After just two games, the Super Bowl Wild Card Weekend lived up to its name and gave NFL fans a super wild Saturday.
Almost all of the drama of Day 1 of the NFL Playoffs happened Saturday night in a game where the Jaguars came back from a 27-point deficit to defeat the Chargers 31-30 with a 36-yard field goal from Riley Patterson to stun endgame.
Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions in the first half that saw the Jaguars fall 27-0 behind, but he played near-perfect football after that. The 27-point comeback was the third-biggest in NFL postseason history.
Earlier on Saturday, the 49ers also made a comeback, but it wasn’t as dramatic. San Francisco trailed the Seahawks 17-16 at halftime before completely taking over in the second half en route to a 41-23 win. Like Lawrence, Brock Purdy struggled in the first half but then rebounded to throw for 332 yards and three touchdowns for the game. Christian McCaffrey (136 total yards, one TD) and Deebo Samuel (six catches for 133 yards, one TD) also played big roles in the win.
Although there are now two games scheduled for the wild card round, there are four more to come, so buckle up and get ready.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the entire postseason schedule. (And don’t forget there could be a neutral AFC title game this year: if the Bills and Chiefs go head-to-head in the AFC championship, the game will be played in Atlanta.)
Super Wild Card Weekend
Saturday January 14th
- (2) 49ers 41-23 over (7) Seahawks. The 49ers got a brief scare from the Seahawks on a day that saw Seattle lead 17-16 at halftime. But in the second half, San Francisco opened the game with a dominating performance. Brock Purdy threw for 332 yards while becoming the first rookie in NFL history to total four touchdowns in a playoff game. (Purdy finished with three passing touchdowns and a rushing score).
- (4) Jaguars 31-30 over (5) Chargers. The Jaguars won that game by pulling off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. The Jags fell 27-0 early in the game, in large part due to four interceptions from Trevor Lawrence, but they rallied to pick up the stunning win thanks in large part to Lawrence, who threw four touchdown passes.
Sunday January 15th
- (7) Dolphins at (2) Bills (-10), 1 p.m. ET (CBS, stream on Paramount+). These two teams split their season streaks, with each team winning at home, but keep in mind that both games were decided by three points or fewer. The big question here revolves around who will start as quarterback for the Dolphins. At the moment, Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) and Teddy Bridgewater (finger) are both injured. When they can’t walk, Skyler Thompson gets the start.
- (6) Giants at (3) Vikings (-3), 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox, Stream on fuboTV). These two played one of the wildest games of the season on Christmas Eve in a duel that was only decided when Greg Joseph hit a 61-yard field goal in the final game. This is Minnesota’s first home playoff game since the Minneapolis Miracle in January 2018.
- (6) Ravens at (3) Bengals (-6.5), 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC, Stream on fuboTV). It’s not clear if Lamar Jackson (knee) will play on Sunday, but even if he does, it will be his first action in six weeks when he’s on the field. Jackson led the Ravens to a 19-17 win over the Bengals in Week 5, but the Bengals retaliated with a 27-16 win in Week 18 to earn a season streak split.
Monday 16 January
- (5) Cowboys at (4) Buccaneers (+3), 8:15 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN, Stream on fuboTV). If the Cowboys want to advance to the divisional round, they’ll have to do something they’ve never done: beat Tom Brady. The Cowboys are 0-7 all-time against the Buccaneers QB and that includes a Week 1 loss that saw Tampa Bay surpass Dallas 19-3.
division round
Saturday 21st January and Sunday 22nd January
NFC
- Giants/Buccaneers/Cowboys at (1) Eagles
- Vikings/buccaneers/cowboys at (2) 49ers
If the Giants beat the Vikings on Sunday, they will play the Eagles, allowing the 49ers to host the Cowboys-Buccaneers winner. If the Vikings win, they play the 49ers while the Eagles host the Cowboys-Buccaneers winner. Whichever team is hosting the Cowboys-Buccaneers winner will definitely be playing on Sunday, January 22nd.
AFC
- Jaguars/dolphins/ravens at (1) Chiefs
- TBD at TBD
The NFL will announce the divisional round schedule during the wild card round.
Championship Sunday
January 29th
- NFC Championship, 3:05 p.m. ET (Fox)
- AFC Championship, 6:40 p.m. ET (CBS)
Super Bowl LVII
February 12th
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox)