hit by Amos on Zach Ertz caused an unnecessary roughness penalty called against the Bears, on what would have been a three-and-out. Another penalty against the Chicago defense for pass interference on Prince Amukamara resulted in a 33-yard gain that gave the Eagles 1st-and-goal. Foles capitalized with a 10-yard touchdown pass to the rookie tight end Dallas Goedert, giving the Eagles a 10–6 lead. The Bears' offense responded with a 62-yard drive, including a 45-yard completion from Trubisky to
Allen Robinson Allen Bernard Robinson II (born August 24, 1993) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions football, Penn State Nittany Lions, earning first-team College Fo ...
, that ended in another field goal by Parkey from 34 yards at the beginning of the fourth quarter to cut the Eagles' lead to one at 10–9. The next Bears drive saw some Trubisky crucial throws, including a 19-yard pass to
Taylor Gabriel Taylor James Gabriel (born February 17, 1991) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football at Abilene Christian, he signed with the Cl ...
on 3rd-and-11 and a 34-yard pass to Josh Bellamy. A 22-yard pass to Robinson for the touchdown culminated the possession and put Chicago ahead of Philadelphia once again, although their two-point attempt was unsuccessful, making he score 15–10. The Eagles, trailing by five, started what would be the winning drive on their own 40-yard line after a bad punt by the Bears. The Bears were able to stop three downs starting at their 2-yard line, but Philadelphia finally scored on 4th down with Foles' 2-yard touchdown pass to
Golden Tate Golden Herman Tate III (born August 2, 1988) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish footb ...
to take a one-point lead with less than one minute remaining. The Eagles went for the two-point conversion, but a rush by Wendell Smallwood was ruled to be short of the end zone. The play was reviewed, but video evidence was not clear enough to overturn the ruling on the field. Chicago started their final drive of the game with 0:56 left. Tarik Cohen returned the kickoff 35 yards to the Bears' 42-yard line and a 25-yard pass from Trubisky to Robinson settled the home team into field goal position. The Eagles called a timeout before the snap to negate the first field goal try. After that, Parkey's 43-yard kick was tipped by the Eagles' defensive tackle Treyvon Hester, hit the left goal post and bounced off the crossbar to send Philadelphia to the divisional round. Parkey later reacted, "I feel terrible. There's really no answer to it. I thought I hit a good ball." The kick became known as the " double doink" after NBC color commentator
Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengal ...
stated immediately afterward, "Oh my goodness, the Bears' season is going to end on a double doink". The next day, the NFL officially declared the kick had been blocked by Hester instead of declaring it a Parkey missed field goal attempt. Both offensive units relied much more on the passing game than the rushing one. Chicago quarterback Trubisky completed 26 passes out of 43 attempts for a total 303 yards and a touchdown, while Philadelphia's Foles completed 25 passes out of 40 for 266 yards and two scores. Meanwhile, the Eagles offense totaled 42 yards from 23 carries and the Bears totaled 65 yards from 18 carries, ending up as the last and second-to-last team in rushing yards at the wild card weekend, respectively. Robinson was the top receiver of the game, with 10 receptions, 143 yards and a score. The final drive of the first half included a controversial play. With 0:36 left, Trubisky threw a pass down the field to Miller, who apparently caught the ball, but was then broken up by Eagles cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc. The play was ruled an incomplete pass by the referees, but upon reviewing it, it looked like it was indeed a complete pass, then fumbled as Miller became a runner. However, that hypothetical fumble was not recovered by anyone and the ruling on the field was upheld. While that was misunderstood by most viewers, the NFL rule book states that in this situation, "if there is no video evidence of a clear recovery ��the ruling of incomplete stands."


