The Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots can keep their hopes of winning the Super Bowl alive. The two teams complete the play-off semi-finals in the NFL.
19.01.2026, 06:06
19.01.2026, 07:39
SDA
The Rams prevailed 20:17 after overtime in a dramatic duel against the Chicago Bears in a snowstorm. The Patriots won by a clearer margin. They defeated the Houston Texans 28:16. The Rams' semi-final opponents are the Seattle Seahawks, while the Patriots will face the Denver Broncos.
"It was crazy. It went back and forth. We didn't play that outstanding on offense. Our defense was sensational," Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "That's playoff football. We have a lot of things we could have done better, but we stuck together and found a way to win this game."
Stafford's counterpart, Caleb Williams, had forced overtime with an errant throw for a touchdown seconds before the end of regulation. Before the pass, he had run away from the Rams defenders almost to the logo in the middle of the field and then bounced backwards on his successful completion attempt. As neither team was able to capitalize on their first possession in overtime, a 42-yard field goal ultimately decided the game.
The Patriots made it back to the semi-finals for the first time since the departure of Tom Brady. "I'm proud of the guys. We battled the weather," said quarterback Drake Maye, who as one of Brady's successors has turned the Patriots, so long spoiled by success, back into a title contender in his second NFL season. With Brady, the team reached the Super Bowl nine times from 2002 to 2019 and won it six times.
