2026 NFL Wild-Card Playoffs Winners, Losers and Takeaways

The sprint toward Super Bowl LX began this past weekend as the 2025 NFL postseason opened for business.

On Saturday, the Carolina Panthers fell to the visiting Los Angeles Rams, followed by the Green Bay Packers dropping a stunner to the Chicago Bears to begin the Wild Card round with a bang.

Sunday's action included a triple-header, where the Buffalo Bills overcame the Jacksonville Jaguars, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Philadelphia Eagles despite the loss of tight end George Kittle and the New England Patriots controlled their prime-time meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Finally, the Houston Texans handed the Pittsburgh Steelers their latest playoff loss on Monday Night Football.

Bleacher Report NFL analysts Brent Sobleski and Kristopher Knox followed the action to provide the biggest takeaways and identify which players had the best and worst days.

Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Houston Texans S Calen Bullock, right, celebrates with S Jalen Pitre after a defensive touchdown on Jan. 12

Score: Texans 30, Steelers 6

Texans Takeaway: Houston Has to Play a Cleaner Game in the Divisional Round

Fans got a great look at why their elite defense could carry the Texans deep into the postseason.

Houston's offense was out of sync for much of the game and turned it over three times. Yet, the Texans eventually ran away with the game because their defense produced more than twice as many points as it allowed.

However, it was an alarmingly sloppy game by the Texans' offense, even without the turnovers. Quarterback C.J. Stroud missed several open receivers and had multiple mad exchanges with center David Andrews.

Houston will have to play a cleaner game against the Patriots next weekend if it hopes to advance to the AFC title game.

Their defense should keep the Texans in the game, but repeated miscues will cost them more against the No. 2 seed than they did against a Steelers team that barely squeaked into the playoffs—especially if they don't have top receiver Nico Collins, who suffered a concussion on Monday.

Winner: Texans Defense

Woody Marks and Christian Kirk for practically carrying Houston's offense, but this was undeniably a defensive win.

The Texans made Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable all game long while sacking him four times. Sheldon Rankins put six points on the board with a sack-fumble he returned for a touchdown, while Calen Bullock followed that up with a pick-six.

Steelers Takeaway: Something Has to Change This Offseason

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported just before the game that it didn't "seem like" Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would lead Pittsburgh this offseason, regardless of Monday's outcome.

The Steelers probably won't fire Tomlin, who has a year left on his contract. If he isn't ready for a change, though, Pittsburgh has to find a way to do a few things differently.

Pittsburgh hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and poor offense has been holding the team back in recent years. Whether the Steelers decide that Tomlin, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, or general manager Omar Khan is at fault, simply running it back with a different quarterback is unlikely to yield a different year-end result in 2026.

Loser: QB Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Rodgers may or may not choose to play again in 2026—he recently said he'll have "options" in next season if he chooses to play, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. If Monday's game proves to be his last one, you can bet that Rodgers wishes for a better ending.

The 42-year-old was playing in a postseason game, which is better than pretty much anything he experienced during his two-year stint with the New York Jets. However, he was repeatedly hit, led his team to a mere six points, and watched his final pass get returned 50 yards for a Texans touchdown.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel

Score: Patriots 16, Chargers 3

Patriots Takeaway: Mike Vrabel's Fingerprints Are All Over New-Look Pats

The New England Patriots have advanced to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs where they'll host the winner of Monday's matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans. They were able to reach this point primarily because of head coach Mike Vrabel.

Yes, the Patriots spent lavishly in free agency and added excellent talent from the draft. However, this same franchise fielded arguably the league's most disorganized squad a season earlier.

Vrabel was clearly the right hire. He instills a level of toughness, relatability as a former player, accountability and competence. His Tennessee Titans squads were always among the league's best-coached. The same now applies to the Patriots.

The coaching staff's fingerprints are all over this squad, which just won its 15th game. Drake Maye isn't an MVP candidate without the right direction. New England finds weaknesses and exploits them, as they did by loading the box and making Justin Herbert earn every single inch during Sunday's contest.

New England went from a team drafting in last year's top four to having legitimate Super Bowl aspirations for the first time since Tom Brady left.

