2022–23 NFL playoffs: Difference between revisions

The [[NFL playoffs|National Football League playoffs]] for the [[2022 NFL season|2022 season]] began on January 14, 2023, and concluded with [[Super Bowl LVII]] on February 12 at [[State Farm Stadium]] in [[Glendale, Arizona]], where the [[2022 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] defeated the [[2022 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]. This was the first postseason since [[2004-2005 NFL playoffs|2004]] not to feature quarterback [[Ben Roethlisberger]] as he played his final NFL games in the [[2021 NFL season|2021]] season.

Therefore during a special league meeting on January 6, NFL owners approved the following changes for this postseason to compensate for the missing aforementioned playoff implications of the canceled game:<ref name=":2"/><ref name=":3"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maaddi |first=Rob |date=2023-01-06 |title=NFL: Bills-Bengals won't resume; playoff scenarios revealed |url=https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-buffalo-bills-cincinnati-bengals-sports-nfl-football-0aaf8589e7bc364a6625b19eb48f3233 |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fedotin |first=Jeff |title=Here’s How The NFL Is Handling AFC Playoffs Home-Field Advantage |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffedotin/2023/01/06/heres-how-the-nfl-is-handling-afc-playoffs-home-field-advantage/ |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

After Week 18 was played, only the first scenario – causedscenario—caused by wins by both Buffalo and Kansas City – couldCity—could happen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bills-Chiefs neutral site AFC Championship Game in play; Bengals avoid coin toss with win over Ravens |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/bills-chiefs-neutral-site-afc-championship-game-in-play-bengals-avoid-coin-toss- |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Meanwhile, Cincinnati won their game against Baltimore. The league then announced on January 12 that [[Mercedes-Benz Stadium]] in [[Atlanta]] was selected to host a Buffalo–Kansas City AFC Championship Game if both teams advanced that far.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta selected as site for potential Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship Game |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/mercedes-benz-stadium-in-atlanta-site-for-potential-bills-chiefs-afc-title-game |publisher=NFL |access-date=January 12, 2023 |date=January 12, 2023}}</ref> This plan went unused after the Bengals defeated the Bills in the Divisional Playoffs by the score of 27–10.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchmasser |first=Bernd |date=2023-01-22 |title=The Bengals crushed the NFL’s hopes of a neutral-site AFC Championship Game in Atlanta |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2023/1/22/23566823/nfl-neutral-site-afc-championship-game-chiefs-bills-bengals-atlanta-mercedes-benz-stadium |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref>

As approved by NFL owners at their meeting on March 28, 2022, this is the first postseason in which both teams are assured of one possession in overtime, even if the first team with possession scores a touchdown. This change was made in response to several recent playoff games in which the first team to possess the ball in overtime scored a touchdown and the other team did not have a chance to respond.<ref name="OT rule">{{Cite news |last=Seifert |first=Kevin |date=March 29, 2022 |title=Both teams assured of a possession in playoff overtime with rules change approved by NFL owners |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33622482/teams-assured-possession-playoff-rules-change |access-date=March 29, 2022 |work=ESPN|location=New York}}</ref>

The playoffs began on January 14–16, 2023 with the Wild-Card Round, with three wild-card games played in each conference. In the Divisional Round, played January 21–22, the top seed in the conference played the lowest remaining seed and the other two remaining teams played each other. The winners of those games advanced to the Conference Championship Games which were played on January 29. [[Super Bowl LVII]] was played on February 12 at [[State Farm Stadium]] in [[Glendale, Arizona]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Teope |first=Herbie |date=May 23, 2018 |title=Arizona, New Orleans chosen as Super Bowl hosts |url=httphttps://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000933935/article/arizona-new-orleans-chosen-as-super-bowl-hosts-0ap3000000933935 |access-date=October 23, 2021 |publisher=NFL Media |location=[[Los Angeles]] }}</ref>

! Round !! Away team !! Score !! Home team !! Date !! Kickoff<br>([[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] / [[UTC−05:00|UTC–5]]) !! Network !! Viewers (millions) !! TV rating<ref>{{cite web|title=THE NFL TV RATINGS PAGE|url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-nbc-cbs-fox-espn-nfln-regular-season-playoffs/|website=SportsMediaWatch.com|date=27 September 2014|accessdate=January 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Paulsen |title=Over 45 million for Cowboysaccess-Niners, second-best for Divisional Round |date=January 2415, 2023 |url=https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/01/cowboys-49ers-ratings-second-most-watched-nfl-divisional-round-bengals-bills/ |publisher=Sports Media Watch |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web!! |last1=Paulsen |title=Super Bowl cracks 40TV rating for first time in three years |url=https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/02/super-bowl-ratings-highest-three-years-chiefs-eagles-viewership-fox/ |website=sportsmediawatch.com |publisher=Sports Media Watch |access-date=15 February 2023}}</ref>

| [[2022 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] || 17–24 || '''[[2022 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]]''' || January 15, 2023 || 8:15&nbsp;p.m. || NBC || 2628.96<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heltman |first=Russ |date=2023-01-18 |title=Bengals-Ravens Playoff Broadcast Most Watched Sunday Primetime Show Since Super Bowl LVI |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/bengals/news/bengals-ravens-playoff-broadcast-most-watched-sunday-primetime-show-since-super-bowl-lvi |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-US}}</ref> || 13.8

| '''[[2022 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]''' || 31–14 || [[2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] || January 16, 2023 || 8:15&nbsp;p.m. || [[NFL on ABC|ABC/ESPN]] || 31.12<ref>{{Cite web |last=Volner |first=Derek |date=2023-01-18 |title=The Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Wild Card Finale is a Record Breaker for The Walt Disney Company and ESPN |url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2023/01/the-dallas-cowboys-at-tampa-bay-buccaneers-super-wild-card-finale-is-a-record-breaker-for-the-walt-disney-company-and-espn/ |access-date=2024-04-23 |website=ESPN Press Room U.S. |language=en-US}}</ref> || 16.5

! colspanrowspan="84" |[[#Divisional playoffs|Divisional playoffs]]<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Divisional Round schedule announced|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-divisional-round-schedule-announced|work=NFL.com|date=January 15, 2023|access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>

| Dallas Cowboys || 12–19 || '''San Francisco 49ers''' || January 22, 2023 || 6:40&nbsp;p.m. || Fox || 45.6<ref>{{cite web |last=Paulsen |title=Over 45 million for Cowboys-Niners, second-best for Divisional Round |date=January 24, 2023 |url=https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/01/cowboys-49ers-ratings-second-most-watched-nfl-divisional-round-bengals-bills/ |publisher=Sports Media Watch |access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> || 21.8

! colspan="8" |[[Super Bowl LVII]]<br><small>[[State Farm Stadium]], [[Glendale, Arizona]]</small>

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San Francisco racked up 505 yards of offense,<ref name="The Athletic SF-SEA">{{cite news|first=Matt|last=Barrows|url=https://theathletic.com/4091739/2023/01/14/deebo-samuel-christian-mccaffrey-49ers-offense-playoffs/|title=With Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey at full speed, 49ers can beat anyone|work=[[The Athletic]]|publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]|date=January 15, 2023|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> as they overcame a first-half deficit by scoring 25 unanswered points during the second half.