Divisional playoffs


Saturday, January 12, 2019


AFC: Kansas City Chiefs 31, Indianapolis Colts 13

Kansas City dominated the game the whole way through, racking up 433 yards and 29 first downs, while holding the Colts to 263 yards, 15 first downs and 0-for-9 on third down conversions. Kansas City would go to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 1993 and the second time in franchise history. In the first quarter alone, the Chiefs gained 185 yards and nine first downs, while holding Indianapolis to 12 yards and no first downs. Following a Colts punt on the opening drive, Kansas City quarterback
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
led the team 75 yards in five plays, including his 44-yard completion to Sammy Watkins, to score on Damien Williams' 10-yard touchdown run. Indianapolis was quickly forced to punt again and the Chiefs stormed back for another touchdown. This time, they drove 65 yards in eight plays to take a 14–0 lead with receiver
Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Garden City Broncbusters, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and West ...
's 36-yard touchdown run on an end around play. The Colts went three-and-out for the third time in row and Kansas City took off for another scoring drive as the first quarter ended. Mahomes completed 5-of-10 passes for 47 yards as the team advanced 48 yards in 15 plays to go up 17–0 on Harrison Butker's 39-yard field goal. With six minutes left in the second quarter, Indianapolis finally managed to strike back when Colts linebacker Najee Goode blocked
Dustin Colquitt Dustin Farr Colquitt (born May 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Kansas City Chie ...
's punt and Zach Pascal recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to make the score 17–7. But the Colts' defense still could not stop the Chiefs as Mahomes completed a 30-yard pass to tight end
Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
on the first play of their ensuing drive. One play later, Mahomes hooked up with Hill for a 14-yard completion on the Colts' 26-yard line. Kansas City was on the move and did not stop until Mahomes finished the possession with a 4-yard touchdown run, increasing their lead to 24–7. Indianapolis got the ball back with 1:40 left in the half. On their first play,
Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football executive and former professional quarterback who is the general manager of the Stanford Cardinal. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons ...
completed a 21-yard pass to Eric Ebron, giving the Colts their first first down of the game. He then followed it up with a 12-yard pass to
Dontrelle Inman Dontrelle Javaar Inman (born January 31, 1989) is an American former Gridiron football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers football, Virginia Cavaliers and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars of the N ...
. The drive continued until the Colts reached the Chiefs' 5-yard line, but with only three seconds left in the half, 46-year old kicker
Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 24 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the ...
hit the left upright on his 23-yard field goal attempt—his shortest missed field goal in 23 NFL seasons. Kansas City started the second half with a drive to the Colts' 33-yard line, but this time failed to score as Mahomes was sacked by Denico Autry for a 5-yard loss while trying to convert on 4th-and-5. Following some punts, Indianapolis got a big scoring opportunity when
Shaquille Leonard Darius Shaquille Leonard (born July 27, 1995) is an American professional American football, football linebacker. He played college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs football, South Carolina State Bulldogs and was selected in the se ...
forced and recovered a fumble from Watkins on the Chiefs' 20-yard line. But on the Colts' ensuing drive, Chiefs lineman
Dee Ford Donald “Dee” Ford (born March 19, 1991) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers football, Auburn Tig ...
forced a fumble while sacking Luck and linebacker Justin Houston recovered it with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. There would no more scoring until 5:30 remained in the game, when Luck finished an 87-yard drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to T. Y. Hilton, cutting the score to 24–13 after Vinatieri missed the extra point, the first time he had missed such an attempt in the postseason. But any chance of a Colts comeback was ended on the Chiefs' following drive, starting with Tremon Smith's 23-yard kickoff return to the Chiefs' 39-yard line. From there, Damien Williams rushed seven times for 50 yards as the team drove 56 yards in nine plays to score on
Darrel Williams Darrel Williams (born April 15, 1995) is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in ...
' 6-yard rushing touchdown, making the score 31–13 and putting the game out of reach. Mahomes finished his first playoff game 27-for-41 for 278 yards while also rushing for 8 yards and a touchdown. Kelce was his leading receiver with seven receptions for 108 yards, while Hill caught eight passes for 72 yards, rushed for 36 yards and a touchdown, and gained 6 yards returning punts. Damien Williams, who had been thrust into the starting lineup late in the season to replace the departed Kareem Hunt and the injured Spencer Ware, finished his first playoff game with 25 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown, along with five receptions for 25 yards. Houston had two tackles for a loss, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Luck completed 19-of-36 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 17 yards. Leonard had 14 tackles (10 solo), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. This would also be Luck's last game in the NFL, as he retired before the commencement of the
2019 NFL season The 2019 NFL season was the 100th season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 54th of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 5, 2019, with the NFL Kickoff Game, in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears. T ...
.


