San Francisco scored a late go-ahead touchdown and were able to hold off the Philadelphia Eagles with the clock winding down as the 49ers eliminated the defending champions 23-19.
Quarterback Brock Purdy found Christian McCaffrey in the end zone on a four-yard pass with just under three minutes remaining to put the visitors ahead by four points, but with enough time remaining for the Eagles to mount a final charge.
San Francisco's defence held firm however and the Eagles ultimately turned the ball over on downs to guarantee there will be a new Super Bowl champion.
The lead changed four times in the back-and-forth affair, including on a San Francisco trick play early in the fourth when wide receiver Jauan Jennings received the snap and connected with McCaffrey on a 29-yard touchdown pass.
Purdy was intercepted twice to go along with his two touchdowns, but Philadelphia were unable to capitalise on those mistakes as quarterback Jalen Hurts was held to just 168 passing yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills won a nail-biter of a wild-card game as they edged the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24 to advance to the NFL Divisional Round.
The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter alone, tied for the NFL’s post-season record, but after Bills quarterback Allen carried the ball into the end zone himself from one yard with 64 seconds left, Jacksonville counterpart Trevor Lawrence was picked off on the next play to end it.
It was Allen’s eighth post-season victory, the most for any quarterback who has not made it to a Super Bowl, but his first in a road game as the Bills won in the post-season outside of Buffalo for the first time since 1992.
The Bills led 13-7 at the start of the fourth quarter after three lead changes but then the see-saw truly began. Lawrence hit Parker Washington from six yards for a Jacksonville touchdown, but Allen responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid.
Lawrence handed it off for Travis Etienne Jr to run it in from 15 yards and a 24-20 Jacksonville lead with four minutes remaining.
The Bills’ drive threatened to stall as they came up inches short on third down 10 yards out, but then pushed their way to a yard short on fourth down and Allen finished the job.
The New England Patriots wrapped up Saturday’s games by eclipsing the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3.
A 28-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter gave New England a 13-point advantage.
The Patriots’ defence all but sealed the result by forcing a fumble on a sixth sack against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who failed to find the end zone in the defeat.
Maye finished with 268 passing yards and an interception to go with his game-clinching score.