Seattle gained 9 yards on the first play, but still had to punt as [[Kenneth Walker III (running back)|Kenneth Walker III]] was tackled for a 1-yard loss by [[Talanoa Hufanga]] and quarterback [[Geno Smith]] was sacked by [[Arik Armstead]] over the next two plays. 49ers' quarterback [[Brock Purdy]] then completed a 19-yard pass to [[Brandon Aiyuk]] and [[Deebo Samuel]] ran for a 22-yard gain as the team drove 48 yards in 7 plays to take a 3–0 lead on [[Robbie Gould]]'s 34-yard field goal. The Seahawks went [[three-and-out]] again on their next drive, and San Francisco advanced the ball upfield for another touchdown, taking advantage of a 68-yard run by [[Christian McCaffrey]] and an 18-yard reception by running back [[Elijah Mitchell]]. Purdy finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey, giving San Francisco a 10–0 lead with 5:11 left in the first quarter.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA">{{cite news|first=Myles|last=Simmons|title=Jason Myers nails 56-yard field goal to give Seahawks 17–16 halftime lead over 49ers|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/14/jason-myers-nails-56-yard-field-goal-to-give-seahawks-17-16-halftime-lead-over-49ers/|work=[[ProFootballTalk]]|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|date=January 14, 2023|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref>

Seattle responded by moving the ball 78 yards in 14 plays; Walker rushed the ball 5 times for 22 yards, the last carry a 7-yard touchdown run that cut the score to 10–7.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA"/> The 49ers countered with Purdy completing 3 passes for 51 yards and rushing for 13 to push their lead up to 13–7 on Gould's 33-yard field goal halfway through the second quarter. The Seahawks took the ball back and drove to a 14–13 lead, advancing 71 yards in 5 plays and scoring on Smith's 50-yard pass to [[DK Metcalf]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Barry|last=Werner|url=https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2023/01/14/geno-smith-hits-dk-metcalf-with-50-yard-td-pass-to-give-seahawks-the-lead/|title=Geno Smith hits DK Metcalf with 50-yard TD pass to give Seahawks the lead|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett]]|date=January 14, 2023|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> Following a punt from each team, Purdy completed a 31-yard pass to Aiyuk and an 18-yard pass to Samuel, setting up Gould's 46-yard field goal with 13 seconds left in the half.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA"/> Seattle receiver [[Colby Parkinson]] returned the ensuing [[squib kick]] 14 yards to the Seahawks' 38-yard line.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA"/> On the next play, Smith rushed for 9 yards, with an unnecessary roughness penalty against [[Jimmie Ward]] adding another 15 yards and enabling [[Jason Myers]] to kick a 56-yard field goal that gave the Seahawks a 17–16 lead at halftime.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA"/>

However, the 49ers started the second half with three touchdowns and a field goal over their next four possessions. On their first drive of the half, the 49ers had a 15-play, 75-yard drive with Purdy completing passes to [[George Kittle]] and Samuel for gains of 23 yards and 21 yards, respectively, before taking the ball into the end zone himself a 1-yard run. Seattle's ensuing possession ended when [[Charles Omenihu]] forced a fumble from Smith that [[Nick Bosa]] recovered for the 49ers at their 30-yard line. San Francisco then drove 70 yards in 8 plays, the longest a 33-yard catch by [[Jauan Jennings]]. Purdy finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell, and then threw a pass to Kittle for a 2-point conversion, giving the team a 31–17 lead. Following a Seattle punt, Purdy threw an 8-yard pass to Samuel, and with blocking from Kittle and Aiyuk,<ref name="The Athletic SF-SEA"/> he took it to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA 2">{{cite news|first=Myles|last=Simmons|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/14/deebo-samuel-scores-74-yard-touchdown-49ers-lead-41-17-over-seahawks/|title=Deebo Samuel scores 74-yard touchdown, 49ers lead 41–17 over Seahawks|work=[[ProFootballTalk]]|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|date=January 14, 2023|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> On the first play of Seattle's next possession, [[Deommodore Lenoir]] intercepted a pass from Smith<ref name="PFT SF-SEA 2"/> and returned it 6 yards to the Seahawks' 37-yard line. The 49ers then drove 24 yards and scored on Gould's fourth field goal, this one a 31-yard kick that gave the team a 41–17 lead with less than 5 minutes left.<ref name="PFT SF-SEA 2"/> Seattle then drove 76 yards in 15 plays, the longest a 24-yard catch by [[Cade Johnson]], and scored the final points of the game on Smith's 3-yard touchdown pass to Metcalf.

