Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles, the Patriots dominated the Chargers and Josh Allen willed the Bills past the Jaguars. San Francisco, New England and Buffalo joined the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams in advancing to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs with victories in the wild-card round. The No. 6 seed 49ers will face the top-seeded Seahawks next Saturday. The No. 6 seed Bills will visit the No. 1 seed Broncos, also on Saturday. On Sunday, the No. 2 seed Bears host the No. 5 seed Rams, and the No. 2 seed Patriots will be home against the winner of Monday night’s game between the Texans and Steelers.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brock Purdy threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey, leading San Francisco to a 23-19 victory over defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia in a wild-card game. The 49ers next face top-seeded Seattle next weekend for an NFC divisional playoff game. Purdy threw for 262 yards and had two interceptions. The 49ers might be without star tight end George Kittle, who was injured in the first half. Philadelphia struggled offensively, with Jalen Hurts throwing for only 168 yards. The Eagles' final drive ended with an incomplete pass, sealing their elimination from the playoffs.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, and New England’s defense roughed up Justin Herbert as the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game. Andy Borregales kicked three field goals for the Patriots, who won a playoff game for the first time since their Super Bowl victory to cap the 2018 season. They’ll host the winner of Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round. New England held the Chargers to 207 yards of offense and sacked Herbert six times.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville. Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in which Jacksonville let him score. On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goal line. Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He was sacked just once and played turnover-free football.
The NFL won’t have a repeat Super Bowl champion. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles were eliminated by the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild-card game on Sunday. Now, the heat will be turned up on coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Sirianni’s job shouldn’t be in jeopardy. He’s been a winner since he arrived in Philly in 2021. Five playoff appearances, three division titles, two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi trophy in five seasons. But there will be accountability for a stagnant offense that plagued Philadelphia throughout the season and showed up again in a one-and-done performance.
Muhammad Ali is being honored with a commemorative U.S. postage stamp. Ali was known as one of the greatest boxers and a cultural icon. Ali's stamp features a 1974 Associated Press photo of him in a boxing pose. Ali's wife, Lonnie Ali, expresses excitement about the tribute, highlighting Ali's mission of spreading compassion. A first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Muhammad Ali Forever Stamp is planned for Thursday in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali's birthplace. The U.S. Postal Service director of stamp services notes the lengthy process of creating the stamp, which began after Ali's death in 2016. Ali's legacy as a fighter, activist and humanitarian continues to inspire many people.
Matthew Stafford has finally been named a first-team AP NFL All-Pro, ending the longest wait ever for a quarterback to receive this honor. Stafford, who just completed his 17th NFL season, surpasses Fran Tarkenton's 15-year wait for the accolade. The All-Pro selection could boost Stafford's Hall of Fame chances, as no modern quarterback has made it without such honors. The Denver Broncos lead with four first-team selections, while the New England Patriots, despite tying for the best record, had no first-team picks. Rookie Chimere Dike stands out as the only first-team All-Pro rookie this season.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A.J. Brown's frustration boiled over during the Eagles' 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC wild card game. Brown dropped a crucial third-down pass, leading to a sideline spat with coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles struggled offensively, with Jalen Hurts throwing for only 168 yards and a touchdown. The team failed to capitalize on a 13-10 halftime lead, gaining just 36 yards in the third quarter. Brown, who had 1,003 yards this season, finished with only three catches for 25 yards. The Eagles' offensive woes and missed opportunities ultimately ended their championship hopes.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates will lead a strong U.S. Figure Skating team at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Fresh off his fourth national title, Malinin aims to follow Nathan Chen's footsteps for men's gold. Chock and Bates, with their seventh U.S. championship, are also top contenders. Alysa Liu, rejuvenated after a brief retirement, joins the women's team alongside Amber Glenn. The U.S. team includes 16 athletes, with notable names like Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Winnipeg 4 New Jersey 3
Final Boston 1 Pittsburgh 0
Final OT Columbus 3 Utah 2
Final Nashville 3 Washington 2
Final Vegas 7 San Jose 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Buffalo 27 Jacksonville 24
Final San Francisco 23 Philadelphia 19
Final New England 16 L.A. Chargers 3
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (16)Illinois 75 (19)Iowa 69
Final (25)UCF 73 Cincinnati 72