NFC: Los Angeles Rams 30, Dallas Cowboys 22

This was the ninth time these two franchises met in the postseason, extending their NFL record. Los Angeles gained 459 yards, including 273 yards on the ground, with running backs C. J. Anderson and
Todd Gurley Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Georg ...
both rushing for 100 yards each as they earned their first playoff win since the 2004 season and went to their first NFC Championship since 2001. On the other side of the ball, their defense limited
Ezekiel Elliott Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995), nicknamed "Zeke", is an American professional American football, football running back. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team College ...
, the league's leading rusher during the season, to just 47 yards on 20 carries. The Rams advanced 57 yards in 11 plays on their opening drive, the longest a 19-yard completion from
Jared Goff Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single- ...
to tight end
Tyler Higbee Tyler Higbee (born January 1, 1993) is an American professional football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and was selected by the Rams in th ...
, to score on Greg Zuerlein's 25-yard field goal and take a 3–0 lead. Dallas responded by advancing the ball 71 yards in 7 plays, featuring a 20-yard run by Elliott. On the next play, Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott Rayne Dakota Prescott (; born July 29, 1993) is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team ...
threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to
Amari Cooper Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
, giving the team a 7–3 lead. Los Angeles then drove 70 yards in 16 plays, but ended up having to settle for another Zuerlein field goal that made the score 7–6 with 31 seconds left in the first quarter. The next time the Rams got the ball, Goff completed three of four pass attempts for 47 yards, while Anderson finished the drive with a pair of carries, the first for 14 yards and the second a 1-yard touchdown run that put the team up 13–7. Then JoJo Natson returned Dallas' next punt 12 yards to the Rams' 36-yard line, where the team went on to drive 64 yards in six plays, scoring with Gurley's 35-yard touchdown run that upped their lead to 20–7. The Cowboys were soon forced to punt again, giving Los Angeles one last chance to score before halftime. They managed to advance to the Dallas 45-yard line, but as time in the half expired, Zuerlein missed a 63-yard field goal attempt. Dallas' offensive futility continued in the second half as they had to punt for the fourth consecutive drive and the Rams drove back for more points. A 21-yard completion from Goff to
Brandin Cooks Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers, earning consensus All-Am ...
and an 18-yard run from Gurley set up Zuerlein's third field goal, from 44 yards, that put the Rams up 23–7. But this time, the Cowboys' offense finally managed to get a drive going, advancing 75 yards in nine plays. Receiver
Michael Gallup Michael Gallup (born March 4, 1996) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Butler Grizzlies and Colorado Stat ...
caught passes for gains of 27 and 44 yards, while Elliott converted a 4th-and-1 with a 5-yard carry, and later finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Then Prescott completed a pass to Cooper for a two-point conversion, cutting their deficit to 23–15 with 5:20 left in the third quarter. After forcing the Rams to punt, Dallas drove to the Los Angeles 35-yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Elliott attempted to again convert a 4th-and-1, but this time he was stopped by Rams defenders John Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner for no gain. The Rams then went on to drive 65 yards in 12 plays, successfully converting their own 4th-and-1 with a 1-yard touchdown run by Anderson to put themselves in front 30–15 with just over seven minutes left in the game. Prescott started off the Cowboys' next drive with a 24-yard completion to Gallup on the Rams' 49-yard line and later converted a 4th-and-1 with a 2-yard run. Eventually the team found themselves facing 4th-and-3 on the Rams' 17-yard line. Prescott's pass on the next play was incomplete, but defensive back Aqib Talib was penalized for committing pass interference in the end zone, giving them first and goal on the 1-yard line, where Prescott eventually ran the ball into the end zone, making the score 30–22 with 2:11 left. After the ensuing touchback, Dallas forced the Rams into a 3rd-and-7, but Goff ran 9 yards for a first down, enabling Los Angeles to run out the clock and win the game. Goff completed 15-of-28 passes for 186 yards and rushed for 12 yards. Anderson, playing for his third team in the 2018 season, had 23 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and Gurley rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 3 yards. For the Cowboys, Prescott completed 20-of-32 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 3 yards and another touchdown. Gallup was the top receiver of the game with six receptions for 119 yards. At age 32, Rams coach
Sean McVay Sean Patrick McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired ...
became the youngest coach to win an NFL playoff game.


