NFL Playoff Bracket 2024: Picture, Schedule After Saturday’s Divisional Round
Bleacher Report
The Divisional Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs kicked off on Saturday with two heavyweight matchups between the AFC and NFC’s best.
The Baltimore Ravens began the Saturday slate with a 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional round matchup at M&T Bank Stadium to clinch a berth in the AFC Championship game for the first time since the 2012 campaign.
The San Francisco 49ers followed it up with a 24-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Divisional round tilt at Levi’s Stadium to secure a berth in the NFC Championship game for the third straight season.
The action didn’t stop Sunday, as the Detroit Lions advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 campaign with a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then the Kansas City Chiefs kept their repeat title hopes alive with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills.
Ravens 34, Texans 10
The Texans had a tremendous 2023 season thanks to first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, but their run came to an end courtesy of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Despite the Ravens being the better team in the first half, Baltimore and Houston entered halftime tied 10-10.
Something clicked for Jackson and the Ravens after halftime as the 2019 MVP kicked off the third quarter with what was his first rushing touchdown of the game to take a 17-10 lead.
NFL @NFLLAMAR RUNS IN.@Ravens come out strong to start the second half.
📺: #HOUvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/mOqD2jfu4M pic.twitter.com/yjeGtWHv6x
The Baltimore defense also upped their game in the second half and forced the Texans to punt on their first offensive drive of the third quarter. The momentum from that defensive stop turned into another touchdown drive as Jackson found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 15-yard score.
NFL @NFLLamar to Likely! @Ravens take a 14-point lead 👀
📺: #HOUvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/mOqD2jfu4M pic.twitter.com/fEEirufHLu
Jackson put the game on ice with an eight-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He finished the game having thrown for 152 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 100 yards and two scores on 11 carries.
NFL @NFLLAMAR JACKSON.
Baltimore can taste the AFC Championship game.
📺: #HOUvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/mOqD2jfu4M pic.twitter.com/stiJQtphvC
Baltimore will now face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game on their home field next weekend.
49ers 24, Packers 21
The 49ers didn’t have the best game on either side of the ball, but a Brock Purdy game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter coupled with an interception from Dre Greenlaw helped San Francisco secure the win.
The Niners trailed the Packers 21-14 in the third quarter before Purdy led the team down the field with help from wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings before running back Christian McCaffrey found the end zone with 1:07 remaining in the game to give San Francisco the lead.
NFL @NFLCMC FOR THE LEAD
📺: #GBvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yDUx5ZutVa pic.twitter.com/Q5FK5RyaMj
While the Packers offense got the ball back, giving them the opportunity to either tie or win the game, quarterback Jordan Love was picked off by Greenlaw after trying to throw a pass across his body to the center of the field.
NFL @NFLINT NO. 2 FROM DRE GREENLAW!
📺: #GBvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yDUx5ZutVa pic.twitter.com/m2bUwvM8TK
Purdy finished the game having completed 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 14 yards on six carries.
McCaffrey was perhaps San Francisco’s best player as he rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, in addition to catching seven passes for 30 yards.
The 49ers now await the result of Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to see who they will be hosting next weekend in the NFC Championship game.
Lions 31, Buccaneers 23
Regardless of what happens against the 49ers in the next round, Detroit fans will surely never forget their team’s back-to-back home playoff wins in front of raucous crowds.
The Lions continued to roll with an impressive all-around performance in an eight-point win over Tampa Bay. Jared Goff went 30-of-43 passing for 287 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, while Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 74 yards and a score.
The running back’s touchdown came in the fourth quarter and gave the home team the lead for good.
Amon-Ra St. Brown followed that up with a touchdown catch, although Tampa Bay battled back with a touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans and a defensive stop. That gave the visitors one more opportunity to tie the game and force overtime.
Derrick Barnes wasn’t having it.
NFL @NFLDETROIT CAN FEEL IT. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/3h31FBHtKV
Barnes picked off Mayfield in the final two minutes to clinch the win and send the Lions to San Francisco. It was Mayfield’s second interception of the game, which undercut an otherwise impressive performance that saw him throw for 349 yards and three scores.
Chiefs 27, Bills 24
To the surprise of nobody, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen faced each other in another all-time classic.
Sunday’s game was all about lead changes, as Travis Kelce’s touchdown in the second quarter gave Kansas City the lead, Allen’s touchdown run before halftime gave it back to Buffalo and Kelce’s second touchdown of the game returned it to the Chiefs in the third quarter.
From there, Khalil Shakir caught a touchdown to put the Bills ahead before Isiah Pacheco scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put Kansas City ahead for good.
Buffalo had the chance to either win it or at least force overtime in the final minutes, and it appeared as if it would for some time.
NFL @NFLKICK IS NO GOOD.
📺: #KCvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FR6a2VkD33 pic.twitter.com/MbKo21IDlg
However, Allen threw multiple incompletions ahead of a 44-yard Tyler Bass field goal, which sailed to the right. The Chiefs then picked up a first down and were able to kneel out the rest of the game.
It was a difficult loss for a Buffalo fanbase that have experienced so many of them, while the Chiefs still have a chance to win a second straight Super Bowl.
Updated Playoff Picture
While the Ravens and the 49ers secured berths in their respective conference championship games, Sunday’s action determined who they face next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl.
That means thee Ravens will face the Chiefs after they defeated the Bills, while the 49ers will face the Lions after they advanced past Tampa Bay.
The Bills versus Chiefs AFC Divisional round tilt was arguably the headliner of the Divisional Round given the recent history between the two sides in the Allen/Mahomes era.
It marked the third time in the last four seasons the two sides met in the postseason, and the Chiefs won the first two matchups at their home field in Arrowhead Stadium.
The rivalry finally shifted to Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium this year, but the Bills still weren’t able to punch their ticket to the AFC Championship game for the first time since the 2020 season.
After winning their first playoff game since the 1991 season with a victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round, the Lions kept the momentum going on Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, failed to make it back to the NFC Championship game for the first time since the 2020 season and the first time in the post-Tom Brady era.
The Lions and Bucs don’t have as much history as the Chiefs and Bills. However, the two met during the regular season on Oct. 15 at Raymond James Stadium, and Detroit beat Tampa Bay 20-6 behind a 353-yard, two-touchdown performance by quarterback Goff.
It was more of the same in the playoffs.
Remaining Playoff Schedule
Conference Championships
Sunday, Jan. 28
AFC Championship Game: (1) Baltimore Ravens vs. (3) Kansas City Chiefs, 3 p.m. ET CBS
NFC Championship Game: (1) San Francisco 49ers vs. (3) Detroit Lions, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox
Super Bowl LVIII
Sunday, Feb. 11
AFC vs. NFC, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS
