Sunday Night NFL Wild Card Recap.

Alert: The First Section Featured A Shortened Summarized Version Of The Recap And The Second Part Below Showcases The Full More Detailed Breakdown Of each Game.

**Eagles vs. Packers Summary**

Two years ago, the Eagles thrived after trading for A.J. Brown and saw Jalen Hurts shine as a passer, with a dominant defense leading them to the Super Bowl. However, the following season was filled with setbacks, including tensions between Hurts and Brown, a weaker defense, and an early playoff exit at the hands of the Buccaneers.

This season, despite a retooled defense, the Eagles struggled with offensive rhythm.

With Hurt’s back in The Lineup After A 2 1/2 game Absence To Face the Packers in the Wild Card Round, the Eagles took an early 10-0 lead after capitalizing on a first-play fumble That Gave the Eagles A Short field and led to Jalen Hurts connecting With Jahan Dotson on a touchdown pass. Although the offense faltered, the defense forced multiple turnovers In The Form Of Jordan Love Interceptions and kept the Packers’s Offense Dampened for much of the game As The Eagles carry This Contest Wire To Wire.

The Packers managed to score but couldn’t capitalize when it mattered, failing a critical fourth-down conversion. The Eagles ultimately won 22-10, with Jalen Hurts finishing 13-for-21 with 131 passing yards and two touchdowns, supported by Saquon Barkley’s strong rushing performance. The Packers’ Jordan Love struggled with three interceptions and injuries to key receivers hindered their effectiveness. The Eagles moved on to the Divisional Round, though they didn’t dominate the game.

**Broncos vs. Bills**

From the outset, the Bills need to stay focused, as there are signs of a potential upset. Despite being the two-seed and securing key wins over the Lions and Chiefs, they remain under "fraud" watch. Outside of MVP candidate Josh Allen, the Bills lack a reliable offensive and defensive player. Their roster does not feature a true number-one receiver, relying instead on a collection of inconsistent performers.

The Bills face a strong Denver defense, which could exploit their weaknesses—especially since they struggle with deep passes. The Broncos' quarterback, Bo Nix, has gained confidence after recent performances, and their offense has shown improvement. They started their drive on the ground, leading to key completions, including a 43-yard touchdown to Troy Franklin.

After a solid start, the Bills orchestrated a methodical drive, scoring their first touchdown. The Broncos, although they managed a fake punt conversion, struggled to sustain drives, finding it hard to score. In contrast, the Bills came alive in the second half, scoring 31 unanswered points to win 31-7.

Josh Allen finished 20 of 26 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, while the Bills ran for over 200 yards, with James Cook contributing 120 rushing yards. The Broncos' defense was ineffective, allowing the Bills' ground game to thrive. Despite a decent showing from Bo Nix—who completed 13 of 22 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown—the Broncos must now look to add a major play threat to enhance their offense. For the Bills, this decisive first-round victory should boost their morale as they prepare for a tougher matchup against the Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

**Eagles vs. Packers**

Two years ago, the Eagles soared to new heights after trading for A.J. Brown. Jalen Hurts discovered his potential as a passer, and the defense developed into one of the most dominant sacking forces in football, recording 72 quarterback takedowns before reaching the Super Bowl, where they fell short. Jalen Hurts earned MVP considerations, and although the team lost some talent, another year together means the sky's the limit.

However, The Eagles Found the following season Repleted with setbacks Trials. Issues arose between the dynamic quarterback-wide receiver tandem of Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, and the defense fell off significantly. The secondary regressed, and the pass rush lost talent in free agency, with players like Haason Reddick unable to replicate their breakout success. After a tumultuous season, the Eagles' quest to repeat as NFC Champions ended far short of expectations, as they were ousted by the Buccaneers in the first round of the Wild Card Round in a rout, 32-9.

This season, the Eagles returned to Philadelphia with their defense retooled and statistically back at the top of the league. However, the relationship between A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts came under scrutiny again, and for some reason, the Eagles never felt like true contenders.

In the game, the Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead, capitalizing on a fumble by the Packers on the opening kickoff. This led to an eleven-yard connection from Jalen Hurts to Jahan Dotson. The Eagles' offense struggled afterward, but the defense forced two more turnovers and two interceptions from Jordan Love, keeping the Packers scoreless. Jalen Hurts started the game just 6-for-13 for 39 yards passing, as the Packers managed to pressure him and force hurried throws. The Packers generated eight pressures and recorded two sacks by the third quarter to contain the Eagles. Love finished the half 9-for-16 for 70 yards, with a dismal passer rating of 31.6.

On the Packers' first offensive drive of the second half, they moved into the red zone, but after 12 plays and 76 yards, Jordan Love threw four straight incompletions, leading to a field goal that cut the Eagles' lead to 10-3. The Packers needed a touchdown on that drive, as the Eagles responded by scoring a touchdown on a 24-yard catch and run by Dallas Goedert, ballooning the lead to 16-3.

On the following drive, the Packers managed to score again, this time with a 32-yard run that set up a one-yard touchdown by Jacobs at the start of the fourth quarter. The Packers fought through 13 hard plays before forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal, narrowing the score to 19-10 with a two-score deficit.