Sunday, January 13, 2019


AFC: New England Patriots 41, Los Angeles Chargers 28

New England piled up 347 yards in the first half and scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions to defeat the Chargers, which sent the Patriots to the AFC championship game for the eighth consecutive season. The Patriots started the game by driving 83 yards in 14 plays, scoring on
Sony Michel Sony Michel (born February 17, 1995) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Ge ...
's 1-yard touchdown run. Chargers quarterback
Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football for the ...
quickly led his team right back, completing an 18-yard pass to Mike Williams on 3rd-and-15 before tying the game on a 43-yard touchdown completion to
Keenan Allen Keenan Alexander Allen (born April 27, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver. He played college football for the California Golden Bears before leaving after his junior year. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the th ...
. New England then drove 67 yards in 7 plays, the longest a 28-yard completion from
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
to receiver
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
. On the next play, Michel ran 14 yards to the end zone to give the Patriots a 14–7 lead with less than a minute left in the first quarter. Los Angeles had to punt after three plays and Edelman returned it 6 yards to the Patriots' 42-yard line. Then he caught passes for gains of 11 and 17 yards as New England drove 58 yards to take a 21–7 lead on Brady's 15-yard touchdown pass to receiver Phillip Dorsett. Following another Chargers punt, Brady completed a 25-yard pass to running back James White on New England's first play. A few plays later, Michel took off for a 40-yard run to the Chargers' 9-yard line, where Rex Burkhead took the ball to the end zone over the next two plays, the second a 6-yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 28–7. The next time New England got the ball, they were forced into a three-and-out, but Chargers returner Desmond King muffed their punt and Albert McClellan recovered it for the Patriots on the Chargers' 35-yard line. Brady then started the ensuing possession with a 19-yard completion to Edelman, while Michel finished it with his third touchdown run, a 5-yard carry, that put the team up 35–7 with 1:40 left in the half. They nearly scored again after forcing a Los Angeles punt, but Dorsett was tackled on the Chargers' 30-yard line as time expired. In the first half alone, Brady completed 23-of-29 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown, Michel had 16 carries for 105 yards and three touchdowns, White caught 10 passes for 71 yards, and Edelman caught 7 passes for 107 yards while also returning 3 punts for 31 yards. Los Angeles had to punt on their opening drive of the second half and Brady's 25-yard completion to tight end
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
set up a 28-yard
Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. A member of the New England Patriots for most of his career, he is th ...
field goal, increasing New England's lead to 38–7. This time the Chargers were able to respond, as Williams caught 3 passes for 40 yards as the team drove 72 yards in 10 plays to score on Melvin Gordon's 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 38–14. But Los Angeles' defense still could not contain New England, as Brady's completions to Edelman and White for gains of 35 and 23 yards lead to another Gostkowski field goal, giving the Patriots a 41–14 lead with 12:27 left. Following a few punts, Rivers completed passes to
Tyrell Williams Tyrell Williams (born February 12, 1992) is an American former professional football wide receiver. He played college football at Western Oregon and was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He also played for the ...
and Allen for gains of 29 and 32 yards as the team drove to score on his 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Virgil Green. Then he completed a pass to Allen for a two-point conversion, making the score 41–22 with 7:28 left. After failing to recover an onside kick, the Chargers forced a punt, but Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore ended their following drive with an interception. By the time Los Angeles got the ball back, only three minutes remained, which they used to drive 80 yards in 12 plays to score on Rivers' 8-yard pass to tight end Antonio Gates, making the final score 41–28 following a failed two-point conversion attempt. Brady completed 34-of-44 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown. Edelman caught 9 passes for 131 yards and returned 5 punts for 37 yards, moving to second place all-time in playoff receptions, behind only
Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter ...
. White tied an all-time playoff record with 15 receptions for 97 yards. Michel ran 24 times for 129 yards and three touchdowns, and caught a pass for 9 yards. Rivers finished the day 25-of-51 for 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Tyrell Williams was his top receiver with 5 receptions for 94 yards. With this win, Tom Brady improved his record against Rivers to 8–0 (counting regular season and playoff games). Down judge Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate an NFL postseason game and second woman to officiate a postseason game in one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, following the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
’s
Violet Palmer Violet Renice Palmer (born July 20, 1964) is a retired American basketball referee in the NBA and WNBA and the first female official to reach the highest competitive tier in any major U.S. professional sports league. She also earned recognition ...
.