Purdy – aPurdy—a rookie in his 6th NFL start – finishedstart—finished the game 18-for-30 for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns,<ref name="TGAM SF-SEA">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/article-san-francisco-49ers-seattle-seahawks/|title=San Francisco 49ers manhandle Seattle Seahawks in second half, cruise 41–23|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|publisher=[[The Woodbridge Company]]|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=January 15, 2023|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> while also rushing 4 times for 16 yards and a touchdown; McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards,<ref name="TGAM SF-SEA"/> while also catching 2 passes for 17 yards and a touchdown; Samuel was the team's top receiver with 6 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing 3 times for 32 yards and Omenihu had 2 sacks and a forced fumble.<ref name="TGAM SF-SEA"/> For the Seahawks, Smith finished the day 25-for-35 for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception, while also rushing 4 times for 28 yards; Metcalf was his top receiver with 10 receptions for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns.<ref name="TGAM SF-SEA"/>

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On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Herbert was sacked for an 8-yard loss by [[Roy Robertson-Harris]]. He managed to complete passes on his next two plays, but they were not enough for a first down, and so the Chargers punted with 3:20 remaining. Jacksonville then put together a 10-play, 61-yard drive for the game-winning score. Three completions for 24 yards and an 8-yard run by Lawrence brought up first down at midfield. A few plays later, they faced a crucial 4th-and-1 on the Chargers 41-yard line. [[Travis Etienne]] took a pitch and ran around the right side of the line for a 25-yard gain to the Chargers 16. After running the clock down to the final seconds, Patterson's 36-yard field goal gave the Jags a win as time ran out. It is the largest blown lead in Chargers history as they became the first team to lose a playoff game with a turnover margin of +5.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/wild-stat-shows-why-chargers-choke-was-worst-of-all-time/ar-AA16m68z |title=Wild stat shows why Chargers choke was worst of all time |website=MSN.com |date=January 15, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref>

Lawrence completed 28 of 47 passes for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 4 interceptions, and rushed once for 8 yards. Etienne was the top rusher of the day with 20 carries for 109 yards and caught a pass for 12 yards. Engram had 7 receptions for 93 yards and a score. Agnew returned 4 kickoffs for 134 yards. Herbert finished 27 of 43 for 273 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing 3 times for 12 yards. Everett was his top target with 6 catches for 109 yards and a score. Samuel had 3 tackles and 3 interceptions. Ekeler, who had 1,637 yards from scrimmage and 107 receptions during the season, scored two touchdowns, but was held to just 13 carries for 35 yards and 2 receptions for 8 yards. Chargers coach [[Brandon Staley]] was later quoted as saying that "we [[choke (sports)|choked]]", a sentiment also said by linebacker [[Kyle Van Noy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theathletic.com/4092222/2023/01/15/chargers-jaguars-playoffs-comeback-brandon-staley/ |title=Brandon Staley's Chargers left stunned after Jaguars' historic comeback: 'We choked' |publisher=The Athletic |date=January 15, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bleachernation.com/nfl/2023/01/15/49ers-roll-chargers-choke-dolphins-committed-to-tua-and-other-nfl-bullets/ |title=49ers Roll, Chargers Choke, Dolphins Committed to Tua, and Other NFL Bullets }}</ref>

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The Giants had won two of the first three playoff meetings with the Vikings, all played in New York, most recently a 41–0 Giants victory in the [[2000–01 NFL playoffs|2000 NFC Championship]]. In Week 16 of the regular season, the Vikings beat the Giants 27–24 in Minneapolis. This was the Giants' first playoff game in six years, and the first for the Vikings in three years. It was also the Vikings first home playoff game since the [[Minneapolis Miracle]]. This was the first career postseason game for both [[Brian Daboll]] and [[Kevin O'Connell (American football)|Kevin O'Connell]] as head coaches. This was the first playoff game between the Giants and the Vikings to be played in Minnesota.