Winner: Patriots Defense

Instead of trying to highlight a single individual, New England's entire defense deserves recognition.

The Chargers managed 207 total yards. Justin Herbert and Co. went a combined two-for-13 on third and fourth downs. New England sacked Herbert six times. The unit hit Los Angeles' quarterback on 11 different occasions. No Chargers target managed more than three receptions. Jim Harbaugh's squad didn't score a touchdown during two trips into the red zone.

The Patriots controlled the game primarily through a fantastic outing by their defense.

Chargers Takeaway: Same As It Ever Was

Once again, the Chargers fell short of expectations. Year after year, this franchise seems to be loaded with talent but never accomplishes anything of consequence. The team has now bowed out of the Wild Card round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

In fact, Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. It hasn't made it to the AFC Championship Game since 2007 season.

Despite the Harbaugh hire and Herbert behind center, the story remains the same. The Chargers must reconsider their approach, because it's not working.

Loser: QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert will almost certainly be publicly flogged on social media, because he failed to lead his team to a playoff victory on his third try in six seasons.

However, he falls on the wrong end of this setup based on the amount of pressure he faced on a weekly basis. The Patriots harassed Herbert throughout the contest. It's nothing new. The Chargers have failed to properly protect their quarterback all season.

Some will point out that both of Los Angeles' starting tackles weren't in the lineup, which is 100 percent true. But their offensive interior was. Furthermore, Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer aren't inexperienced alternatives. At some point, the excuses need to stop. The Chargers' front five didn't play well, and Herbert bore the brunt of the group's mistakes.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson

Score: 49ers 23, Eagles 19

49ers: Injuries Can't Stop San Francisco

Somehow, the San Francisco 49ers continue to find a way.

Kyle Shanahan's squad lost its third superstar Sunday when tight end George Kittle suffered an Achilles injury. The Niners must move on without Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. If the rest of this season has been any indication, San Francisco will continue to do so while being marginally slowed.

The 49ers continue to win, because they A) are well-coached, B) play disciplined football and C) always give maximum effort, particularly on defense.

Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh continues to piece together a strong resume to become an NFL head coach for the second time. However, he may not be available in the near future, because the Niners can compete with anyone in the NFC. In fact, San Francisco already beat the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears during the regular season.

As long as Christian McCaffrey continues to be a work horse and Brock Purdy plays as well as he has since returning from injury in Week 11, the 49ers are more than capable of making another run toward the Super Bowl.

Winner: WR Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers

Robinson emerged as a legitimate weapon when Shanahan's scheme desperately needed one. The 31-year-old veteran posted his first 100-yard outing since the 2022 campaign.

Entering Sunday's contest, Robinson contributed just 276 yards during the regular season. He hadn't amassed more than 44 yards in any previous contest. Yet, the 49ers needed someone to make plays in the pass game with Ricky Pearsall and Kittle out of the lineup.

Impressively, Robinson was able to put up yards and score a touchdown against first-team All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell, which indicates he may not be a one-game wonder as San Francisco's postseason run continues.

Eagles Takeaway: Offense Must Be Fixed

Once again, the Philadelphia Eagles offense stagnated during a critical contest. It occurred one time too many.

After leading 13-10 at the half, Hurts and Co. mustered 114 yards and two field goals during the final two quarters.

Nick Sirianni has been a divisive figure during his time as the Eagles' head coach. But the team won at a high clip. Philadelphia managed at least 11 victories in four straight seasons, made two Super Bowl appearances and raised the Lombardi Trophy a year ago. He's not going to get pushed out anytime soon.

However, the former offensive coordinator must make changes among his staff. Kevin Patullo did not perform well during his first season as the play-caller. Philadelphia should be onto its fourth coordinator change in as many years.

Loser: WR AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

Brown's frustrations continued into the postseason. He has no one to blame but himself after Sunday's performance.

Brown was unable to adjust to a pair of deep passes in the first half, then committed a critical drop in the second. Oh, the wide receiver was also seen arguing with his head coach on the sideline.

Despite finishing with 1,000 yards during the regular season, Brown wasn't nearly as effective during the 2025 campaign and experienced long stretches where he shouldn't have been considered a top target.

