Man, what did we just watch? If you’re looking for nfl live updates and scores, you probably already know that the Wild Card round that just wrapped up was basically a fever dream. We didn’t just get football; we got a historical anomaly. Imagine this: twelve lead changes in the fourth quarter across just one weekend. Twelve. That’s a new NFL record, beating out the 2007 postseason.
Honestly, it’s a miracle anyone’s heart is still beating.
If you missed the Monday night closer, the Houston Texans basically took the Pittsburgh Steelers to the woodshed with a 30-6 win. It sounds like a blowout, and on the scoreboard, it was. But C.J. Stroud actually looked human for three quarters. He had three turnovers that made you tilt your head like a confused dog. Then, the fourth quarter hit, the Texans' defense decided to score twice by themselves, and suddenly it was a rout.
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The Scores You Might Have Missed
Let's look at how we got here. The weekend was a blur of field goals and "how did he catch that?" moments.
The Rams started the chaos on Saturday by edging out the Panthers 34-31. Matthew Stafford did that thing where he looks old for thirty minutes and then suddenly turns into a wizard. He hit Colby Parkinson for a 19-yard touchdown with only 38 seconds left. If you’re a Panthers fan, that one had to sting. Hard.
Then you had the Chicago Bears. They beat the Packers 31-27, which is a scoreline that doesn't tell the half of it. The Bears were down by 15 points at the start of the fourth. Caleb Williams eventually found D.J. Moore for a 25-yard strike with 1:43 to go. What’s weird? Chicago never actually ran an offensive play while they had the lead. Not one. They scored, took the lead, and then the defense or the clock did the rest.
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Sunday wasn't any quieter.
- Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24: Josh Allen ran it in from the 1-yard line with about a minute left.
- San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19: Brock Purdy found McCaffrey late to seal it.
- New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3: This was the "boredom bowl" compared to the others, but Drake Maye got his first playoff win, so that’s something for the history books.
Why the Divisional Round Changes Everything
Now we’re looking at the Divisional Round, and the bracket is set. We’ve got the heavyweights coming off their byes—Denver and Seattle—and they’re walking into a buzzsaw of battle-tested teams.
The nfl live updates and scores you'll be refreshing this coming Saturday, January 17, start at Mile High. The Buffalo Bills travel to face the top-seeded Denver Broncos at 4:30 p.m. ET. Denver’s been resting, but Buffalo has momentum. Sometimes, a week off makes you rusty; sometimes, it makes you a juggernaut. We'll see.
Later that night, at 8:00 p.m. ET, it’s an NFC West bloodbath. The San Francisco 49ers head up to Seattle to play the Seahawks. This is the third time they’ve met this season. They split the first two. It’s basically a coin flip at this point, though Seattle is the #1 seed for a reason.
Sunday, January 18, gives us the remaining two matchups.
The Houston Texans have to go into the refrigerator that is Foxborough to play the New England Patriots at 3:00 p.m. ET. Then, at 6:30 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Rams visit the Chicago Bears. Soldier Field in mid-January? That’s going to be a "wear three pairs of socks" kind of game.
The Medical Tent is Crowded
We can’t talk about the upcoming games without mentioning the injury report, because it's looking grim for some key players.
Houston is sweating over Nico Collins. He’s in the concussion protocol after that hit in the Steelers game. If he’s out, Stroud loses his favorite target. The Bills are in even worse shape at receiver; Gabe Davis is officially out with a torn ACL. That’s a massive blow to their deep-threat capability.
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Up in Seattle, the Seahawks are mostly healthy, but they’ve got a couple of guys limited in practice. Riq Woolen is dealing with an oblique issue, and DeMarcus Lawrence is nursing an Achilles. For the 49ers, they’re missing George Kittle for the rest of the playoffs. Losing a guy who is basically a third offensive tackle and a top-tier receiver in one body is... well, it’s bad.
What to Watch For Next
If you're tracking nfl live updates and scores for the divisional round, keep your eye on the weather in Chicago and Denver. We're looking at potential single-digit temperatures.
- Check the 48-hour injury window: Most teams will give a definitive "Out" or "Questionable" tag by Friday afternoon. Specifically, watch the Nico Collins news.
- Monitor the line movement: Vegas is currently leaning toward the home teams (Broncos and Seahawks), but the "Wild Card" momentum is real.
- Set your DVRs early: With the way these games have been finishing, you do not want to rely on a stream that’s 30 seconds behind your Twitter feed.
The road to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara is getting narrow. We went from 14 teams down to 8. By Sunday night, we'll be down to the final four. Whether you're a die-hard or just someone trying to win the office pool, the next 72 hours are basically the calm before another massive storm.