The Giants advanced to play the Philadelphia Eagles and won their first playoff game since [[Super Bowl XLVI]] in the 2011 season.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/new-york-giants-nfl-super-bowl-sports-daniel-jones-9857c3c0a58090ba9251bd8cdd681ba0 Giants outlast Vikings 31-2431–24 for 1st playoff win in 11 years], AP News, January 16, 2023</ref> {{cn span|It was also their first win in Minnesota in 18 years. Of the 53 Giants on the active roster, 38 of them won their first career playoff games. The Vikings lost their first one-possession game all year despite finishing an NFL record 11–0 in such games during the regular season.|date=February 2024}} Daniel Jones orchestrated his sixth game-winning drive of the season and became the first person in NFL history to accumulate 300+-plus passing yards, 75+-plus rushing yards, and 2+-plus passing touchdowns in a playoff game. His 379 scrimmage yards in a playoff game set a franchise record by a Giants quarterback. Saquon Barkley only ran the ball 9 times for 53 yards, but tacked on two scores and an additional 56 yards on 5 catches. Kirk Cousins played well for the Vikings, throwing 273 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. T.J. Hockenson was the Vikings leading receiver with 129 yards on 10 catches and Justin Jefferson, despite his opening drive, only finished with 47 yards on 7 catches. Isaiah Hodgins had his first career 100-yard receiving game and finished with 8 catches, 105 yards, and a touchdown despite revealing he played through an ankle injury.

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Taking the ball back seconds into the second quarter, Baltimore went on a 20-play, 72-yard drive that took 10:03 off the clock, the longest playoff drive in franchise history. Running back [[J. K. Dobbins]] carried the ball 5 times for 20 yards and scored on a 2-yard catch from Huntley by managing to barely stretch the ball across the goal line as he was being tackled, making the score 9–7 with less than 5 minutes left until halftime. At the end of the Bengals next drive, safety [[Kyle Hamilton (American football)|Kyle Hamilton]] forced and recovered a fumble from tight end [[Hayden Hurst]] on the Cincy 44-yard line. Baltimore then drove 40 yards in 9 plays, the longest a 19-yard completion from Huntley to [[Josh Oliver]], and took a 10–9 lead on [[Justin Tucker]]'s 22-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the quarter.

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Dallas dominated the game, running up a 24-point lead and keeping the Buccaneers scoreless until 5 seconds remained in the third quarter. The only downside for the Cowboys was the performance of kicker [[Brett Maher (American football)|Brett Maher]], who missed the extra point kick on their first four touchdowns. His four misses were an NFL postseason record.<ref>{{cite web|first=Frank |last=Schwab |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-brett-maher-misses-nfl-record-4-extra-points-023951271.html |title=Cowboys' Brett Maher misses NFL record 4 extra points, drawing ire of Dak Prescott |website=sports.yahoo.com |date=January 16, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref> This would end up being [[Tom Brady]]'s final game before his retirement two weeks later.

The game started out sluggish as both teams failed to gain any net positive yardage on the first four drives. On the next possession, Dallas moved the ball 65 yards in 8 plays. [[Tony Pollard]] rushed 4 times for 25 yards, while quarterback [[Dak Prescott]] completed passes to [[Michael Gallup]] and [[Noah Brown (American football)|Noah Brown]] for gains of 15 and 18 yards before connecting with tight end [[Dalton Schultz]] in the end zone for a 22-yard score. Tampa Bay took the ball back and drove to a 2nd-and-goal on the Cowboys 5-yard line. But on the first play of the second quarter, Tom Brady was intercepted in the end zone by safety [[Jayron Kearse]]. It was Brady's first red zone interception in his three seasons as the Bucs quarterback, a fact highlighted by commentator [[Joe Buck]]'s statement before the play: "Inside the red zone — thatzone—that's where they are, that's why the fire the cannons and that's where Tom Brady just simply does not turn the ball over."<ref>{{cite web|first=Jason |last=Owens |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-bradys-first-red-zone-interception-since-2019-comes-after-all-time-joe-buck-jinx-022524494.html |title=Tom Brady's first red-zone interception since 2019 comes after Joe Buck jinx |website=sports.yahoo.com |date=January 16, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref>

