As we roll into the New Year, the football world begins to tighten up just a little bit more each and every day. The 2026 Playoffs are here, and it all starts with Wild Card weekend.
Nothing is more thrilling than yelling at your favorite team through the screen, knowing that if you were there, you could easily be the loudest person in the stadium. The scary thoughts of being one play away from watching the favorites to win the championship, and leaving an open path for some other team to be the newly crowned leaders of the league.
Here is the recap to review everything that happened in this year’s Wild Card weekend.
Rams @ Panthers: Nobody could have expected this game to become as exciting as their last matchup. Many people believed that the last time these two teams faced up against each other, that maybe it was just a fluke from the Rams; however, the Panthers were out to prove people wrong. This game consisted of two great performances from each of the quarterbacks, some great defensive plays, and yet a high-scoring, 34-31 score. The Rams were able to secure this win after a beautiful throw to Colby Parkinson that ended up becoming the game-sealing touchdown.
Bears vs Packers: Three words. All Time Classic. This was a game that Bears fans wanted to forget for 45 minutes of the game. The team went 1/5 on fourth down conversions and turned the ball over constantly. The final quarter of this game, however, set up one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. After multiple missed field goals from Packers’ Brandon McManus, and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone, the Bears outscored the Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter. They would go on to win the game 31-27.
Bills @ Jaguars: This score was very close throughout the entirety of the game. Bills superstar, Josh Allen, had an MVP performance this week, making difficult throws and tiring the Jaguars defense when they consistently shut down potential Offensive Player of the Year, James Cook. QB Trevor Lawrence, on the other hand, had a very difficult game. His throws just were not as accurate as his final weeks in the regular season, as their campaign would end on an interception on the first play of his last drive. An incredible season the Jaguars had, yet unfortunate it had to end as the Buffalo Bills would go on to win this game 27-24 on the road.
49ers @ Eagles: This was a game that started off very slowly. The first half ended up being a tight 7-6 score with the 49ers losing a very key piece to their team in George Kittle. However, on the other side, A.J. Brown was very visibly angry with his head coach, Nick Sirianni, as the two expressed their frustration with each other. Both teams looked mentally drained early on in this game; however, it was the 49ers who would start to take the upper edge in this game as they would run a trick play, having WR Juwan Jennings throw a touchdown pass to superstar RB Christian McCaffrey, which would result in a 23-19 victory for the team in red and gold.
Patriots vs. Chargers: If you are a viewer who enjoys a good defensive performance, then this game was for you. Both teams played their hearts out on opposite sides of the football. There was constant pressure on both quarterbacks, Drake Maye and Justin Herbert, and despite making difficult plays to keep drives going, neither one could find a way to cap off their possessions with a touchdown. The fourth quarter is where we would see the game begin to slip away from the Chargers. Drake Maye would go on to throw a TD pass to TE Hunter Henry to make the game 16-3. DL Milton Williams and the Patriots’ defensive line were too much to handle as they would eventually wear down an offensive line that was known to be one of the worst in the league, as the Patriots went on to win this one.
Texans @ Steelers: The Monday Night Football game featured future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers, and many people believed that if he lost, this would be his final game ever. This game seemed as though it would be another close, low-scoring game, with the game being 7-6 after the first half. The last quarter would change everything, however, as the Houston Texans would prove why they have a top-three defense in the league. Will Anderson would put a hit on Rodgers that would cause him to lose the football. This ball was recovered by DL Sheldon Rankings as it would get taken back 33 yards into the endzone. Later on, Rodgers would step back and make a throw that would get picked off right in the middle of the field. This ball would also get taken back to the house, as the defense of Houston proved to be a serious factor in the league. The score would end up being 30-6 as the Texans would move on to the Divisional Round.
Everyone is looking forward to all the matchups this week. The NFL Playoffs are completely up for grabs, which is what makes football such a special game. Anyone could lift that Lombardi Trophy, but only one can finish the job. As for us, only time will tell just who that will be.