Sunday’s Wild Card Recap: Road Warriors & Defensive Dominance

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The NFL Wild Card weekend continued its trend of high-stakes drama on Sunday, January 11, 2026. While offensive explosions defined Saturday, Sunday belonged to the “road warriors” and bruising defensive units.

The most shocking result of the day came from Philadelphia, where the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles saw their season end in a defensive stalemate, while the Patriots’ resurgence reached a new milestone in Foxborough.

1. San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19

The reigning Super Bowl champions are out. In a physical rematch of last year’s NFC heavyweights, the San Francisco 49ers marched into Lincoln Financial Field and stunned the Philadelphia Eagles.

The “Niner Special”: With the season on the line in the fourth quarter, Kyle Shanahan reached into his bag of tricks. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings took a pitch and threw a 29-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey, giving the Niners a 17-16 lead.
The Closer: After the Eagles regained the lead with a field goal, Brock Purdy orchestrated a 66-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard TD pass to McCaffrey to seal the win.
Philly’s Frustration: Jalen Hurts was limited to just 168 passing yards. A late-game sideline blowup between A.J. Brown and coach Nick Sirianni underscored a frustrating day for the Eagles’ offense, which managed only 36 yards in the entire third quarter.

The Fallout: The 49ers advance to a divisional rubber match against the Seattle Seahawks. For Philly, a “massive missed opportunity” leads to an offseason of questions for the coaching staff.

2. Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24

In the early window, the Buffalo Bills survived a back-and-forth thriller at EverBank Stadium.

Josh Allen’s Heroics: Allen accounted for three total touchdowns, including a crucial 12-yard scramble in the fourth quarter that put the Bills ahead for good.
Jags’ Final Push: Trevor Lawrence led a valiant drive in the final two minutes, but the Jaguars’ kicker missed a 52-yard field goal attempt as time expired, sending Buffalo to the next round.

3. New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3

The “Patriot Way” is officially back in the postseason. In a game that was “playoff football to the core,” the New England Patriots utilized a suffocating defense to dismantle Justin Herbert and the Chargers.

Defensive Masterclass: The Patriots’ defense, under head coach Mike Vrabel, recorded 6 sacks and forced two fumbles. Justin Herbert fell to 0-3 in his postseason career as the Chargers managed just 207 total yards.
The Maye Moment: Rookie sensation Drake Maye threw a 28-yard exclamation point touchdown to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Borregales’ Leg: Kicker Andres Borregales was perfect on the night, knocking through three field goals to provide the early cushion.

Sunday Wild Card Results

Game	Final Score	Key Performer
Jaguars vs. Bills	24–27	Josh Allen (3 Total TDs)
49ers vs. Eagles	23–19	Christian McCaffrey (2 TDs)
Chargers vs. Patriots	3–16	Patriots Defense (6 Sacks)

Monday Night Finale

The Wild Card round concludes tonight with a high-stakes AFC matchup:

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers (8:15 PM ET, ABC/ESPN)
Storyline: Aaron Rodgers looks to end the Steelers’ decade-long playoff win drought against C.J. Stroud and the NFL’s #1-ranked defense.