Five headlines from 2024 NFL Divisional Playoff

Lamar Jackson (Darron Cummings, Google Images)

We now know the four teams left in the National Football League postseason. In the National Football Championship, the Detroit Lions will face the San Francisco 49ers. In the American Football Championship, the Kansas City Chiefs will face the Baltimore Ravens. Here are the top five headlines of the divisional playoffs.

5) Christian McCaffrey comes up clutch.

The San Francisco 49ers were in an unexpected battle all night long against the Green Bay Packers. San Francisco was at one time a 10-point favourite, but only won by a field goal, 24-21. It was 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey of Castle Rock, Colorado who came up huge. McCaffrey had touchdown runs of six and 39 yards, including the game-winning TD with 67 seconds left. In all, McCaffrey had 128 total yards.

4) More Taylor Swift.

CBS must be thrilled that the Kansas City are in the AFC Championship. That is because there will be more Taylor Swift coverage, this time in Baltimore. In the AFC Divisional Playoff, Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce (not husband as Tony Romo reported) had five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills 27-24.

3) Lamar Jackson shines.

Throughout his career, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has struggled in the postseason. We all know what he has been able to achieve in the regular season, which includes a most valuable player award in 2020, but until Saturday, Jackson had only won one playoff game. However on Saturday, Jackson was brilliant. He had two touchdown passes, and two touchdown runs (152 passing yards and 100 rushing yards) as Baltimore trounced Houston 34-10. In the process, Jackson set the NFL record for the most 100-yard rushing games by a NFL quarterback in the playoffs with three.

2) Detroit Lions win a rare playoff game again.

The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game a week ago since 1992. On Sunday, the Lions won again. Quarterback Jared Goff of Novato, California completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23.

1) Two key interceptions.

In the four games on the weekend, there were two key interceptions that won games for the 49ers and Lions. On Saturday, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw of Fayetteville, Arkansas intercepted a Jordan Love pass attempt with 52 seconds left. Then on Sunday, Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes of Covington, Kentucky intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass attempt with 99 seconds left.