NFC: New Orleans Saints 20, Philadelphia Eagles 14

New Orleans had defeated the Eagles 48–7 during the regular season, and while the score of this game would be much closer, the result did not change. Though Philadelphia scored touchdowns on their first two drives, the Saints' defense managed to shut them out for the rest of the game, clinching the win with an interception by Marshon Lattimore in the closing minutes on the Eagles' final possession. Philadelphia got off to a strong start as cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc intercepted Saints quarterback
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
' pass on the game's first play, giving the Eagles a first down on the New Orleans 24-yard line. The Eagles then drove 76 yards in seven plays to score on
Nick Foles Nicholas Edward Foles (born January 20, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. A member of six teams, he achieved his greatest success wi ...
' 37-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews. The Saints soon had to punt, and Philadelphia drove back for more points. Their next drive covered 75 yards in 10 plays, the longest a 30-yard reception by Alshon Jeffery. Foles finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on a QB sneak, giving his team a 14–0 lead before the Saints had managed to gain a single yard on offense. New Orleans' third drive fared no better as they had to punt after Brees was sacked twice, the second time losing a fumble that was recovered by offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk. But in what turned out to be a crucial momentum-shifting play, Lattimore made a leaping interception of a Foles pass on the Saints' 21-yard line with 13:35 left in the half. New Orleans then drove to a 4th-and-1 on their own 30-yard line and sent their punt unit onto the field. Playing from the blocking back position in the formation, backup quarterback Taysom Hill took a direct snap and ran four yards for a first down, extending the drive. On the next play, Brees completed a 42-yard pass to
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (1936–2021), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), B ...
on the Eagles' 24-yard line. Eventually, the Saints faced 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line and managed to convert again, this time with Brees' 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Keith Kirkwood to finish off the 12-play, 79-yard drive with 7:23 left in the half. After the next three drives resulted in punts, New Orleans got the ball on their own 6-yard line with 1:18 remaining in the half. Brees subsequently completed four successive passes for 71 yards as the team drove to a 45-yard field goal by Wil Lutz, making the score 14–10 at halftime. After forcing the Eagles to punt on the opening second-half possession, New Orleans went on the longest drive of the postseason to that point, covering 92 yards in 18 plays and taking 11:29 off the clock, which included overcoming a 41-yard touchdown completion called back by a holding penalty. Brees made two clutch first down completions on the drive, throwing a 20-yard pass to Thomas on 2nd-and-20 from the Saints' 44-yard line, and later hitting Thomas again for 20 yards to convert a 3rd-and-16. After this, Alvin Kamara's 15-yard run moved the ball to the Eagles' 2-yard line, and Brees completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Thomas on the next play, giving the Saints their first lead of the game at 17–14 with 1:40 left in the third quarter. After forcing the Eagles to punt, New Orleans drove 62 yards, including a 36-yard run by
Mark Ingram II Mark Valentino Ingram II (born December 21, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football running back and current on-air personality for Fox Sports. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
, to take a 20–14 lead on Lutz's 39-yard field goal with 10:28 left. Following another Eagles punt, the Saints drove 41 yards in 10 plays, featuring a 22-yard completion from Brees to Thomas on 3rd-and-13. With 3:03 remaining, they had a chance to put the game away, but Lutz missed a 52-yard field goal attempt wide to the right, giving the ball to Philadelphia on their 42-yard line. After driving to the Saints' 27-yard line, Foles threw a pass that went through the hands of Jeffery and was intercepted by Lattimore with 1:50 remaining, enabling New Orleans to run out the clock. Brees finished the game 28-for-38 for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Thomas caught 12 passes for a franchise postseason record 171 yards and a touchdown. Kamara rushed for 71 yards, caught four passes for 35 yards, and returned two kickoffs for 45 yards. Lattimore had eight tackles (four solo) and two interceptions. Foles completed 18-of-31 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions. His rushing touchdown made him the third player in the Super Bowl era to have a rushing, receiving and passing touchdown in the postseason.


Conference championships


Sunday, January 20, 2019

For the first time in the Super Bowl era, both conference championship games went into overtime.


NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams 26, New Orleans Saints 23 ()