Prescott completed 25/33 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing 7 times for 24 yards and another score. Schultz was his top receiver with 7 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns, while Pollard rushed for 77 yards and caught 3 passes for 12. Brady finished his last game completing 35 of 66 pass attempts, just two attempts short of the all-time record,<ref>{{cite web|last=Florio |first=Mike |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/01/17/tom-bradys-66-passes-were-two-short-of-all-time-postseason-record/ |title=Tom Brady's 66 passes were two short of all-time postseason record -– ProFootballTalk |website=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com |date=January 17, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref> for 351 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. [[Chris Godwin]] was the Bucs leading receiver with 10 receptions for 85 yards, while Jones had 7 for 74 and a touchdown. Thompkins returned 3 kickoffs for 58 yards and 3 punts for 34.

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Mahomes returned to the game in the second half, but still was visibly hampered by the injury.<ref>{{cite web|first=Frank |last=Schwab |url=https://www.yahoo.com/sports/chiefs-beat-jaguars-to-make-afc-title-game-but-patrick-mahomes-ankle-is-a-big-concern-003427964.html |title=2023 NFL playoffs: Chiefs beat Jaguars to make AFC title game, but Patrick Mahomes' ankle is a big concern |website=Yahoo.com |date=January 21, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref> Both Kansas City and Jacksonville punted on their first two possessions. Chiefs receiver [[Kadarius Toney]] returned Jacksonville's second punt 11 yards to the KC 39-yard line. On the next play, Mahomes completed a 27-yard pass to tight end [[Noah Gray]], setting up Butker's 50-yard field goal that gave the team a 20–10 lead with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.

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Cincinnati gained 412 yards of offense, jumped to an early 14–0 lead, and held on for a solid win, never leading by less than 7 points after that as they advanced to their second consecutive AFC championship game. Their offensive line, missing three starters with injuries, proved up to the challenge as they only gave up 1 sack, while the team rushed for 172 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kerr |first=Jeff |url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/overreactions-reality-checks-for-nfl-divisional-round-bengals-save-nfl-cowboys-move-on-from-dak-prescott/ |title=Overreactions, reality checks for NFL divisional round: Cowboys move on from Dak Prescott? Bengals save NFL? |website=CBSSports.com |date=January 23, 2023 |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2023 }}</ref> This was the team's fifth postseason victory over the last two seasons, the same number of wins the team had in their entire history prior to then.

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*SF − Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal, 3:08. ''49ers 19−1219–12. '''Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 7:55.'''''

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's storybook season continued as he won his 7th consecutive start and became the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to a conference championship game since [[Mark Sanchez]] in the 2009 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2023/01/22/brock-purdy-leads-49ers-to-third-nfc-championship-game-in-last-four-seasons/ |title=Brock Purdy Leads 49ers to 19-1219–12 Win vs. Cowboys |date=January 22, 2023 }}</ref>

Dallas responded by moving the ball 79 yards in 17 plays, the longest being an 18-yard completion from Prescott to Noah Brown. He later finished it off with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz, giving the Cowboys a 6–3 lead after Brett Maher's extra point was blocked by [[Samson Ebukam]], Maher's fifth missed extra point of the postseason. The 49ers managed to tie the game by driving 41 yards in 12 plays, taking advantage of a 15-yard penalty against Dallas and a 17-yard reception by Deebo Samuel, scoring on Gould's 47-yard field goal. Dallas took the ball back and drove to the 49ers 18-yard line, only to lose it on an interception by linebacker [[Fred Warner (American football)|Fred Warner]] who returned it 16 yards to his own 28. Purdy then completed a 10-yard pass to Samuel and a 21-yard pass to Jauan Jennings, setting up Gould's 50-yard field goal to give the team a 9−69–6 lead on the last play of the half.