With less than eight minutes remaining and the Packers needing a touchdown, a stop, and another score, Green Bay chose to manage the clock. They failed to convert a crucial 4th-and-3 when Malik Heath couldn't secure a pass from Jordan Love with his feet inbounds. The Packers' offense stalled with Love's third interception of the game, which landed in the hands of Eagles rookie Quinyon Mitchell. Despite a lackluster performance from Jalen Hurts, the Eagles defeated the Packers, 22-10.

Jalen Hurts finished the game 13-for-21 with 131 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 111.4. While he didn’t shine like a star, he guided the Eagles to victory behind Saquon Barkley’s 25 carries for 119 rushing yards. DeVonta Smith recorded four catches for 55 yards, and Dallas Goedert also had four catches for 47 yards. The Packers' play-calling fell short in this game. In the fourth quarter, they should have relied more on a drop-back offense on 3rd and 3, which ultimately set them up for failure on the fourth down.

Despite a powerful rushing game from Josh Jacobs, who had 18 carries for 81 yards, Jordan Love finished 20-for-33 with 212 passing yards and three interceptions. The Packers also lost two receivers, Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs, to injuries during the game, and they started without Christian Watson, which limited their overall effectiveness. The Eagles may not win pretty, but they advance to the Divisional Round.

**Broncos vs. Bills**

From the start of this game, the Bills need to raise their flags and stay focused; all signs point to a potential upset. Despite earning the two-seed in the conference and securing big wins over the Lions and Chiefs, the team remains under "fraud" watch. Outside of MVP candidate Josh Allen, the Bills lack a consistent offensive and defensive staple. Throughout the season, the roster has never showcased a true number one receiver, only a group of pseudo number ones with sporadic standout performances.

Facing a highly regarded Denver defense, the Bills will require a weapon to impose their will, but the Buffalo roster lacks such a player on the outside. This could make it easier for the defense to contain Josh Allen. Patrick Surtain could theoretically dominate one side of the field, giving Denver's defense an advantage over Allen. With the Bills lacking a top corner, the Broncos benefit from having a hot quarterback whose confidence is riding high after recent performances.

So far this season, better defensive teams have triumphed in matchups, which gives the Broncos the edge. The Broncos’ offense didn’t start the year with the most explosive plays. Bo Nix faced criticism for his lack of depth early on, but he has exhibited explosive plays in the past three weeks and continued this momentum into the Wild Card round. Starting their drive on the ground, the Broncos set up two significant completions: a 19-yard pass from Nix to Cortland Sutton, followed by a 43-yard touchdown connection to his college teammate Troy Franklin.

Defenses don't play Denver for the deep ball; they wait for the coverage they want before striking over the top against Buffalo. The Bills entered the game ranked tenth worst in deep completion percentage, and the Broncos were able to exploit this weakness. The Bills, led by Josh Allen, orchestrated a methodical drive, aided by some surprising success on the ground—James Cook had four carries for 29 yards. However, they stalled in the red zone and settled for a field goal. After a Broncos punt, Cook continued to gain momentum, especially driving up the middle, leading the Bills into Broncos territory on consecutive drives. The Bills' underneath passing game also helped move the chains, ultimately culminating in a touchdown from James Cook and Josh Allen to start the second quarter.

The Bills put together a 13-play, 81-yard drive to score their first touchdown. The Broncos’ initial drive saw them escape from a punt by faking the kick for a 15-yard conversion, but their passing game slowed significantly after that. The Broncos managed one late second-half drive to attempt a field goal before halftime, which fell short. The Broncos’ offense struggled to string together enough completions to sustain drives and score points.

The Bills' offense came alive in the second half, showing no trouble breaking through the Denver secondary. They scored 31 unanswered points, including 21 in the second half, which helped extinguish the early momentum of the Broncos, winning the Wild Card contest 31-7. The Bills' offense rushed and passed for over 200 yards, with Josh Allen completing 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, including one 55-yard catch-and-run to Curtis Samuel and a 24-yarder to Ty Johnson in the back of the end zone.

The much-hyped Broncos defense was virtually non-existent, managing to force only two field goals and rarely pressuring Allen or forcing turnovers. The Bills were held to 1-5 in the red zone, but for the most part, the Broncos' defense allowed the Bills' ground game to thrive, with James Cook racking up 120 rushing yards—nearly double his season average. Buffalo ran 30 more plays than the Broncos, despite both teams having the same number of drives.

In his playoff debut, Bo Nix completed 13 of 22 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown, along with four carries for 43 yards rushing. Although the Bills sacked him twice, they applied pressure that negatively impacted Nix's accuracy, resulting in many missed throws while on the move. The Broncos must focus on building off this performance, and they should consider adding another big-play threat outside of Cortland Sutton, possibly even a dynamic tight end. With Bo Nix on a rookie scale contract, the Broncos should be able to maintain the continuity of their offensive line. For the Bills, dispatching their first-round opponent with such ease should boost morale heading into a tougher matchup against the Ravens—this time at Highmark Stadium.