Though the Rams outgained the Saints in total yards 378 to 290, they never held the lead at any point in regulation. But after Greg Zuerlein made a 48-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, John Johnson's clutch interception set Zuerlein up for a 57-yard field goal (the second longest in postseason history) to win the game. New Orleans took the opening kickoff and drove 56 yards in 11 plays, the longest a 21-yard completion from
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
to running back Alvin Kamara. Wil Lutz finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal to give the Saints a 3–0 lead. Then Saints linebacker Demario Davis intercepted a pass that bounced out of the hands of running back
Todd Gurley Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Georg ...
, giving his team a first down on the Rams' 13-yard line. Three plays later, Lutz kicked a 29-yard field goal to put New Orleans up 6–0. Los Angeles was quickly forced to punt, and the Saints soon drove for more points. Brees started his next drive with a 24-yard completion to tight end Josh Hill, and later converted a 3rd-and-3 with a 19-yard pass to
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to: Entertainment * Michael M. Thomas (1936–2021), American novelist of financial thrillers * Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer * Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), B ...
. Brees eventually finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown toss to tight end Garrett Griffin, who had been promoted from the practice squad just two weeks earlier after missing the entire regular season. This gave New Orleans a 13–0 lead with 1:35 left in the first quarter. The Rams took the ball back and soon faced 4th-and-5, but managed to keep the drive going with a fake punt in which punter
Johnny Hekker John Robert Hekker (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional football punter for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers and was signed by the St. Louis Rams ...
threw the ball to Sam Shields for 12 yards, giving the Rams a first down for the first time in the game with 14 minutes left in the second quarter. The possession ended up going on for 14 plays and 62 yards before Zuerlein finished it with a 36-yard field goal to make the score 13–3. After the next three possessions of the game ended in punts, Los Angeles got the ball with 1:52 left in the half. Quarterback
Jared Goff Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single- ...
started the drive with a pair of completions to Josh Reynolds for 22 total yards. Following two incompletions, he converted a 3rd-and-10 with a 17-yard pass to
Brandin Cooks Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers, earning consensus All-Am ...
. On the next play, Goff completed a 36-yard pass to Cooks on the Saints' 6-yard line. Gurley then ran the ball in for a touchdown, cutting the Rams' deficit to 13–10 at halftime. After forcing the Rams to punt on the opening possession of the second half, New Orleans drove 71 yards in 12 plays, mainly on the strength of running backs
Mark Ingram II Mark Valentino Ingram II (born December 21, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football running back and current on-air personality for Fox Sports. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played ...
and Kamara. Ingram rushed three times for 25 yards on the drive, while Kamara had a 6-yard carry while also catching four passes for 34 yards. Brees ended the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill, increasing the Saints' lead to 20–10. Los Angeles responded by moving the ball 70 yards in 10 plays, including a 25-yard reception by Cooks and a 16-yard run by Reynolds on an end around play. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Goff converted a 3rd-and-goal with a 1-yard touchdown pass to
Tyler Higbee Tyler Higbee (born January 1, 1993) is an American professional football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and was selected by the Rams in th ...
, cutting the Rams' deficit to 20–17. The next three drives of the game resulted in punts, the last one a 44-yard kick by Thomas Morstead that pinned the Rams back on their 9-yard line. Goff then completed passes to Gerald Everett and Reynolds for gains of 39 and 33 yards as the team drove 90 yards in nine plays. Zuerlein kicked a field goal to tie the score 20–20 with just over five minutes left in regulation. Kamara returned the following kickoff 30 yards to the Rams' 35-yard line. Four plays later, Brees completed a 43-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. on the Los Angeles 13-yard line. Two plays later, with the Saints facing 3rd-and-10, Brees threw a pass to receiver
Tommylee Lewis Tommylee Lewis (born October 24, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football at Northern Illinois and signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent ...
, who was covered by
Nickell Robey-Coleman Nickell Earl Robey-Coleman (born January 17, 1992) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2013 after playing college football at USC Trojans football, USC. Robey-C ...
. A hit by Robey-Coleman knocked Lewis to the ground and the pass fell incomplete. Replays showed that Robey-Coleman made contact with Lewis long before the ball arrived. However, no flag was thrown and the Saints had to settle for Lutz's third field goal, from 31 yards, which gave them a 23–20 lead with 1:26 remaining. On the Rams' ensuing drive, Goff completed a 19-yard pass to Reynolds and then threw a 16-yard pass to Robert Woods to convert a 3rd-and-3 and give Los Angeles the ball on the Saints' 33-yard line. Three plays later, Zuerlein's 48-yard field goal tied the score with 8 seconds left on the clock and sent the game into overtime. New Orleans got the ball at the start of overtime and drove to their 40-yard line. On the next play, Ingram was tackled by Aaron Donald for a 6-yard loss. Then as Brees attempted to make a desperate throw, he was hit by Rams lineman
Dante Fowler Dante Antwane Fowler Jr. (born August 3, 1994) is an American professional American football, football defensive end and linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators f ...
, resulting in a high floating pass that was intercepted by John Johnson at the Rams' 46-yard line. Goff started Los Angeles' ensuing drive with a 12-yard pass to Higbee. Then after Anderson was dropped for a 3-yard loss, Goff's 6-yard pass to Higbee moved the ball to the Saints' 39-yard line. Goff's next pass was incomplete, and Zuerlein was brought out to kick a 57-yard field goal, which he did to give the Rams a 26–23 win. After the game, Saints coach
Sean Payton Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
protested bitterly about the non-call after Robey-Coleman's hit on Lewis on the final play of the Saints' fourth-quarter field goal drive. "For a call like that not to be made, man, it's just hard to swallow. And then to get a phone call ..." Payton said, trailing off. He added: "We spoke initially, then I called to follow up. And the first thing ead of officials Alberto Riveronsaid when I got on the phone—'We messed it up.' Payton later said it was the type of foul you'd call "if we were playing pickup football in the backyard." Eight days later, the NFL released a statement officially admitting the play was blown and should have been penalized. Two Saints season ticket holders filed a lawsuit against the NFL over the incident, attempting to force the league to use its unfair act provisions and replay the game from the point of the missed call. The league, which has never used these provisions, opposed the action on the grounds that it could force the Super Bowl to be postponed. On January 31, 2019,
U.S. District Judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district. Each district cov ...
Susie Morgan in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
ruled that the ticket holders could not compel the NFL or NFL Commissioner to enforce a rule that would change the result of the game or schedule a replay of the game. In response, Louisianans
boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...
ed Super Bowl LIII. In the following season, the NFL changed their rules to allow pass interference calls (and non-calls) to be subject to replay challenge. Goff completed 25-of-40 passes for 297 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while also rushing for 10 yards. Cooks caught seven passes for 107 yards, while Reynolds caught four passes for 74 yards and rushed for 16 yards. Rams linebacker Cory Littleton had 12 tackles (11 solo). Brees completed 26-of-40 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Kamara rushed for 15 yards, caught 11 passes for 96 yards, and had four kickoff returns for 119 yards. The previous postseason meeting of these two teams was in the 2000–01 wild card playoffs when the Saints eliminated the Rams 31–28; at the time Rams were based in St. Louis and were the defending Super Bowl champions.


