Image Courtesy of Dave Adamson
The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles have already suited up and battled to be titled the best team in the world for another year. Their journeys were full of ups and downs, controversies, and excitement. Fans of 12 other teams began 2025 hoping to watch their favorite franchises take the places of Kansas City and Philadelphia with the chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in February. Each game this playoff season became more critical than the last, with each comeback and heartbreak drawing more eyes as the Super Bowl inched closer. As the season’s hype tapers off and the football world looks toward the offseason, The College Voice looks to recap each game of the truly historic 2025 NFL postseason.
Wild Card Weekend
Chargers @ Texans: 12-32
The playoffs started in shocking fashion on Saturday as the 3-point underdog Houston Texans took down the visiting Los Angeles Chargers by 20 points. The game started slow, with both rosters struggling to get their footing offensively, leading to a mere 6-0 lead for the Chargers midway into the second quarter. Instead of maintaining their slim lead, LA’s unstable offensive structure completely collapsed as quarterback Justin Herbert strained and failed to keep the ball away from Texans defenders. Throughout the regular season, Herbert only threw three interceptions on over 500 pass attempts. In this one game, he threw four picks, which the Texans defense took graciously to cruise into the next round of the playoffs.
Steelers @ Ravens 14-28
The largest spread of the week at +9.5 points came in its second game as the AFC North rivals battled it out for the third time this season. The teams split against each other this regular season, with the Ravens doubling Pittsburgh’s points in the last matchup, a fate that would bestow Pittsburgh once again. Former two-time MVP, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson looked unstoppable while running back Derrick Henry rumbled for 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Ironically, the Steelers boasted the most expensive defense in the league and saw that same unit crumble in the first few minutes of the game and never piece itself back together. The unenviable streak of losses in January extends for a ninth year in Pittsburgh despite making the bracket five times in that span.
Broncos @ Bills 7-31
The Denver Broncos came into the playoffs having already blown past their preseason expectation with the second-lowest win projection at 5.5 wins and fourth-lowest Super Bowl odds. Even with expectations eclipsed, the Broncos’ lack of experience showed as the Buffalo Bills dismantled the Denver defense for the largest margin of victory of the entire week. The game started strong for Denver with a methodical touchdown drive on the game’s first possession. After that, rookie quarterback Bo Nix struggled under pressure and could not amass another successful sequence, making the Broncos the lowest-scoring team of the 2024-2025 playoffs. MVP quarterback, Josh Allen and running back, James Cook, dissected the Denver defense to cruise to the divisional round for a rematch against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.
Packers @ Eagles 10-22
The Green Bay vs Philadelphia matchup was a far more underwhelming and heartbreaking start to the Sunday slate of games than Wisconsin fans were expecting. Green Bay started the contest with a fumble on the kickoff, setting the tone for the rest of the matchup. Receiver Romeo Doubs then exited the game with a concussion, only further depleting their injured wide receiving corp. With morale waning, the Packers were unable to garner a scoring drive until the third quarter, with their closest attempt prior, being a missed field goal. In all facets of the game, Packers quarterback Jordan Love looked truly pedestrian, throwing three interceptions to zero touchdowns and posting a below-average completion percentage. The Eagles’ game plan was to take care of the ball as they watched their defense, led by second-year pass rusher Nolan Smith, handle the faltering Green Bay attack.
Commanders @ Buccaneers 23-20
The closest game of the week came in Tampa Bay, where the underdog Commanders, led by Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels went on the road, to take down the NFC South champion Buccaneers. Tampa Bay’s offense held pace with Washington, as quarterback Baker Mayfield threw only three incompletions to two touchdown passes. The game was evenly matched on both sides of the ball, with the only difference being a drive-ending fumble from Mayfield that gave Washington the extra possession they needed to kick the game-winning field goal.
Vikings @ Rams 9-27
The Minnesota Vikings were the season’s feel-good story as quarterback Sam Darnold revitalized his career in the purple, white, and gold and led a team with middling expectations to a 14-3 record and wild card spot. The spread at 2.5 points seemed low for such a regular season juggernaut taking on a transitioning Rams roster that barely squeaked out their division title. The Rams’ offense was led by their three-headed monster of quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kyren Williams, and receiver Puka Nacua, who all played exceptionally well against Minnesota. However, the defense, commanded by Defensive Rookie of the Year edge rusher, Jared Verse, was the unit that took the Vikings down. The Rams tied an NFL sack record for a playoff game with nine, while seven players notched at least half of a sack, showing how complex LA’s defensive scheme was for inexperienced quarterbacks. At the four-and-a-half-minute mark in the second quarter, LA’s win probability hit 80%, and Minnesota’s miracle season was officially over.
Divisional Round
Texans @ Chiefs 14-23
As the lowest remaining seed in the AFC, the Texans were now on the road to the Kansas City cold. The Texans far out-gained the Chiefs but could not finish drives in the end zone. Two missed field goals and eight sacks on top of constant pressure on Texans quarterback CJ Stroud the main reason Houston was unable to take Kansas City down in a game that their offense played well enough to win. This game, unfortunately, has an asterisk next to it due to two penalties much of the football world saw as phantom calls in Kansas City’s favor. Two roughing the passer penalties with limited visible contact to warrant penalization were called against Houston to continue Chief drives, both leading to points. As the football community flocked to X to show their displeasure, both plays were unreviewable, and the Kansas City Chiefs would be the team preparing their stadium to host the AFC championship game.
