- The New England Patriots defense put in a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.
- Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh have helped the San Francisco 49ers navigate through a myriad of key injuries this season.
- Nick Sirianni’s Philadelphia Eagles had a disappointing Super Bowl title defense this season.
Who says the NFL playoffs have to have a dull opening?
Sunday saw the Buffalo Bills prevail over the AFC South-champion Jacksonville Jaguars before the injury-riddled San Francisco 49ers outlasted the Philadelphia Eagles. To cap the night, the New England Patriots overwhelmed the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving only the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers to claim the last divisional-round spot on Monday.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s action:
Winners
Patriots defense
With New England hosting its first home playoff game in seven years, it was only appropriate that Mike Vrabel’s crew authored something of a throwback performance. The defense dictating terms hasn’t exactly been the Patriots’ calling card all season, but the unit coalesced and held the Chargers to just 207 total yards, a 1-for-10 mark on third downs and a 0-for-2 red-zone rate. And even though Milton Williams bloodied Vrabel, the coach probably won’t be bothered so long as the defensive tackle keeps turning in disruptive nights like this, as the marquee free-agent signing netted two sacks and helped stymie the Bolts’ rushing attack. Injuries to starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez (head) and Carlton Davis III (toe) bear watching for a group that will see the level of difficulty ratcheted up in the next round, but the bottom line was very encouraging for something of an unknown entity.
Drake Maye
No one will confuse his outing with that of fellow 2024 draft classmate Caleb Williams, whose scintillating fourth-quarter emergence powered the Bears’ rise over the Packers. But the Patriots quarterback also persevered through early challenges to find a late breakthrough. The second-year signal-caller completed 11 of his 14 attempts after halftime, including a beautiful 28-yard throw to tight end Hunter Henry for the game’s only touchdown. He also wisely took advantage of a weak spot in the Chargers defense by repeatedly scrambling for big gains, picking up 66 yards on the ground in total. It was hardly a spotless showing, but it was encouraging that Maye was able to keep his composure in his first postseason game.
Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh
There’s likely no better NFL award debate than the one for Coach of the Year, even if the MVP showdown might be more heated. And while there are plenty of legitimate choices, it’s difficult to argue that anyone overcame more than Shanahan, who weathered injury after injury to push the 49ers to the brink of home-field advantage in the NFC and now onto the divisional round. Of course, Shanahan’s ability to navigate major personnel losses on offenses was already apparent, with his attack ranking fourth in yards per game in 2024 despite a wave of injuries. He showcased his creativity again as San Francisco seized a fourth-quarter lead when receiver Jauan Jennings heaved a touchdown toss to running back Christian McCaffrey. But what put San Francisco over the top was the work that Saleh did to keep the defense together despite being without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, among others. The group was by no means dominant against the Eagles, but it stepped up in key spots and overcame the complete lack of a pass rush to keep Philadelphia in check. It’s easy to see why so many franchises are eager to try to capture the Shanahan dynamic, and the ones with head-coaching vacancies this offseason would be wise to give an extensive look at a possible second chance for Saleh.
49ers’ surprise standouts
There were too many stellar performances from unlikely sources to single out any one key contributor from San Francisco. With top option Ricky Pearsall still sidelined, Demarcus Robinson paced the receiving corps with a game-high 111 receiving yards on six catches. Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who only signed to the team’s practice squad in late November, played all 72 defensive snaps and had 10 tackles while also clinching the game with his fourth-down pass deflection. And the 49ers benefitted from stellar efforts from a number of less-heralded young defensive players, including rookie defensive backs Upton Stout and Marques Sigle.
NFC West
The division already stood alone in NFL history after becoming the first with three teams to clear 12 wins in the same season. Now, it has three representatives in the divisional round, thereby guaranteeing at least one berth in the NFC championship game. The foursome doesn’t command the same level of attention as some of its counterparts with more visible fan bases. But it’s readily evident that this group is without competition as the league’s most formidable collection of teams.
Quinyon Mitchell
Quite the weekend for the second-year Eagles cornerback. On Saturday, he was named an All-Pro after a regular-season run that saw him continue his ascent as one of the league’s top cover men. On Sunday, he nabbed two interceptions and forced a key fumble by Brock Purdy. As someone who isn’t often tested by quarterbacks due to how closely he sticks with receivers, Mitchell still has yet to record a regular-season interception, but he now has four in the postseason. Of course, the individual accomplishments are probably cold comfort for a hypercompetitive player who no doubt was disappointed to have his sterling campaign end so unceremoniously.
Josh Allen
The reigning MVP would have been subject to a lot of unfair narratives had the Bills come up short against the Jaguars. Instead, Allen will receive his proper due for a load-bearing performance that further differentiates the quarterback from even his most talented peers. In leading Buffalo to the franchise’s first road playoff win in 33 years, Allen was essentially flawless, completing 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He also frequently powered a ground game that couldn’t seem to get going against Jacksonville’s front. And he managed all this despite essentially becoming a one-man teaching hospital as he hurt his hand, took a blow to the head and wrenched his knee in the early going. After watching the quarterback shoulder a heavily disproportionate burden all season long, the offense pulled off an admirable role reversal when Allen was literally propelled by his teammates on a 10-yard tush push that set up the deciding score.
