Defending Super Bowl champions Philadelphia on Sunday edged the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Chargers ousted Baltimore from the championship chase in two NFL playoff thrillers.
Bears kicker Cody Parkey clanked a 43-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright and crossbar with five seconds remaining as the Eagles sealed a 16-15 victory in Chicago.
“It came down to the wire. We were just hoping for a miss,” Eagles quarterback Nick Foles said. “The big thing is we saw some adversity in the first half with a couple turnovers, but no one loses faith. We were able to rally behind our defense and we were able to get the win.”
Photo: Mike DiNovo-USA Today
The Chargers seized a 20-point lead, but needed a turnover in the final seconds to thwart a Ravens fightback and claim a 23-17 first-round triumph in Baltimore, Maryland.
“Our defense was unbelievable,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. “We couldn’t get anything but field goals early on offense, but we finally got it done. It was a great team win.”
The Eagles booked a trip to top seeds New Orleans on Sunday, with the other National Conference playoff matchup sends the Dallas Cowboys to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.
The Chargers have a second-round date on Sunday at New England, while top seeds Kansas City entertain the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday in the other American Conference contest.
Mitch Trubisky drove Chicago 80 yards and connected with Allen Robinson on a 22-yard touchdown pass for a 15-10 Bears lead with 9 minutes, 4 seconds remaining, but Chicago failed on a two-point conversion run.
Foles drove the Eagles to Chicago’s two-yard line, where the NFL’s stingiest defenders at allowing points denied two runs and a pass to set up a tension-packed fourth-down all-or-nothing play.
Foles hit Golden Tate with a two-yard touchdown pass for a 16-15 Eagles lead with 56 seconds remaining, but a two-point conversion run failed, giving Chicago a final chance.
“I just waited on my opportunity. I just tried to make a play and it worked out,” Tate said. “A great collective effort. We found a way.”
However, the drama was not over.
Trubisky marched the Bears down field where Parkey was foiled the first time when the Eagles called timeout just before the snap to negate a kick he booted down the middle between the uprights.
On the next attempt, Parkey struck an upright for the fifth time this season and saw the ball bounce off the crossbar before falling on the wrong side for the Bears.
In Baltimore, the Ravens fell behind 23-3 on rookie Mike Badgley’s fifth field goal, a 47-yarder with 9:14 to play.
Baltimore rookie Lamar Jackson, who became the youngest quarterback in NFL playoff history on the eve of his 22nd birthday, threw touchdown passes of seven and 31 yards to Michael Crabtree to pull the Ravens within the final margin.
Jackson got the ball back with 45 seconds remaining, but Uchenna Nwosu knocked loose a fumble from him and Melvin Ingram recovered for Los Angeles to secure the victory.
“We just come out and play assignment football. We have to come out and play together,” Ingram said. “Any squad. Any place. We don’t care.”
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