The already injury-hit San Francisco 49ers have been dealt a crushing blow in their wild card match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles, with star tight end George Kittle carted off the field.
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Kittle, who had already spent extended time on the sidelines through the season with hamstring and ankle injuries, is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles.
It would be a devastating setback for the 32-year-old, who signed a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the 49ers in April 2025.
Both teams were already missing key pieces for Monday’s game, with 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall ruled out while the Eagles were without starting right tackle Lane Johnson.
It was nothing new for a San Francisco team that has battled injuries all season, although the 49ers were bolstered by the inclusion of left tackle Trent Williams.
With Williams back in the line-up, San Francisco’s usually potent offence – which was held to just three points in Week 18 by the stout Seattle defence – immediately got an explosive play through the air to Demarcus Robinson and the veteran receiver popped up again for the go-ahead touchdown.
Entering Monday’s game there was little doubting San Francisco’s ability to move the ball, even against a stiff Philadelphia defence.
It was the other side of the ball, however, that was expected to be the problem and it didn’t take long for the Eagles to respond as a 29-yard run from Saquon Barkley helped set up Dallas Goedert for the jet sweep touchdown.
Kicker Jake Elliott’s tough season, however, continued as he missed the extra point to leave the score at 7-6 in San Francisco’s favour.
Goedert then later scored his second touchdown of the game to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 13-7 before San Francisco closed the gap with an Eddie Pineiro field goal before halftime.
While the Eagles were still in a relatively comfortable position it was far from a relaxed scene on the sideline as A.J. Brown clashed with head coach on the sideline.
It was far from the first time Brown has voiced his frustrations publicly this season, with the star receiver previously sounding off about his usage both to reporters and on social media.
The Patriots and Chargers then close out the day’s action at 12pm.
JOSH ALLEN MAKES HISTORY IN THRILLING BILLS WIN
Earlier, NFL playoffs delivered after another thriller that went down to the wire, with the latest installment seeing the Buffalo Bills defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-24.
With it, the Bills snapped a 33-year streak which had seen them fail to win a playoff game each season they did not win the AFC East.
While this is a much more flawed Buffalo team than the ones that have fallen short in the post-season in past years, the AFC also feels far more open with Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson out of the picture.
The Bills, meanwhile, still have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen and while he finished Monday’s game battered and bruised, he did more than enough to see Buffalo home with three touchdowns and 264 yards.
He also became the first player in NFL history to complete at least 80 per cent of his passes (minimum five attempts) and rush for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game.
The margins will be that much thinner for Buffalo with an underwhelming wide receiver room and depleted defence, but as long as No.17 is on the field this team will always have a chance.
On the other hand, it was a heartbreaking finish to a season that promised so much in Jacksonville but there is an overwhelming sense that the only way is up considering the development Trevor Lawrence showed in his first full year under new coach Liam Coen.
Buffalo’s glaring flaw during the regular season was its run defence, with the 2006 Indianapolis Colts being the only team to allow over five yards a carry and go on to make the Super Bowl.
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The Bills finished the season conceding 5.1 yards per tote, and the leaky run defence was exposed on Jacksonville’s first scoring drive of the game as rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten had three-straight big runs to set up the Jaguars in the red zone.
Lawrence, having thrown an earlier pick to gift Buffalo the go-ahead field goal, then found second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for the touchdown as Jacksonville overcame a shaky start to take a 7-3 lead.
Momentum had well and truly shifted in favour of the AFC South champions as Bills running back Ray Davis then fumbled on the kick-off return, immediately positioning the Jaguars in scoring territory.
But a key fourth down stop on a successful coach’s challenge from Sean McDermott saw Buffalo escape without giving up any points, and then – as he has done his entire career – Allen put the Bills on his back as he first found Keon Coleman for a 36-yard gain before then ploughing through defenders for the touchdown.
Allen got his leg folded up and made his second trip to the blue medical tent as a process, having previously been cleared for a concussion, while he also hurt a finger on his throwing hand when it hit the helmet of offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence.
The Jaguars got into field goal range for kicker Cam Little after a circus catch from Parker Washington, and while he had the distance his attempt sailed left of the posts.
Both teams added field goals in the third quarter with the game crying out for a hero to emerge and after Allen took his first sack of the day, Wishnowsky followed up a Buffalo 3-and-out with his worst punt of the day.
It set up Jacksonville to regain the lead and Lawrence ripped a touchdown to the underrated Washington, who has stepped up in a big way with the injury to rookie sensation Travis Hunter as one of the more dependable weapons in the passing game.
But as has been the case all wild card weekend, this was another game that seemed destined to go right up to the final play as Allen found standout tight end Dalton Kincaid open for the touchdown off a screen pump fake.
Jacksonville later retook the lead as Travis Etienne broke a tackle after a pop pass from Lawrence, with Washington again coming up clutch in the lead-up with a big catch.
It would end up coming down to the final seconds, however, as a battered Allen hurled the ball over 40 yards with defenders in his face to find Brandin Cooks for a chunk gain.
A few more completions and a Allen tush-push on 4th-and-1 set Buffalo up one yard out and Jacksonville, with no timeouts left, left the Bills score to set up a thrilling finish.
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Instead, it was an anti-climatic ending as Lawrence’s first pass of the drive to Jakobi Meyers went high and was batted up, with Cole Bishop on the spot to pick it off and seal the win.
The Bills win now play the Broncos in the divisional round if the Patriots win against the Chargers later on Monday. Should L.A. win, Buffalo will take on the winner of the Steelers/Texans game.
Monday morning’s dramatic finish followed two classics on Sunday, which saw the Rams and Bears win high-scoring games against the Panthers and Packers respectively.
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