The wild card round of the 2024 NFL season was played from Saturday, January 11 to Monday, January 13, 2025. Every team in the fourteen-team field had won at least ten games, the first time that had happened since 2012 and the first time in the expanded-playoff era.
Results
| Date | Conference | Winner | Score | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan 11 | AFC | Houston Texans | 32–12 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Sat, Jan 11 | AFC | Baltimore Ravens | 28–14 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Sun, Jan 12 | AFC | Buffalo Bills | 31–7 | Denver Broncos |
| Sun, Jan 12 | NFC | Philadelphia Eagles | 22–10 | Green Bay Packers |
| Sun, Jan 12 | NFC | Washington Commanders | 23–20 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Mon, Jan 13 | NFC | Los Angeles Rams | 27–9 | Minnesota Vikings |
Game notes
Texans 32, Chargers 12. The first playoff meeting between the clubs. Houston led only 10–6 at the break, then pulled away behind four second-half interceptions. A blocked extra point returned for a defensive two-point conversion was the first such score in a postseason game since the play was introduced in 2015, and the 32–12 final had never previously occurred in an NFL game.
Ravens 28, Steelers 14. The fifth playoff meeting between the rivals, with Pittsburgh leading the series 3–1 beforehand. Baltimore answered an opening punt with a 95-yard touchdown drive, led 21–0 by halftime and finished with 299 rushing yards.
Bills 31, Broncos 7. Denver scored on its opening drive and never led again; Buffalo ran for 210 yards and put the game away early in the fourth quarter. It was Denver’s first postseason appearance in nine years, and only the second playoff meeting between the teams after the 1991 AFC Championship Game.
Eagles 22, Packers 10. Philadelphia recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff, scored on the possession that followed and was never headed, sealing the win with an end-zone interception in the fourth quarter.
Commanders 23, Buccaneers 20. A tie game with 4:41 remaining ended on a 37-yard field goal as time expired that hit the right upright and dropped through. It was Washington’s first playoff victory since the 2005 season.
Rams 27, Vikings 9. Announced on January 9 as a relocation to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The Rams led 24–3 by halftime and finished with nine sacks, tying a playoff record. The defeat was Minnesota’s 32nd in the postseason, an NFL record.
What happened next
| Round | Results |
|---|---|
| Divisional, Jan 18 | Kansas City Chiefs 23, Houston Texans 14; Washington Commanders 45, Detroit Lions 31 |
| Divisional, Jan 19 | Philadelphia Eagles 28, Los Angeles Rams 22; Buffalo Bills 27, Baltimore Ravens 25 |
| Conference, Jan 26 | Philadelphia Eagles 55, Washington Commanders 23; Kansas City Chiefs 32, Buffalo Bills 29 |
| Super Bowl LIX, Feb 9 | Philadelphia Eagles 40, Kansas City Chiefs 22, at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans |
Sources: Wikipedia, “2024–25 NFL playoffs”.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who won the wild card games in January 2025?
The Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams.
Why was the Rams-Vikings wild card game moved?
The NFL announced on January 9, 2025 that the game would be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Did a wild card team reach the Super Bowl that season?
No, but the Washington Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game, and the Philadelphia Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LIX.