AFC Championship: New England Patriots 37, Kansas City Chiefs 31 (OT)

New England outgained the Chiefs in total yards 524–290, and managed to prevent their defense, which led the league in sacks during the season, from getting any sacks in this game. Still, it would take an overtime touchdown by Rex Burkhead to put Kansas City away after a wild, back and forth fourth quarter in which the teams combined to score 38 points as the lead changed four times. The Patriots dominated the first half, holding Kansas City scoreless and limiting them to just 32 total yards. On the game's opening drive, New England running back
Sony Michel Sony Michel (born February 17, 1995) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Ge ...
rushed 6 times for 32 yards as the team drove 80 yards in 15 plays to score on his 1-yard touchdown run. After forcing a punt, the Patriots drove to a 1st-and-goal from the Chiefs' 5-yard line, but this time they failed to score. On 3rd down, linebacker Reggie Ragland intercepted
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
's pass in the end zone for a touchback with 13:45 left in the half. After a few punts, Chiefs quarterback
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
completed a 42-yard pass to
Tyreek Hill Tyreek Hill (born March 1, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Garden City Broncbusters, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and West ...
on the Patriots' 23-yard line. On 3rd-and-9, Mahomes was sacked by Trey Flowers for a 14-yard loss, pushing Kansas City back to the 36-yard line, where they decided to punt rather than risk a long field goal attempt.
Dustin Colquitt Dustin Farr Colquitt (born May 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Kansas City Chie ...
's 26-yard punt pinned New England back on their own 10-yard line; they still managed to drive to a 14–0 lead, with Brady completing a 30-yard pass to running back James White before hooking up with Phillip Dorsett for a 29-yard scoring play with 27 seconds left in the half. The Chiefs managed to rally back on the opening drive of the second half. When faced with 3rd-and-2 after two plays, Mahomes burned the Patriots' defense with a 54-yard completion to Sammy Watkins, and followed it up with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Travis Kelce Travis Michael Kelce ( ; born October 5, 1989) is an American professional American football, football tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 NF ...
, making the score 14–7. Later in the quarter, New England receiver
Julian Edelman Julian Francis Edelman (born May 22, 1986) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college footba ...
returned a punt 13 yards to the Chiefs' 37-yard line, setting up
Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. A member of the New England Patriots for most of his career, he is th ...
's 47-yard field goal that increased the Patriots' lead to 17–7. Kansas City responded by driving 75 yards in 9 plays, featuring Mahomes' 33-yard completion to running back Damien Williams. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Williams finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown reception, cutting the score to 17–14. New England took the ball back and advanced to a 4th-and-1 on the Chiefs' 25-yard line. They attempted to convert with a run by Burkhead, but safety
Daniel Sorensen Daniel Sorensen (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety. He played college football at BYU Cougars football, BYU. College career Leaving his home state of Californ ...
broke through the line and tackled him for no gain. However, Kansas City soon had to punt. Officials ruled that Edelman muffed the punt and the Chiefs recovered the ball, but the call was overturned via video review. Two plays later, Brady threw a pass that bounced off Edelman's fingertips and was intercepted by Sorensen, who returned it 14 yards to the Patriots' 23-yard line. Following an incompletion, Mahomes threw a short pass to Williams, who raced down the left sideline for a 23-yard touchdown completion, giving Kansas City their first lead at 21–17, with 7:45 left in regulation. New England then drove 75 yards in 10 plays to retake the lead at 24–21, the longest being a 14-yard run by Burkhead, capped off with Michel's 10-yard touchdown run from 4th-and-inches. The Patriots' touchdown drive was kept alive by a controversial roughing the passer call against Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, so instead of third-and-long the Patriots got 15 yards and a first down. Following the Patriots' touchdown, Kansas City quickly took advantage of a lost fumble that was eliminated due to a holding penalty on Patriots defensive back J. C. Jackson, and a later pass interference penalty on Jackson that gained them 23 yards. Mahomes then threw a 38-yard completion to Watkins on the 2-yard line, and Williams ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play; Kansas City led 28–24 with just over two minutes left in regulation.
Cordarrelle Patterson Cordarrelle Patterson ( ; born March 17, 1991), nicknamed "Flash", is an American professional American football, football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). As a versatile utility player, he is also ...
returned the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the 35-yard line. Then Brady threw passes to Edelman and Chris Hogan for gains of 20 and 11 yards; Hogan's one-handed catch was upheld on review. After an incompletion, Chiefs defensive back
Charvarius Ward Charvarius "Mooney" Ward (born May 16, 1996) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders foo ...
appeared to put the game away with an interception, only to see it overturned by a penalty against linebacker
Dee Ford Donald “Dee” Ford (born March 19, 1991) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers football, Auburn Tig ...
, who had lined up in the neutral zone before the ball was snapped. On the next play, Brady threw a 25-yard pass to
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
on the Kansas City 4-yard line. Then Burkhead scored on a 4-yard touchdown run, giving New England a 31–28 lead with 39 seconds left. After Tremon Smith's 26-yard kickoff return gave the Chiefs the ball on their 31-yard line, Mahomes completed a 21-yard pass to running back Spencer Ware, and a 27-yard completion to
Demarcus Robinson Demarcus Dontavian Robinson (born September 21, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators. He was selected by the ...
, to set up Harrison Butker's 39-yard field goal with six seconds left, sending the game into overtime, the first such instance in an AFC Championship game since
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...
. After winning the overtime coin toss, New England drove 75 yards in 13 plays for the game-winning touchdown. Edelman caught two third-down passes on the drive for gains of 20 and 15 yards, while Burkhead covered the final 15 yards to the end zone with a 10-yard run, a 3-yard run, and a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Brady completed 30-of-46 passes for 348 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Edelman caught seven passes for 98 yards and returned three punts for 38 yards. Patterson returned 3 kickoffs for 80 yards and caught 2 passes for 16 yards. Michel was the top rusher of the game with 29 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. This gave him five total rushing touchdowns for the postseason, a rookie record. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy had 10 tackles (2 solo), two sacks and a forced fumble. Mahomes finished the game 16-of-31 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 11 yards. Williams rushed for 30 yards, caught five passes for 66 yards, and scored three touchdowns. Watkins was the game's leading receiver with four receptions for 114 yards. Smith had four kickoff returns for 99 yards. Sorensen had 14 tackles (11 solo) and an interception. After the game, the Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. This was the Patriots' first postseason win on the road since
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
.


