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The Game-Changing Play That Got Every Team to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs

The key plays that led each team to a wild-card win and a divisional round berth.
Eva Geitheim|
Rams tight end Colby Parkinson scored the game-winning touchdown in their win over the Panthers.
Rams tight end Colby Parkinson scored the game-winning touchdown in their win over the Panthers. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Houston TexansBuffalo Bills | News, Scores, Schedules & StandingsDenver BroncosSeattle SeahawksNew England PatriotsChicago BearsSan Francisco 49ersLos Angeles Rams

The NFL delivered a terrific wild-card weekend to kick off the 2025–26 postseason. Five of the six matchups were one-possession contests entering the fourth quarter and the first four games saw multiple lead changes in the final quarter.

The Rams, Bears, Bills, 49ers, Patriots and Texans came out on top in the first round of the playoffs as the Panthers, Packers, Jaguars, Eagles, Chargers and Steelers were sent packing.

With the wild-card winners looking ahead to their divisional round matchups, here’s a look back at the game-changing play for each team to earn the victory and move on in the playoffs.

Rams: Matthew Stafford hits Colby Parkinson for the game-winning touchdown

The Rams got off to a breezy start in their rematch against the Panthers to begin wild-card weekend. They scored two touchdowns early to take a 14–0 lead in the second quarter before Matthew Stafford injured his finger.

After that injury, Stafford was nowhere near as accurate as he was to start the game. He threw an interception and his inefficiency—along with a blocked punt—helped Carolina get back into the game and nearly snatch the victory.

When it mattered most, though, the veteran quarterback stepped up. After primarily throwing short passes or completions over the middle of the field following the injury, Stafford connected with tight end Colby Parkinson on a 19-yard game-winning touchdown. Stafford perfectly placed the ball where only Parkinson could nab it for the score with just 38 seconds remaining.

Bears: Caleb Williams converts fourth-and-8 in wild comeback win

The Bears trailed the Packers 21–9 entering the fourth quarter, and once again pulled off some late-game magic to walk away with the win.

The biggest play of the comeback came while trailing 27–16 with 5:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. Facing fourth-and-8 from their own 43-yard-line, Caleb Williams rolled out to his left to escape pressure and threw the football over three Packers defenders and into the arms of Rome Odunze for a 27-yard gain. The Bears went on to score a touchdown on the drive, get the ball back and score again to earn a 31–27 win, easily the biggest comeback win in franchise postseason history.

Bills: Sean McDermott challenges Trevor Lawrence’s fourth down run

The Bills beat the Jaguars with a game-winning touchdown and game-sealing interception, but one of the most pivotal plays in the game took place in the second quarter.

After Bills All-Pro kick returner Ray Davis fumbled the football, the Jaguars were in field goal range and facing fourth-and-2 while up 7–3. Trevor Lawrence kept the football and attempted to run for the first down. The officials initially ruled that Lawrence got the first down, but Sean McDermott challenged the play and upon further review, Lawrence’s stumble kept him short of the marker.

This challenge kept the Jaguars from adding to their lead or even gaining a two-score advantage over the Bills. Instead, Buffalo got possession of the football back and went on a 92-yard drive to take a 10–7 lead of their own. The Jaguars still had plenty of opportunities to win the game after that failed fourth down, but this swing of events kept Jacksonville from gaining a significant edge over Buffalo early on and helped the Bills earn the win.

49ers: Sky bang reverse pass

Going up against the Eagles and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio—one of the few defensive minds to regularly get the best of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan in the past—Shanahan brought out the trick play at the perfect time. To start the fourth quarter, Shanahan called “sky bang reverse pass,” which saw Skyy Moore pitch the ball to receiver Jauaun Jennings, who threw it to Christian McCaffrey for the touchdown to take a 17–16 lead.

The play—which San Francisco called back in their thrilling 2019 win over the Saints—gave the 49ers both the lead and momentum as the final quarter commenced. Philadelphia would respond with a field goal later in the quarter, but the 49ers clapped back with another touchdown throw to McCaffrey to ultimately win the game. As the Eagles’ lack of creativity offensively caused them to stall again, the 49ers play-calls helped them overcome their injuries and deficiencies to win the game.

Patriots: K’Lavon Chaisson strip sacks Justin Herbert

The Patriots and Chargers were in a defensive stalemate for much of their wild-card matchup on Sunday night. The Patriots entered the final quarter up 9–3, but finally secured a two-score lead when Drake Maye connected with Hunter Henry on a 28-yard touchdown to up their lead to 16–3.

New England should have felt comfortable by that point, but if there was any worry the Chargers might pull off the comeback, K’Lavon Chaisson erased it when he strip sacked Justin Herbert on the ensuing drive. The Patriots recovered the football and stole a much-needed possession for Herbert and the offense.

The sack was emblematic of the Patriots’ performance defensively throughout the game. New England harassed and made Herbert uncomfortable all evening, sacking him six times on their way to victory.

Texans: Sheldon Rankins returns Aaron Rodgers’s fumble for a touchdown

Like the Patriots, the Texans’ defense stole the show on Monday night. Houston limited Pittsburgh from doing much of anything all evening, but the Steelers were still in the game late because of poor ball security from quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Ultimately in the fourth quarter, the Texans defense took matters into their own hands. With Houston up 10–6 and the Steelers trying to drive down the field, Will Anderson Jr. strip-sacked Aaron Rodgers and Sheldon Rankins picked up the football and ran into the end zone for the score. The Texans scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help secure a third straight trip to the divisional round.

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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.

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