The Chicago Bears overturned an 18-point deficit as they beat the Green Bay Packers 31-27 on the opening night of the playoffs.
Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns to give the Packers a 21-3 half-time lead, two Cairo Santos field-goals cutting the gap to 12 points early in the fourth quarter.
D'Andre Swift continued the comeback as he ran for a six-yard touchdown, but Love’s fourth touchdown pass restored the advantage.
Caleb Williams found Olamide Zaccheaus from eight yards and Colston Loveland on a two-point conversion before Brandon McManus missed a field-goal for the Packers.
Given one last chance, Williams found DJ Moore from 25 yards to give the Bears the lead for the first time since the opening quarter and they were able to break up Love’s last-ditch throw to the end zone.
Earlier on, the post-season had commenced with the Los Angeles Rams squeezing past the Carolina Panthers 34-31, following Matthew Stafford's touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds remaining.
The hosts had trailed 14-0 in the second quarter, but fought back to twice take the lead in a hectic final quarter.
Puka Nacua caught an early touchdown pass from Stafford and ran for a second score in the second quarter, but the Panthers fought back and quarterback Bryce Young scrambled for a score from 16 yards to cut the half-time deficit to 17-14.
The teams traded field-goals in the second half, Chuba Hubbard scoring from three yards to put the Panthers ahead for the first time at the start of the fourth quarter.
Stafford found Kyren Williams from 13 yards to restore the Rams' advantage, but Young’s pass to Jalen Coker put the Panthers ahead 31-27 in the final three minutes.
But the Rams had time to give Stafford the chance to find Parkinson from 19 yards and the tight end forced his way over in the corner to seal a place in the divisional play-offs.
