There were 32 teams trying to make it to the Super Bowl when the NFL season began. After a crazy weekend, there are now only four teams left. That was the end of the divisional round. On Sunday night, the Chiefs beat the Bills 27–24 in another instant classic. With just under two minutes left to play, Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard field goal that would have won the game. For the sixth year in a row, the Chiefs will play in the AFC title game.
Patrick Mahomes will go to Baltimore to play Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, who will be hosting the AFC title game for the first time in the team’s history. With a 34–10 win over the Texans on Saturday, the top-seeded Ravens made it straight to the conference title game. The Detroit Lions are going to the NFC championship game for the second time in the team’s history. The Lions beat the Buccaneers 31–23 on Sunday to make sure they would be in the game. Now that they have won, the Lions will go to San Francisco to play the 49ers. The winner will go to Super Bowl LVIII. Now that we know that, let’s look at the full 2024 NFL playoff schedule.
Super Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 13
(4) Texans 45-14 over (5) Browns.From beginning to end, this was a beating. C.J. Stroud threw for 274 yards and tied the rookie record for touchdowns in a playoff game with three. The Browns defense had no answer for him. Also, the Texans defense really did their job when they picked off Joe Flacco twice in the second half, ending the game.
(3) Chiefs 26-7 over (6) Dolphins. It was -4 degrees at start, making this the fourth-coldest game in NFL history. Miami was no match for the frigid weather. However, the Dolphins’ offense never got going. On the other hand, the Chiefs’ offense gained more than 400 yards.
Sunday, Jan. 14
(7) Packers 48-32 over (2) Cowboys. The Packers beat the Cowboys badly in Dallas, which was the biggest surprise of the wild-card round. Jordan Love had a passer rating of 157.2 at the end of the game, which is tied for the fourth-highest in NFL playoff history. The Packers were the better team. They were ahead 48–16 before the Cowboys scored two touchdowns in extra time.
(3) Lions 24-23 over (6) Rams. It took a very close game, but the Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years. The Lions didn’t really win until late in the game, after the Rams had moved into Detroit’s territory, the defense made a stop.
Monday, Jan. 15
(2) Bills 31-17 over (7) Steelers. The Bills’ attack could not be slowed down by even one day of weather. Josh Allen threw three touchdowns and ran for a score from 52 yards out, which was the biggest run of his career. Allen gained 277 yards in the win, with 203 yards passing and 74 yards running.
(4) Buccaneers 32-9 over (5) Eagles. The Eagles completely fell apart in the last few weeks of the regular season, and they couldn’t stop the loss in the playoffs. Baker Mayfield was very good against Philadelphia’s defense. He threw for 337 yards and three scores, which helped Tampa Bay win.
Divisional Round
Saturday, Jan. 20
(1) Ravens 34-10 over (4) Texans. After the first half, the score was tied. But in the second half, the Ravens scored 24 points and Houston only scored eight. The Ravens’ 229-yard rushing attack was too much for the Texans to handle. Lamar Jackson was the star of the game. He scored four scores, two through passing and two through running, and gained 100 yards on the ground.
(1) 49ers 24-21 over (7) Packers. In the first three quarters, it looked like the Packers were in charge of the game. But in the fourth, they lost control. It took them three chances in the last quarter, but each one ended with a three-and-out, a missed field goal, or an interception. The 49ers scored 10 points more than the Packers in the fourth quarter to avoid the upset.
Sunday, Jan. 21
(3) Lions 31-23 over (4) Buccaneers. The Lions’ offense got off to a slow start, but Jahmyr Gibbs turned things around in the second half, when he ran for 89 of his 114 yards. The Lions also got great play from Jared Goff, who threw for 287 yards and two scores. (by. Fanatics Betting)
(3) Chiefs 27-24 over (2) Bills.Patrick Mahomes played in a playoff game on the road for the first time in his career. It didn’t seem to worry him. The quarterback for the Chiefs threw for 215 yards and two scores, both to Travis Kelce. The Kansas City attack only punted once during the whole game, which made it hard for the Bills defense.
Championship Sunday
Sunday, Jan. 28
AFC Championship, 3 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
(3) Chiefs at (1) Ravens. For the first time in team history, the Ravens will host an AFC title game. Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes will be going up against each other in a huge matchup. It has been since 2021 that these two teams played each other. That year, the Ravens beat the Chiefs.
NFC Championship, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox)
(3) Lions at (1) 49ers.The 49ers have been to the NFC championship game 19 times, which is the most in NFL history. They will be playing the Lions, who have only been to the NFC championship game twice before. The Lions are hoping to beat the 49ers on the road for the first time since 1975. If they succeed, it will be the first time in the history of the team that they have made it to the Super Bowl.
Sunday, Feb. 11
AFC vs. NFC in Las Vegas, 6:30 p.m. ET
The Super Bowl will be shown on CBS, and Nickelodeon will stream an alternate feed. Paramount+ will also let you watch the game.
