From heartbreaking losses to a comeback for the ages, the NFL wild-card playoff games were anything but short of an exciting experience to watch. 

 For starters, there was a solid matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. The story of this game can be confined to two names: DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel.  

The two opposing wide receivers both had at least 125 receiving yards. on first review. While Metcalf had a pair of touchdowns to go with his 136 receiving yards, the Seattle Seahawks fell short to the 49ers with a final score of 41-23. 

 The next wild card game can be described as a historic comeback. The Jacksonville Jaguars faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers, and it was an exceptional game. In the first half the Chargers completely dominated, but in the second half, it was a completely different story. 

 After throwing four interceptions in the first half, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence came back and went 18 for 23 in completions, had 211 yards, and 3 touchdowns with zero interceptions in the second half. The Jaguars overcame a 27-point deficit to defeat the Chargers 31-30. 

 The Miami Dolphins traveled to Buffalo to take on the mighty Buffalo Bills. Many are calling this game a full Josh Allen Experience, as he got it done with both his exceptional passing and his rushing skills.  

Wide receiver Gabe Davis also had himself a game, racking up 113 yards on 9 targets as well as a touchdown. Buffalo edged by the Dolphins with a final score of 34-31, advancing them to the next round. 

“It was heartbreaking. No one believed in us all year, but we kept on grinding. It was unfortunate that we got matched up with debatably the best team in the league, but what can you do about that? Now that the Dolphins are out, I am cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals to win it all,” said junior Christian Castillo, a Mass Communications major.  

The Bengals had a tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. The soft coverage from Baltimore held Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to a relatively bland game. Burrow posted only a 6.3-yard average depth of target as well as zero big-time throws for the game. 

Luckily for Burrow, Cincinnati’s defense held the Ravens down hard enough for the Bengals offense to close out the win. The game ended with a final score of 24-17. 

In another great matchup, the New York Giants took on the Minnesota Vikings. To everyone’s surprise, star wide receiver Justin Jefferson had a calm game with seven receptions for just 47 yards. 

It was the Giants’ running back Saquan Barkley who really took the game by storm. Barkley caught five of six targets for 56 receiving yards as well as 53 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. The Giants outplayed the Vikings for a final score of 31-24. 

The final wild-card matchup was between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Everybody was looking to see if 45-year-old Tom Brady was going to bring home his eighth Super Bowl ring. However, the Dallas Cowboys had different plans. 

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott had himself quite a game, completing 25 of 33 passes for 305 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Tight end Dalton Schultz had a great game as well, catching seven of eight targets for 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Dallas rolled by Tampa Bay, winning with a score of 31-14.  

The wild-card games provided a weekend full of surprises and excitement. Fans can only wonder what is to come in the next couple rounds of the NFL playoffs.