While AFC went absolutely sideways, the NFC title game matchup has an old-school vibe
The NFL is down to its final four, as the divisional playoff round set up intriguing matchups for next week's conference championships.
The AFC divisional playoffs were crazypants. Things went sideways Saturday night when the Titans pulled off another stunning upset, knocking off the team with the league's best record, the Ravens. On Sunday, the Chiefs erased a 24-point deficit in a hurry in a wild comeback that had to be seen to believed. Kansas City scored so much the stadium ran out of fireworks. It was that kind of game.
In the NFC, the 49ers and Packers set up a conference championship matchup straight out of the 1990s. Aaron Rodgers was vintage Aaron Rodgers, dropping dimes to Davante Adams as the Packers managed to hold off the Seahawks' second-half surge. The 49ers, meanwhile, were downright dominant, sending a message to the remaining playoff teams that defeating San Francisco in the NFC Championship, or possibly Super Bowl LIV, will be very difficult.
Divisional playoff rundown
- Packers 28, Seahawks 23: Green Bay weathered an impressive second-half charge by Seattle to return to the NFC title game for the first time in three years.
- Chiefs 51, Texans 31: Kansas City pulled off a wild comeback to return to the AFC title game.
- Titans 28, Ravens 12: The Titans pulled off another playoff stunner with a clinical dump trucking of the AFC's top seed.
- 49ers 27, Vikings 10: The 49ers smashed the Vikings to reach their 16th NFC title game in franchise history.
- TOP PICS: Best of the 2019 season | Cheerleaders | NFL 100
Conference championship schedule
Sunday
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers, 6:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
Must-see divisional playoff moments
- 32 things we learned: The NFL is down to its final four teams, and there were plenty of surprises along the way to the two conference title games.
- Divisional round winners and losers: While the NFC's top playoff seed were impressive in the divisional round, the AFC's top seed were an utter disappointment.
- Texans QB not disappointed after playoff collapse: For many in Houston, wasting a 24-point lead and falling to the Chiefs was downright devastating. Deshaun Watson doesn't see it that way, though.
- Two Aarons, two Smiths help Packers advance: Aaron Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith played vital roles in putting Green Bay in the NFC title game.
- Eric Fisher celebrates TD like Stone Cold: Fisher did his best Stone Cold Steve Austin impression, smashing two beers he got out of the stands over his head after a Chiefs score.
- NFL fans crushed Bill O'Brien for two awful decisions: The Texans looked so good for a quarter against the Chiefs. Then, the wheels fell off ... in a hurry.
- Derrick Henry reveals what he told Earl Thomas after stiff-arm: Thomas found himself on the wrong end of a highlight when he was stiff-armed by Henry.
- Derrick Henry can do it all: When he wasn't busting long runs, Henry was hitting Corey Davis with a perfect jump pass for a score.
- Titans hilariously mocked the Ravens' 'Big Truss': Titans WR Tajae Sharpe had fun copying that speech by Mark Ingram while introducing NFL leading rusher Derrick Henry to his press conference.
- Richard Sherman hits back on critics: Sherman has heard the criticisms about his game, and the 49ers cornerback was eager to refute them after Saturday's divisional-round win.
- Bill Cowher found out he's a Hall of Famer on live TV: David Baker, the president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, wandered on the CBS set to surprise Cowher.
- Jimmy Johnson, too: The former Dallas Cowboys coach was moved to tears when he, too, was surprised with his Hall of Fame announcement during halftime of the Packers-Seahawks game. His reaction is awesome.
What our experts are saying
- Chiefs' wacky playoff win had to be seen to be believed: Patrick Mahomes threw for touchdowns on seven consecutive possessions as Kansas City won a wild one, writes Nancy Armour.
- Playoff run is 'special' for Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers is a veteran of the NFL playoffs, but Sunday night's win over the Seahawks meant something special to him and the Packers, writes Mike Jones.
- Ravens' dream season crumbles in astonishing fashion: The top-seeded Ravens seemed to have the making of a Super Bowl contender. Then their stunning run came to an abrupt end, writes Tom Schad.
- Is Derrick Henry more deserving of MVP than Lamar Jackson? The NFL MVP is a regular-season award ... but should it be? Saturday's game between the Titans and Ravens will only reignite the debate, writes Nate Davis.
- Can anyone stop Titans after latest wild upset? Saturday's AFC divisional victory was the biggest statement yet by a Titans team that has solidified its status as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, writes Gentry Estes.
- Lamar Jackson's season spins out at wrong time: The Ravens QB -- and NFL MVP favorite -- had another regrettable playoff performance, writes Tom Schad.
- 49ers show facet that makes them hard to beat: The 49ers showed off a smashmouth style in a rout of the Vikings, but Kyle Shanahan's crew can adapt whatever style it needs to win, writes Jarrett Bell.
2020 NFL draft
- Mock draft 1.0: With four months until the draft, here is an initial look at how the first round might shake out.
- It was too risky for Tua to stay at Alabama: The risks of another injury were too high to keep Tua Tagovailoa from joining the NFL draft, writes Dan Wolken.
- 2020 NFL draft first-round order: Picks Nos. 1-28 are set, and the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock.
- Underclassmen heading for the draft: These are the players who already have announced their intentions to enter the 2020 NFL draft.
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