Commanders @ Lions 45-31
Washington came into Detroit on a short week attempting to compete with the team most favored to win the Super Bowl and MVP finalist Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The Commanders had a tall task in winning this game; still, it began to look feasible as Goff threw one of his worst games of the season. In contrast, Jayden Daniels had another fantastic game, putting up two touchdowns through the air without turning the ball over. Both teams also had their running backs rack up two touchdowns on the ground, spreading defenses out wide. The Lions’ defense struggled mightily, producing zero sacks, fumbles, or interceptions while the Commanders scored on six of nine drives. The Lions’ depleted defense was a hurdle the team had avoided until the Washington offense proved too steep an opponent, sending Detroit fan’s hopes of finally reaching the Super Bowl home earlier than expected.
Rams @ Eagles 22-28
The Eagles were favored from the start and proved to be the more dominant team for all 60 minutes. Both offensive lines lost to their defensive opponents, with the Rams giving up five sacks and the Eagles giving up seven. Stafford, Williams, and Nacua seemed like a formidable trio, but their collective abilities could not keep up with the production of Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley put up 200+ yards on the ground, becoming the fourth back of the millennium to do so in a playoff game. He also clocked the highest yards per carry for a 200+ yard rusher in the playoffs since former Commanders running back Timmy Smith in the 1988 Super Bowl. The Rams kept the game close for most of its duration until a 78-yard touchdown run by Barkley late into the fourth quarter. While Stafford attempted to rally the LA offense for one final chance at victory, the Rams were unable to convert a crucial fourth & 11, sending Philadelphia to prepare for the championship game against their division rival Commanders.
Ravens @ Bills 25-27
The Ravens matchup against Buffalo was the exciting rematch of their Baltimore-dominated earlier meeting. The Bills were once again the underdogs, if only ever so slightly but this time, at home, had the might of Bills Mafia behind them. The reigning MVP, Lamar Jackson, performed very well against current MVP, Josh Allen, who managed the game and limited mistakes. In the second quarter, Buffalo captured an 11-point lead on a four-yard rush by Allen and refused to let go. Baltimore’s one chance at victory slipped through the hands of Ravens tight end Mark Andrews on a necessary two-point conversion try that ended up being the margin of victory for Buffalo. While Andrews received slack from fans, his drop was not the only factor in the Raven’s loss. Buffalo stayed clean with zero turnovers, while Baltimore played a sloppy game full of untimely interceptions and tragic fumbles. The Raven’s inability to make it over the hump was once again on full display, with this loss editing their playoff record to a disappointing 4-7 since their Super Bowl victory in 2012.
Conference Round
Commanders @ Eagles 55-23
The Commanders were again underdogs as they went into Philadelphia for a third meeting of the year. Unfortunately for Commanders fans, Jayden Daniel’s magic had run out against the Eagles’ stout defense. The front seven brought relentless pressure on the pocket, and the secondary locked down the Washington pass-catchers. On the opposite side of the ball, the Commanders appeared entirely unprepared for the Philadelphia rushing attack, with anyone who touched the ball going for big chunk runs. Philadelphia scored the most points by a team in a playoff game since the 2000 Jacksonville Jaguars and tied the 1940 Chicago Bears for the most rushing touchdowns in a game with seven. Quarterback Jalen Hurts even had his way with an exhausted Washington secondary. Washington’s bright future left fans hopeful but with a sour taste in their mouths watching their division rival return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
Bills @ Chiefs 29-32
The two franchises have met in four of the past five postseasons for some truly epic clashes, and in each matchup, the Chiefs were able to come out on top in. Once again, Mahomes and Allen dueled in a tit-for-tat battle, carrying their offenses on the ground and through the air while both running attacks effectively complimented their perennial MVP quarterbacks. Unfortunately for Buffalo, the narrative would remain with a fourth Bills’ loss to Kansas City in the postseason. In pure NFL poetry, a fourth-quarter prayer by Allen slipped through the hands of tight end Dalton Kincaid the same way it did for Mark Andrews a week prior. It was Buffalo’s last chance to reset the downs, and the Chiefs were able to run the clock out for their victory. The referees were once again a controversial factor on the game’s outcome, starting with a 26-yard redzone pass to rookie receiver Xavier Worthy that many viewers thought hit the ground. Even with a Buffalo challenge, the play remained a completion. However, the referees would strike again on a Bills fourth-down conversion. The attempt seemingly went for the necessary yard but was signaled a turnover on downs and Chiefs’ ball. Whether the call impacted the game’s outcome will never be known, but the result is nevertheless a highly touted rematch between Philadelphia and Kansas City where one team can get their Super Bowl revenge and the other make history with three consecutive Super Bowl victories.
