NFL 2025 Wild Card Round
Jan 15 2026
Wild Card Round was exciting. Four close games and then a comparatively boring defensive game. I'm happy the 49ers won so now they get to go to Seattle for game 3 -- they won in Seattle and lost at home.
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers 34-31 - The Panthers played poorly at first then got good and finally couldn't stop the last Rams drive for winning score. Panthers played better than I expected.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears 27-31 - Packers were up 21-3 at the half was both unlucky and didn't look in sync. And then the Packers couldn't move the ball and the Bears caught up in the 4th and went ahead. Packers had one final drive but only got to FG range and they need a TD.
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 - Jaguars played very well and should have won the game. They kept close to the Bills and banged up QB Josh Allen. In the final drive with a minute left QB Trevor Lawrence threw a bad interception to DB he should have seen. He had an earlier interception like that too.
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 - Tense game from my POV. 49ers first drive led to a TD but after that the Eagles defense held very well until the 4th quarter. In the end the 49ers were up enough that the Eagles needed a TD on their final drive and they drove down the field to about the 49ers 20 yd line but couldn't convert 4th down.
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots 3-16 - Patriots blitzed a lot and the Charges O-line couldn't hold them back and QB Justin Herbert kept holding the ball too long.
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 - For half the game QB CJ Stroud just kept fumbling the ball (twice) or getting picked (once) but those two fumbles only led to two Steelers FGs and Houston led 7-6. Then in the 4th quarter the Texans finally started going with a FG, fumble recovered for a TD, then an interception for another TD. So I guess we can say the Texan defense won the game. And as I think I mentioned before QB Aaron Rodgers looks so old.
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers 34-31 - The Panthers played poorly at first then got good and finally couldn't stop the last Rams drive for winning score. Panthers played better than I expected.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears 27-31 - Packers were up 21-3 at the half was both unlucky and didn't look in sync. And then the Packers couldn't move the ball and the Bears caught up in the 4th and went ahead. Packers had one final drive but only got to FG range and they need a TD.
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 - Jaguars played very well and should have won the game. They kept close to the Bills and banged up QB Josh Allen. In the final drive with a minute left QB Trevor Lawrence threw a bad interception to DB he should have seen. He had an earlier interception like that too.
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 - Tense game from my POV. 49ers first drive led to a TD but after that the Eagles defense held very well until the 4th quarter. In the end the 49ers were up enough that the Eagles needed a TD on their final drive and they drove down the field to about the 49ers 20 yd line but couldn't convert 4th down.
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots 3-16 - Patriots blitzed a lot and the Charges O-line couldn't hold them back and QB Justin Herbert kept holding the ball too long.
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 - For half the game QB CJ Stroud just kept fumbling the ball (twice) or getting picked (once) but those two fumbles only led to two Steelers FGs and Houston led 7-6. Then in the 4th quarter the Texans finally started going with a FG, fumble recovered for a TD, then an interception for another TD. So I guess we can say the Texan defense won the game. And as I think I mentioned before QB Aaron Rodgers looks so old.