Super Bowl LIII: New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3

This was the first Super Bowl since
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
to not feature a top seed from either conference, and the first time that both number two seeds qualified. This was the Patriots' third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. The Rams last made an appearance in
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
when the team was based in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, coincidentally, facing the Patriots, their first as a
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
based team since
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
. The Patriots won that game 20–17 on a field goal, as time expired, by
Adam Vinatieri Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for 24 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the ...
. The Patriots' current head coach–starting quarterback tandem of
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick ( ; born April 16, 1952) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, inc ...
and
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
were only active personnel left from the previous title game against the Rams. The Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl in 18 years (
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
,
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
,
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
), and tied the Pittsburgh Steelers with the most Super Bowl wins. The Rams won their only Super Bowl in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, which was coincidentally hosted by Atlanta, and extended their drought to 20 years. This was the Patriots' 11th Super Bowl appearance (ninth under Brady and Belichick) and the Rams' fourth. The first half was the lowest scoring half (three points) since
Super Bowl IX Super Bowl IX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1974 Minnesota Vikings season, Mi ...
(two points). In the lowest scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, the Patriots won 13–3 to claim their sixth Super Bowl.


Television coverage

All playoff games were broadcast nationally on network television. In a change from previous Wild Card Weekends,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
aired the late Sunday afternoon NFC game as a lead-in to their coverage of the
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
. ABC and ESPN simulcasted the AFC wild card game on Saturday afternoon,
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
aired the Saturday primetime NFC game, and
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
broadcast the other AFC playoff game in the early Sunday window. Fox then had both NFC divisional games, while CBS and NBC had one AFC divisional game each. Fox had exclusive coverage of the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
. CBS had exclusive coverage of the
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
and
Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2018-19 Nfl Playoffs
Playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
NFL playoffs