Playoff shock in the NFL Defending champions already out: San Francisco stops Philadelphia
The Super Bowl takes place at Levi's Stadium just outside San Francisco - and the 49ers can dream of a home game as they shock the defending champions from Philadelphia in the first playoff round.
12.01.2026, 08:25
dpa
The San Francisco 49ers have knocked the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles out of the NFL playoffs with a narrow victory. The 23:19 victory on the US East Coast ended all of Philadelphia's hopes of returning to the Super Bowl - the 49ers, on the other hand, can continue to dream of a home game at Levi's Stadium on February 8. The 49ers now head to the Seattle Seahawks next weekend: the team that snatched first place in the NFC and a bye in the first round of the playoffs from San Francisco last week.
Christian McCaffrey, who caught two touchdowns in the final quarter, made the difference. "Our team is fighting. We take it day by day and always give it our all. Whether in training or in the game. I can't say enough good things about this team," said the 29-year-old 49ers pro. "We focused on every single play, we knew it was going to be a twelve-round battle. Nothing rattled us and we trusted each other."
Trick play and horror injury
His first touchdown, which really got the 49ers back into the game, was particularly special. The team was never far behind, but until then the Eagles seemed to be in control of the game. A trick play, at the end of which Jauan Jenkins fired the long pass to McCaffrey instead of quarterback Brock Purdy, gave them their first lead after a 7-0 first quarter. San Francisco was the team with the momentum.
Bitter news for the already injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers: tight end George Kittle suffered a serious injury in the first quarter and had to be carted off the field. Shortly afterwards, the offensive star received a shock diagnosis: a torn Achilles tendon. The 32-year-old's season is now over. It also remains unclear whether Kittle will be fit again for the start of the season next fall.
The other clash in the divisional round in the NFC has also been decided by the result in Philadelphia. The Los Angeles Rams have to play the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field for a place in the conference final.
Patriots win first playoff game since Brady's departure
The New England Patriots have won a playoff game in the NFL for the first time since their Super Bowl victory seven years ago - back then with Tom Brady at quarterback. The football team led by Brady's successor Drake Maye won 16:3 against the Los Angeles Chargers and ended a drought for the fans from the Boston area who had long been so spoiled by success. "What a night for the defense," Maye said. "Great win, that was fun."
Maye only threw one touchdown pass in the first playoff game of his career, but led his team in a considered manner against the Chargers and will now face either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Houston Texans - this game will also take place at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots, who have reached the Super Bowl nine times in 17 years with Brady and won it six times, have not even made the playoffs in the past three years. Neither Cam Newton nor Mac Jones were able to build on the Brady years under former successful coach Bill Belichick. The two quarterbacks and Belichick are now history, ex-pro Mike Vrabel has been in charge as head coach since this season - and Maye is one of the candidates for the Most Valuable Player of the season award thanks to a strong season.