Dallas had to punt on their opening drive of the third quarter, but [[Kelvin Joseph]] forced a fumble from returner [[Ray-Ray McCloud]], and [[Damone Clark]] recovered it for the Cowboys on the San Francisco 21-yard line. This led to Maher's 25-yard field goal that tied the game at 9. McCloud returned their kickoff 53 yards to the Dallas 47, but the team could not gain a first down and had to punt. Following another punt, San Francisco retook the lead with a 14-play, 76-yard possession. The highlight of the drive was a 30-yard completion from Purdy to tight end George Kittle, who had to fully extend his arms and tip the ball to himself, bouncing it off his helmet before securing it for a catch. Christian McCaffrey finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, giving the team a 16−916–9 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter.

KaVontae Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to the Dallas 42, stopped from taking it all the way only by a tackle from Gould. From there, Prescott's three completions to CeeDee Lamb for 29 yards set up a 43-yard field goal to make the score 16−1216–12. San Francisco then went on a 14-play, 64-yard drive, with Purdy completing a 17-yard pass to Kittle, while Elijah Mitchell carried the ball 8 times for 26 yards. Gould's 28-yard field goal put the team back up by 7 points with 3:08 left on the clock. The 49ers defense took over from that point, first forcing a punt, and later stopping Dallas on their own 32 as time expired in the game.

====NFC Championship Game: Philadelphia Eagles 31, San Francisco 49ers 327====

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Philadelphia running back Boston Scott started off the game with a 29-yard kickoff return to his 34-yard line. Quarterback Jalen Hurts subsequently completed 5/7 passes for 54 yards, the longest a 29-yard throw to DeVonta Smith, who made a one-handed catch on 4th-and-3 to give the Eagles a first down on the San Francisco 6-yard line despite replays showing that he didn'tdid actuallynot makecomplete the catch. Miles Sanders ran the ball into the end zone from there to give the team a 7–0 lead. San Francisco took the ball and drove to midfield, but then Haason Reddick sacked Purdy as he was winding up for a pass, and [[Linval Joseph]] recovered it for the Eagles. Purdy's throwing arm was injured on the play, and he missed the rest of the half.

====AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Cincinnati Bengals 2420====

|R1=0|R2=6|R3=7|R4=117

|weather=Cloudy, {{convertcvt|22|F|C}}

Cincinnati had to punt on their opening drive, and Kadarius Toney's 12-yard return gave Kansas City the ball on their own 36 yard line. A pair of 16 yard completions from Patrick Mahomes to Isiah Pacheco set up Butker's 43-yard field goal to give the team an early 3–0 lead. The Bengals quickly had to punt again and KC storm back for another score, with Mahomes completing 6/8 passes for 69 yards as the team advanced to the Bengals 9-yard line. PachenoPacheco scored on a touchdown run, but it was called back by a holding penalty and the Chiefs ended up settling for Butker's field 24-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter. Kansas City had dominated the game up to then, gaining 110 yards and six first downs, while holding Cincinnati to 0 yards and one first down, sacking quarterback Joe Burrow three times.

|time=6:40&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]/4:30 p.m. [[Mountain Standard Time|MST]]

|weather=Sunny, {{cvt|77|F|C}} ([[retractable roof]] open)

For Spanish -language broadcasts, [[Fox Deportes]] aired Fox games, [[Telemundo Deportes|Telemundo]] (select games) and [[Universo (TV channel)|Universo]] aired NBC games, [[ESPN Deportes]] will have ESPN/ABC games and CBS games was available over [[Second audio program|SAP]].

<references group="Lower-zeta" />