Tre’Davious White
The two-time cornerback was also a beloved figure in Buffalo for his myriad contributions in his initial seven-year run with the team. But the affinity for White among the Bills fan base should only grow after his outing Sunday. Other than allowing a 3-yard touchdown, White was without blemish in coverage and recorded a season-high three passes defensed, including the tip to safety Cole Bishop that secured the victory. His play helped set the tone for a surprising day from a shorthanded Buffalo defense that figured to be a vulnerability. It’s been some time since White, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in 2021 and a torn Achilles in 2023, has enjoyed this kind of showing. But his Buffalo return now will be remembered for more than his work to prepare first-round pick Maxwell Hairston, who missed the contest with an ankle injury suffered in the regular-season finale.
Parker Washington
The 2023 sixth-round draft pick was long an afterthought in the Jaguars’ receiving corps … until he wasn’t. Washington proved to be a vital piece in the aerial attack taking off in the second half of the season, wrapping the final three weeks with 19 catches for 347 yards. In his playoff debut, he posted more than half of Jacksonville’s receiving yardage output with 107, and his 12 targets were more than double what any other player earned. There’s plenty for Jacksonville to sort through at wideout with Travis Hunter coming back next season, but Washington seems nearly essential to ensuring Trevor Lawrence doesn’t drop off from his late surge.
Losers
Justin Herbert
This was the logical endpoint for a campaign in which the Chargers offense was derailed by bookend offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt being lost for the season. Still, there was a distinct sense of discomfort that came with watching Herbert be repeatedly pummeled yet again to the tune of six sacks. Herbert’s 3.24-second average time to throw marked the third-longest of his career, according to Next Gen Stats, in what was perhaps a response to his receivers’ complete inability to separate. Why, then, weren’t there more schemed looks to get Ladd McConkey involved after the wideout served as the lone bright spot in last year’s playoff drumming by the Texans? Herbert still deserves some blame for being repeatedly off the mark and out of sorts in what might go down as his most worrisome display in the postseason, where he’s now 0-3. There’s plenty for the passer and Jim Harbaugh to unpack this offseason – offensive coordinator Greg Roman might not be back, if Harbaugh’s refusal to endorse him Sunday night was any indication of the team’s plans – as this group can’t simply count on better health up front to turn things around.
Nick Sirianni
Amid questions about the future of coordinator Kevin Patullo, the Eagles’ offense frequently misfired Sunday night not due to issues of play-calling but execution. That should still be mighty concerning to Sirianni, a big-picture coach who couldn’t seem to push any of the right buttons in his team’s disappointing Super Bowl defense this season. He stood in sharp contrast to Shanahan as a figure who couldn’t rally his group to overcome setbacks – not having Lane Johnson took a massive toll – and band together amid turmoil. Running it back simply isn’t an option, especially with as many moving pieces as there could be in free agency. Instead, Sirianni will have to take a full-scale audit of what went wrong with the offense and how the team can chart a new course in 2026 – even if it means more upheaval for Jalen Hurts, who hasn’t enjoyed any sense of play-calling consistency in his career.
A.J. Brown
George Kittle
More than anything, the 49ers needed a fresh start on the injury front after a calamitous run of personnel setbacks throughout 2025. Now, not even that looks likely for 2026. Kittle was carted off with an apparent torn Achilles, blowing a hole in San Francisco’s game plan for the day and prompting some uncomfortable questions for next fall. The 32-year-old has carved out a rare place as one of the most respected and well-liked figures in the NFL, blending an affable and fun-loving personality with a distinct determination on the field. But after missing six games this season with hamstring and ankle injuries and posting his fewest receiving yards (628) since his rookie year, the seven-time Pro Bowler is going to be hard-pressed to return to his previous form after such a significant setback. Yet as his absence Sunday reinforced, replacing him in either the short or long term will be exceedingly difficult.
Liam Coen
Not every first-year head coach gets to have the Ben Johnson experience. Coen was the catalyst for a historic turnaround that included a nine-win boost and an AFC South title. But Sunday wasn’t his finest hour as a play-caller, as he got away from a run game that found substantial early success working to the outside against the Bills, who had been gashed on the ground throughout the season. Travis Etienne Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards on just 14 carries, but the game plan skewed too heavily toward Lawrence despite the quarterback’s uneven results. The outlook in Jacksonville is as bright as it has been in nearly a decade, but there was a heavy price to pay for failing to seize on an opportunity to control the game and limit the defense’s exposure to Allen.
Greg Newsome
When the Jaguars flipped Tyson Campbell to the Cleveland Browns for Newsome ahead of the trade deadline in a rare player-for-player swap, some saw the deal as essentially a wash for the two franchises. Months later, the move sure looks a lot more lopsided. Campbell largely acquitted himself well in Cleveland, while Newsome ended up surrendering more yards (642) than all but nine players, according to Next Gen Stats. The coverage breakdowns continued against the Bills, with Newsome in the fourth quarter funneling Brandin Cooks to non-existent safety help, allowing for a 36-yard gain that would lead to the game-winning score. Set to become a free agent in the spring, Newsome could be one of the more confounding players on the open market.