The road to Super Bowl XXXXVIII began last weekend with the start of the NFL playoffs. The playoffs started with the wild card round. The teams that made the playoffs as wild cards played, hoping to advance and get closer to being in the Super Bowl. The winning teams from wild card weekend will be playing in the divisional round of the playoffs this coming weekend. The losing teams are done for the season. Here’s a recap of wild card weekend.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts: The Chiefs had a 38-10 lead early in the third quarter. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck three four touchdown passes and scored on a fumble recovery in the second half to beat the Chiefs 45-44. It’s the second comeback by a team that was down by 28 or more points to win in playoff history, according to STATS, the Associated Press reports. The Colts will play the New England Patriots in the divisional round.
San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals: The Charges defeated the Bengals 27-10. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had three turnovers in the second half and the Charges took advantage of those turnovers. Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers completed 12 of 16 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth straight win for the Chargers. They will play the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles: The New Orleans Saint beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-24. Rookie Zach Ertz had a three-yard touchdown for the Eagles with just less than five minutes remaining. The Saints used up the clock on their next drive to set up the winning field goal. Shayne Graham made a 32-yard field goal to get the win for the Saints. It was the first win for the Saints on the road in the playoffs. They had been 0-5 on the road in the playoffs since they entered the NFL. The Saints will play the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers: The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-20. The two team kept trading the lead in the fourth quarter. Mason Croosby made a 24-yard field goal for the Packers to tie the game at 20 with about five minutes left. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick then got the ball to the Packers 27 yard line to set up a field goal attempt. Phil Dawson made the field goal to get the win for the 49ers. The game was the seventh coldest at Lambeau Field since 1959, and the fourth coldest playoff game at Lambeau, according to the AP. The 49ers will play the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round.