NFL wild-card highlights: Bills, 49ers and Patriots escape with wins Sunday
ESPN staffJan 11, 2026, 11:24 PM ET Email Print Open Extended Reactions The NFL’s wild-card weekend kicked off Saturday with a wild one in Carolina, where the Los Angeles Rams hung on for a 34-31 victory over the Panthers. In the late window, the Green Bay Packers led by as many as 18 points before…
The NFL’s wild-card weekend kicked off Saturday with a wild one in Carolina, where the Los Angeles Rams hung on for a 34-31 victory over the Panthers. In the late window, the Green Bay Packers led by as many as 18 points before the Chicago Bears made a push in the fourth quarter to beat Green Bay 31-27.
The action continued Sunday with a nail-biter in the early game. The Buffalo Bills defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 after four lead changes in the fourth quarter — all while Bills quarterback Josh Allen sustained multiple injuries during the AFC wild-card playoff. In Sunday’s afternoon game, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the defending champs Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC wild-card win. Then, Sunday night, the New England Patriots rolled over the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 to advance.
On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) will host the Houston Texans (12-5) at 8:15 ET (ESPN/ABC).
MORE: Scores and full schedule for 2025 NFL playoffs
Check out the top explosive plays and highlights from every wild-card game:

