4th & Monday: The missed kick heard 'round the world
Well, wild-card weekend sure ended with a bang.
The Bears lost on one of the most brutal missed field goals in NFL playoff history, when Cody Parkey's attempt bounced off both the upright and crossbar before falling in the end zone and giving the Eagles a stunning road victory.
Was the last-second FG attempt tipped by a defender? It looks like it was, but that doesn't do much to quell Bears fans' anguish.
All this came after the Ravens mounted a frenzied fourth quarter rally against the Chargers, only to fall short when rookie QB Lamar Jackson was stripped of the ball in the final minute.
On Saturday, the Cowboys outlasted the Seahawks and take a heaping helping of confidence into their divisional playoff match against the Rams. The Colts, meanwhile, continued on their remarkable run since starting the season 1-5, toppling the Texans.
Before we dive into the moments you can't miss from the wild-card weekend action, here are 32 things we learned from the start of the NFL playoffs.
Divisional playoff schedule
- Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)
- Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams, Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, Sunday at 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints, Sunday at 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
Get in-depth previews of each matchup right here at nfl.usatoday.com.
Quick hits: Must-see wild-card moments
- Bears kicker on decisive miss: 'I feel terrible': Cody Parkey's final miss of the season was his most heartbreaking of all, as the Bears kicker hit both the upright and a crossbar on his last attempt.
- Watch Parkey's missed FG set to the song from Titanic: Cody Parkey's missed field goal is a tough watch. However, this just might be the comic relief you need.
- The most brutal playoff kicking misses: Was Cody Parkey's miss on Sunday one of the worst in NFL playoff history? Here's our list -- and yes, Scott Norwood is No. 1. But you already knew that.
- Chris Long found his brother Kyle right after wild ending: Chris Long’s Eagles beat his brother, Kyle Long’s, Bears thanks to a missed field goal in the final seconds. With emotions running high, this was about family and after sharing some words and a hug, Chris could be heard telling his brother, “I love you. I’m so proud of you.”
- ESPN apologizes for using Confederate anthem: During Saturday's broadcast of the Colts-Texans game, ESPN used a graphic that depicted Andrew Luck as a Union general with Confederate anthem, "Dixie," playing.
- Pereira explains why refs got that call in Eagles-Bears right: It’s been a rough year for NFL refs this season and that only continued in Sunday’s Eagles-Bears wild-card game. FOX’s Mike Pereira stepped in on Twitter and explained the ruling.
- Rivers screams at injured Ravens player: After Ravens LB Matthew Judon went down with an injury, CBS microphones picked up Chargers QB Philip Rivers yelling "that’s what you get" at him.
- Hilton explains his pregame clown mask: T.Y. Hilton showed up to Saturday's wild-card game in a clown mask. After the game, the Colts WR explained why.
- Cowboys WR suffers gruesome injury: Cowboys receiver Allen Hurns was carted off the field after suffering a dislocated ankle and fractures.
- Cowboys fans stampeded into AT&T Stadium: Before Saturday night's playoff game against the Seahawks, footage showed Cowboys fans running into AT&T Stadium as if there were some huge Black Friday sale going on.
TOP SHOTS: Best from wild-card games | Cheerleaders | Celebrations | Fans
Key story lines from wild-card weekend
- Don't bet against Eagles' potent playoff magic: The Eagles have a long way to go before matching the magic of last season's Super Bowl run. But this year's group won't go down easily.
- Cowboys build confidence: Dak Prescott earned his first career postseason victory, but the Cowboys have bigger visions ahead after taking care of the Seahawks.
- Chargers could be starting wild playoff run: Philip Rivers and the Chargers have proven themselves as formidable foes while on the road, making them a tough out in the NFL playoffs.
- Colts show they can run with NFL's best: The Colts aren't just Andrew Luck's show anymore, as they showed against the Texans they can attack in a multitude of ways.
Wild-card round rundown
Eagles 16, Bears 15: In about as bizarre a finish possible, Cody Parkey's 43-yard field goal attempt in the final second bounced off both the upright and crossbar to give Philly the win.
Chargers 23, Ravens 17: The Chargers continue to be road warriors, improving to 9-1 in games played away from Los Angeles.
Cowboys 24, Seahawks 22: Dak Prescott did it again, leading a fourth-quarter game-winning drive, and lifting Dallas to just its third playoff win since 1996.
Colts 21, Texans 7: Indianapolis — which won nine of 10 to close out the regular season and make the playoffs — stayed hot in Houston, storming out to a 21-point lead and never allowing the Texans back in the game.
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