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The NFL playoffs are now in full swing, as some teams move on toward their goal of reaching and winning the Super Bowl while others face an abrupt end to what was once a promising campaign. Wild Card Weekend had all of those emotions and more, with four games that saw decisive lead changes in the final three minutes of action.
On Saturday, Both the Rams and Bears escaped with narrow wins to advance to the NFC Divisional Round, where they will face off against each other. Sunday was highlighted by upset wins for Josh Allen and the Bills and 49ers before the Patriots dismantled the Chargers in prime time. On Monday night, the Texans closed out the weekend with another dominant display from their defense to beat the Steelers on the road.
Who came out of the weekend as the biggest winners and losers from the opening round? Let’s dive into the list.
All season, the Bears have come up with different ways to win in the fourth quarter, each one crazier than the last. A lot of times, when teams are just scraping by in the regular season even against bad teams, it’s a bad sign for their playoff hopes.
But not for these Bears. Chicago kept its come-from-behind act alive in the Wild Card Round, rebounding from a 21-3 first half deficit against the Green Bay Packers to get an improbable 31-27 win and advance. A lot of things had to go right for the Bears to come back and get the win, including some pretty poor Matt LaFleur clock management, but this is a team that continues to make all the big plays when it needs to.
There is no greater example of that coming out of this game than Caleb Williams. The former No. 1 overall pick was inconsistent in his playoff debut, but he stepped up and made some big throws when it mattered. None were bigger than his dime to Rome Odunze while moving to his left to keep the Bears alive with a 11-point fourth quarter deficit.
The highest-graded play by any QB this weekend:
Caleb Williams fourth down conversion pic.twitter.com/lniH0V76ZH
— PFF (@PFF) January 12, 2026
Williams and the Bears have been underdogs for much of the season, were in this game and will be again against the Rams in the next round. But they have proven that they are hard to put away, and that’s a valuable skill this time of year.
The Eagles were a dominant force going into, and all the way through, the playoffs last season on their way to a Super Bowl ring. Things felt a lot different coming into the playoffs this year, as the Eagles have been struggling on offense for much of the year. That came to a head in the Wild Card Round against an undermanned 49ers team on Sunday, as...
