After an entertaining regular season, 14 NFL franchises geared up for the playoffs starting in January. Wild Card Weekend, the first round of the playoffs, was composed of six games hosted by division winners.

An exciting game was the Jacksonville Jaguars vs the Los Angeles Chargers. After a rough start to the season and a tumultuous start to the career of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars bounced back and punched their ticket into the playoffs. They came back from a 27-0 deficit, pulling off the third largest comeback in playoff history.

After injuries to first and second-string quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, the San Francisco 49ers looked to build off of their ten-game win streak and make some noise in the playoffs. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy helped the 49ers over the Seahawks by a score of 41-23.

The New York Giants held off the favored Minnesota Vikings 31-24, a major disappointment for the Vikings after they exceeded expectations in the regular season. The Buffalo Bills were tested at home against the Miami Dolphins, who edged them out 34-31. The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens 24-17 after a Ravens fumble which resulted in a 98-yard touchdown by defensive end Sam Hubbard. Despite Tom Brady’s 7-0 record against the Dallas Cowboys, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell short 31-14.

The divisional round started with the heavily favored Chiefs facing off against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars had multiple chances to win this game, however, dropped passes and fumbles helped the Chiefs win 27-20. The Eagles cruised by the Giants, winning 38-7. After a dominant regular season, star quarterback Jalen Hurts proved that the Eagles are a true threat in the postseason.

The Bengals shocked the Bills and dominated in Buffalo. The Bengals defense was the key factor in this 27-10 win. The 49ers held off the Cowboys 19-12, marking the end to another disappointing Cowboys season to the chagrin of owner and GM Jerry Jones.

This year’s conference championships were some of the best matchups in the NFL. The Bengals faced the Chiefs for the AFC championship for the second year in a row, and the game proved to be as exciting as last years. Mahomes and the Chiefs spoiled the Bengals’ perfect 3-0 against the Chiefs in the past two years and beat them 23-20.

In the NFC Championship, the 49ers proved to be no match for the Eagles. The 49ers suffered injuries to both of their quarterbacks, Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson, and after falling behind early, they could not come back and lost 31-7.

Finally, on February 12, the Super Bowl finished off the season in exciting fashion with the Chiefs taking the win over the Eagles 38-35.

Phillip Lee '26

Phillip Lee is a contributing writer for The Record.

February 16, 2023

NFL Postseason Ends in Thrilling Super Bowl

Phillip Lee '26

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