Stanford Legends Come Up Big in First Round of the NFL Playoffs

Football is beautiful. In the first weekend of the NFL playoffs, Wild Card weekend produced some of the most memorable games of the season, with each and every first-round matchup so far coming down to the wire.

For former Stanford football stars Christian McCaffrey and Colby Parkinson, big games from them helped guide their teams to victory, and move onto the next round of the playoffs to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.

Parkinson, in his second season with the Los Angeles Rams, was the hero for the team during Wild Card weekend, catching a late touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to give the Rams a lead with less than a minute to go in regulation.

Finishing the game with two catches for 34 yards and the late touchdown, Parkinson caught a 19 yard pass from Stafford, landed in the end zone and gave the Rams the 33-31 lead with around 40 seconds to go.

Leaving little time on the clock for the Carolina Panthers, the Rams were able to come away with the win to advance to the NFC divisional round, where they will hit the road to face the Chicago Bears.

OMG STAFFORD TO PARKINSON FOR THE LEAD!

LARvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qLSKKdmoBO
— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

After the game, Parkinson was asked about his last second touchdown and gave a very honest answer about what it felt like to be the one to catch the game winner.

"That was so much fun," Parkinson said. "I love when it’s just so loud when we’re on offense, and then deathly silent …"

Parkinson finished the regular season with 43 catches for 408 yards and eight touchdowns—all career highs. And while he did not produce at the same level as fellow NFL tight ends in Trey McBride, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, among some others, he still proved to be a very valuable weapon for Stafford and the offense.

For the San Francisco 49ers, Stanford legend Christian McCaffrey put together another dominant game that was instrumental in helping the 49ers go into Philadelphia and upset the defending Super Bowl champions.

Running the ball 15 times for 48 yards (3.2 yards per carry) with no touchdowns, McCaffrey was also dominant once again as a receiver, catching six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, this included the one on a trick play, and one with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter to give the 49ers the go-ahead score.

CMC FOR SIX ON THE TRICKERY 🪄🙌

pic.twitter.com/IYPTBRDPTB
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) January 12, 2026

CMC AGAIN for the lead ‼️
pic.twitter.com/gjxzVNwm1r
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) January 12, 2026

Named a Pro Bowler for the fourth time, and to the All-Pro team for the fourth time, McCaffrey's 2025 season has been a strong one, with the 29-year-old proving that he still has a good amount left in the tank.

But while he is playing like an Offensive Player of the Year candidate, there have been questions regarding McCaffrey's explosiveness, ending the season averaging only 3.9 yards per carry-- his lowest total since 2020.

Still, McCaffrey has managed to stay healthy all season and played all 17 games, finishing with 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns while contributing 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver.

With both teams winning, the 49ers will hit the road once again next week to take on the No. 1 seeded Seattle Seahawks, in what will be the third matchup of the season between the two teams.

If the 49ers are able to win, they will make their fifth appearance in the NFC championship since head coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017. The Rams will take on the No. 2 seed in the Chicago Bears on the road at Soldier Field. McCaffrey and the 49ers will play Saturday while Parkinson and the Rams play on Sunday.

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