Something needs to change with him individually, because the Eagles can't move his contract anytime soon.

Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen

Score: Bills 27, Jaguars 24

Bills Takeaway: QB Josh Allen Is More than Human

Throughout the 2025 campaign, the Buffalo Bills took a different approach than they have in recent seasons by taking pressure off of Allen. The entire offense—and team's success—was no longer built on what the NFL's reigning MVP did every weekend. Now that the Bills find themselves in a win-or-go-home scenario, Allen returned to superhuman form.

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered Sunday's contest with the league's top-ranked run defense. The NFL's leading rusher, James Cook, managed only 46 yards at 3.1 yards per carry. As a result, Allen couldn't lean on Buffalo's top-ranked rushing offense.

The quarterback's 35 pass attempts tied for the third-most this season. His two rushing touchdowns became the sixth instance he did so during the current campaign. With the game on the line and down by four points, Allen also connected with Brandin Cooks on a 36-yard pass, while throwing off his back foot and oncoming pressure in his face. The play set up Allen's eventual game-winning touchdown plunge.

Allen needed to be seen by the Bills' medical staff on three different occasions. He played like Wolverine in this particular contest, because he shrugged off potential injuries and slew the opponent to claim a victory.

Winner: CB Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills

Vintage Allen wasn't the only long-time Bills standout to appear like his old self against the Jaguars. White looked very much like the Pro Bowl version, who served as Buffalo's CB1 during the 2019 and '20 seasons.

White's career was derailed by two major leg injuries. The Bills released him in 2024. The Los Angeles Rams signed the veteran defensive back only to release him midseason. White did little with the Baltimore Ravens after signing with them. His return to Buffalo during the current campaign isn't just a good story.

White played as well Sunday as he had at any point in his career, with three defended passes, including one during the Jaguars' final offensive possession, which turned into the game-sealing interception.

Jaguars Takeaway: Liam Coen's Squad Isn't Ready

A strong argument could be made in Jacksonville's favor as the league's best team entering the postseason. The Jaguars had won eight straight contests before Sunday's Wild Card loss. Trevor Lawrence was playing better than any point in his professional career. Jacksonville's defense held all but one team to 20 points or less during the previous streak. The Jags were at home with every opportunity to get the job done and failed to do so.

Allen had only two incompletions and contributed all three touchdowns while trailing. If Jacksonville is going to make the leap and gain legitimate contender status, either Lawrence needs to play at an MVP level or the defense must show it can stop the AFC's best quarterbacks. Neither happened against the Bills.

Loser: Jaguars Wide Receivers

The Bills entered the Wild Card round with a depleted secondary. Safeties Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp are on injured reserve. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston and safety Darnell Savage were inactive for the contest, too. Still, the Bills defensive backs proved to be ultra-sticky all afternoon.

Aside from Parker Washington, who caught seven passes for 107 yards, the rest of the team's targets combined for 100. Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. managed only three receptions for 33 yards. Granted, Thomas had a touchdown grab. However, the aforementioned duo must do far more for the Jaguars' passing attack to accomplish anything when games actually matter.

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Nam Huh

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams

Score: Bears 31, Packers 27

Bears Takeaway: Caleb Williams' Late-Game Heroics Continue

Quarterback Caleb Williams continues to build his reputation as the NFL's comeback kid. Against the Green Bay Packers, he helped lead the Chicago Bears to their largest postseason comeback in franchise history.

The Bears trailed 21-6 at the start of the fourth quarter. Chicago scored 25 points during the final frame. Along the way, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick set another franchise postseason record with 361 passing yards, including a critical 27-yard pass to Rome Odunze on 4th-and-8 while trailing by 11 points with 5:37 left to play.

"We understand that it's 60 minutes of football," Williams said in a postgame interview on Amazon Prime. "We understand and know who we are. We understand what this means to the city. We understand what this means to the organization. We also understand what this means to us.

"You keep going, keep going and keep fighting."

No lead is safe against Williams and this Bears squad.

Winner: TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

The Bears aren't in position to win Saturday's contest without Loveland's contributions. When Williams needed a play, he looked toward his rookie tight end.

During the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts' Tyler Warren often stole the show as the league's most prolific rookie tight end. Loveland staked his claim as the top first-year tight end with Saturday's outstanding performance against the Packers.

Williams targeted Loveland 15 times. The 2025 10th overall draft pick caught eight passes for a game-high 137 yards. He became only the second rookie tight end since the NFL merger to produce 100 receiving yards in a postseason contest, per ESPN Research (h/t Benjamin Solak).

Packers Takeaway: Second-half Collapse Places HC Matt LaFleur In Tenuous Situation

Matt LaFleur may be a good coach, but the Packers have experienced diminishing returns over the course of his seven-year tenure.

Green Bay made it to the NFC Championship Game during his first two seasons. The Packers lost in the divisional round during the team's next two postseason appearances. They have now fallen flat in the Wild Card round in back-to-back campaigns.

LaFleur's poor time management and offensive play-calling should place him under fire after the collapse his team experienced against a bitter rival, particularly when Green Bay controlled the entire first half.

At this juncture, the Packers must wonder whether they have the right person leading the franchise.

Loser: K Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers

It's not often that B/R will place the onus on a specialist, but McManus' meltdown must be acknowledged.

The veteran specialist missed an extra point and two field goals, leaving seven points on the table in a game his team lost by four. The second field-goal attempt was particularly devastating with just under three minutes to play.

Even with the Bears scoring a touchdown to take the lead during the subsequent drive, Green Bay's offense still got close enough to attempt a game-winning field goal if McManus converted the earlier attempt. He didn't. The Packers were forced to score a touchdown. They didn't and lost.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Erik Verduzco

The Los Angeles Rams' Colby Parkinson (left) and Puka Nacua (right) celebrate

Score: Rams 34, Panthers 31

Rams Takeaway: Survive and Advance

The Los Angeles Rams played their two worst games of the 2025 campaign in Charlotte. However, Sean McVay's squad got revenge for its Week 13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Once the postseason begins, how a victory is earned becomes inconsequential. A win to advance becomes all that matters.

Matthew Stafford didn't look like the NFL's potential MVP, playing as inefficiently as he had all season. The Rams' special teams continued to struggle. Los Angeles' defense allowed wide receiver Jalen Coker to go off for a career-high 134 yards. Finally, the Rams committed nine penalties.

Los Angeles will be content making the cross-country trip back home, while knowing it will have to play far better against the NFC's top squads.

Winner: TE Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua caught at least 10 passes and went over 100 yards for the sixth time this season. Yet quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted tight end Colby Parkinson when a play needed to be made for the Rams to emerge victorious.

With 38 seconds remaining and trailing by four, Stafford went up top to Parkinson on a wheel route. The tight end bodied off safety Tre'Von Moehrig, plucked the ball at its highest point and scored the game-winning 19-yard touchdown.

The moment encapsulated how integral the tight end position has become within McVay's offensive scheme. Parkinson has now caught nine touchdowns in the Rams' last 10 games.

Panthers Takeaway: Battled But Not Good Enough

Carolina showed it was deserving of a playoff appearance after backing into the postseason by playing one of the NFC favorites to a near-standstill. At the same time, the Rams played as poorly has they could have for stretches, while the Panthers gave them everything they had, and Dave Canales' squad still came up short.

A greater emphasis on allowing Bryce Young to lead the offense by placing more responsibility on his shoulders as a passer bodes well, because he responded. At the same time, the quarterback and his surrounding cast were outclassed in the end.

Despite giving the Rams everything they could handle on two different occasions, the Panthers must do a better job this offseason building up the roster and getting more from multiple positions.

Loser: RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers played their best football when Rico Dowdle became the offensive focal point. His role has diminished over the last month of the regular season and bottomed out during the Wild Card contest.

Dowdle's nine rushing yards tied for a season low. He ran for 10 yards a week earlier against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, the 1,000-yard rusher took a back seat Saturday to Chuba Hubbard, who scored a pair of touchdowns.

Dowdle's finish will almost certainly affect how he's viewed upon entering free agency.