It was a wild super wild card weekend in the National Football League with last minute heroics and crushing moments for several teams. Fans witnessed dramatic finishes across every matchup as the postseason opened with unforgettable tension.

Rams at Panthers

The weekend opened with the Rams edging the Panthers in a tight contest. Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes and delivered the winning strike with under a minute left. The Rams held off a late Carolina push and advanced with a 34 to 31 victory.

Bears at Packers

Chicago stunned Green Bay with a furious fourth quarter rally. The Bears erased an eighteen point deficit and surged ahead with a dominant late run. Their comeback sealed a 31 to 27 win and sent shockwaves through the NFC field.

Bills at Jaguars

Buffalo and Jacksonville traded blows in a tense battle. Josh Allen powered the Bills with a late touchdown run that broke a tied game in the final minutes. A key interception ended the Jaguars hopes and secured a 27 to 24 Buffalo win.

49ers at Eagles

San Francisco leaned on steady play and timely defense to defeat Philadelphia. Brock Purdy guided the 49ers offense with efficient drives that kept pressure on the Eagles. The 49ers closed out a 23 to 19 win and advanced to face Seattle.

Chargers at Patriots

New England controlled the game from the start and shut down the Chargers offense. The Patriots defense forced mistakes and limited scoring chances throughout the night. Their steady approach produced a 16 to 3 victory and a spot in the next round.

What Comes Next

The divisional round now features several compelling matchups shaped by these dramatic finishes. Each advancing team carries momentum from a weekend filled with pressure and resolve. The next round promises more intensity as the road to the championship continues.

If you want, I can shape this into a sidebar package with quick link boxes for each game.

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter this wild card matchup riding the emotional high of last week’s AFC North clincher. Their win over the Baltimore Ravens came down to a final kick that sailed wide right, sealing a tense 26 to 24 victory. Aaron Rodgers guided the offense with calm precision, while the defense delivered key stops that kept Baltimore from closing the gap. Reports from national outlets and local Pittsburgh coverage describe a team that leaned on veteran leadership and defensive grit to secure the division title.

Rodgers vs Stroud

Aaron Rodgers now steps into a marquee quarterback duel with Houston’s CJ Stroud. Rodgers has provided stability and timely playmaking for Pittsburgh throughout the season, helping the Steelers overcome early inconsistency. Stroud enters the game after leading Houston to a strong finish, including a decisive win over Indianapolis in Week 18. His accuracy and poise have drawn praise across Houston media, and he remains central to the Texans offensive identity. Both quarterbacks bring contrasting styles, with Rodgers relying on experience and Stroud showcasing dynamic growth.

Defense Is Key To Victory

The defensive battle may define the night. Pittsburgh welcomes the return of JJ Watt, whose presence adds power and leadership to a unit already anchored by standout performers. The Steelers defense has thrived on pressure and timely turnovers, shaping many of their wins. Houston counters with a defense that has been among the league’s most efficient, holding opponents in check during their late season surge. Analysts across national and local outlets point to key defenders on both sides who could shift momentum with a single play.

The Winner Moves On

The winner of this matchup moves on to face a formidable opponent in the divisional round. Pittsburgh would carry the confidence of a division title and a home playoff win into the next stage. Houston would advance with the momentum of a strong finish and a road victory that reinforces their status as a rising contender. Coverage from league and local sources suggests that whichever team advances will face a challenging path, but both possess the talent and resilience to make a deep postseason run

The final four teams at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have officially been confirmed following an action-packed round of quarter-final fixtures over the weekend.

With the tournament now reaching its decisive stage, the battle for African football’s most prestigious international trophy is heating up.

Host nation Morocco will take on Nigeria in a blockbuster semi-final, as both sides look to book a place in the AFCON 2025 final in front of a passionate Moroccan crowd.

In the second semi-final, 2021 champions Senegal will face record winners Egypt, setting up another mouth-watering clash between two continental heavyweights. B

oth semi-final matches are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 14, with the highly anticipated AFCON 2025 final set to follow later in the week.

As the competition enters its final phase, Sports Talk takes a closer look at the performances of the eight quarter-finalists

Brahim Diaz makes strong statement for MVP

Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz continues to lead Morocco’s hunt for glory on home soil with his superb contribution. Diaz leads the scoring chart at AFCON 2025 with five goals in five matches.

His impact was evident against Cameroon in the quarter-final as he grabbed a goal in their 2-0 win on Friday.

Diaz’s consistent performances make him a strong contender for the tournament and he becomes the fourth player in score five goals in a single AFCON tournament.

Ashour & Salah at the centre of Egypt’s progress

Emam Ashour and Mohamed Salah took the centre stage as Egypt overcame Cote d’Ivoire in a five-goal thriller on Saturday.

Al Ahly’s Ashour bagged a brace of assists while Salah got an assist and the match-winning goal to boost the Pharaohs’ hopes of lifting a record eighth AFCON title.

Egypt was not the better team in terms of ball possession during the game, but they managed to take their chances whenever they attacked with Salah, Ashour and Omar Marmoush linking up so good.

Super Eagles show off attacking prowess

Nigeria, once again, showed their impressive attacking qualities with Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams scoring the goals in their 2-0 defeat of Algeria.

Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi played key roles in the attack with their creativity, movement and deft passes.

Thanks to their solid defensive set-up, the Super Eagles were relentless from start to finish in Marrakech which left Algeria with no shot on target during the match.

It was a similar situation against Mozambique in the round of 16 and it further proves Nigeria’s credentials for the AFCON title.

Diarra & Bissouma let Mali down

Costly individual errors were the major highlights of Mali’s elimination in the quarter-final.

Djigui Diarra’s blunder while trying to hold the ball, created the chance for Illiman Ndiaye to score the only goal of the match in the 27th minute.

Secondly, Yves Bissouma’s red card in the stoppage time of the first-half caged the Eagles as they were reduced to 10 men in their 1-0 loss to Senegal.

Algeria’s unconvincing display

Algeria was tactically and physically outplayed by Nigeria which was evident in the 2-0 loss – they failed to register a shot on target and did not win any aerial duel in the attack.

Key players like Riyad Mahrez, Ibrahim Maza and Mohammed Amoura failed to cause any threats in the game and they failed to win any duels against Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi.

Their only shot in the game came in the 84th minute when second-half substitute Baghdad Bounedjah fired his effort wide off target.

It was also a forgettable outing for goalkeeper Lucas Zidane who made a bizarre jump to stop Victor Osimhen’s first goal and his poor distribution led to the second goal.