NFL Super Wildcard Sunday: Text updates, commentary & scores

Summary

Reigning champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers advance with 31-15 win over Philadelphia Eagles
NFC sixth seeds San Francisco 49ers eliminate third seeds the Dallas Cowboys after a nail-biting 23-17 win
49ers go on to face Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers are beaten 42-21 by the Kansas City Chiefs, who advance to a Divisional Round showdown with the Buffalo Bills next weekend
Defeat brings about the expected retirement of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after an 18-year NFL career
Roethlisberger spent his entire career with Pittsburgh, winning two Super Bowl titles in 2005 and 2008

Live Reporting

Paul Higham and Ben Collins

Wildcard Sunday in the bookspublished at 04:45 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Image source, Getty Images
What a Sunday of NFL action we've seen today - with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers steamrolling the Philadelphia Eagles 31-15 to show they'll be tough to dethrone as Super Bowl champions.
The San Francisco 49ers then edged out the Dallas Cowboys 23-17 after a crazy ending that saw the Cowboys shoot themselves in the foot after an epic contest.
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The Kansas City Chiefs then looked well capable of making it three Super Bowls in a row as they ended the Pittsburgh Steelers'play-off run and likely Ben Roethlisberger's career with a 42-21 success at Arrowhead.
Read our report on an eventful night's action here and keep an eye on the website for match highlights.
We'll be back on Monday evening for the final game of the wildcard round as the Arizona Cardinals face the LA Rams. Make sure you join us then!
Divisional Round schedule setpublished at 04:34 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Image source, Getty Images
So we've got seven of our final eight teams fighting it out for the Super Bowl, and next weekend's Divisional Round schedule has been set.
The top seeds enter the battle but with tough games, as the Titans host Joe Burrow's big-play Bengals, while the Green Bay Packers tackle the San Francisco 49ers, who saw off Dallas in Sunday night's thriller.
Defending champions Tampa Bay await the winner of the Cardinals v Rams while the final game should be a scorcher between the Bills and Chiefs after both blew away their opposition in the wildcard round.
Divisional Round schedule(away teams first, kick-offs in GMT)
Saturday
- Cincinnati Bengals v Tennessee Titans (21:30)
- San Francisco 49ers v Green Bay Packers (01:15)
Sunday
- Arizona Cardinals/LA Rams v Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20:00)
- Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs (23:30)
Five down, one to go..published at 04:29 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Arizona Cardinals v Los Angeles Rams (01:15)
Image source, Getty Images
We've had five of our six wildcard games over this extended weekend of action, with just the new Monday night fixture to play, which takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles - home of the Super Bowl this year.
The Cardinals have won there once already this season, but both of the NFC West rivals have had their troubles this season and have questions to answer.
And the winners go through to face the defending champions Tampa Bay
Mahomes on a rollpublished at 04:24 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-42 Kansas City Chiefs
The Buffalo Bills made a statement, the Kansas City Chiefs answered, with Patrick Mahomes throwing for 404 yards and five touchdowns.
And now the two will collide in the play-offs once again, this one should be fun!
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Game Over! Chiefs go throughpublished at 04:22 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-42 Kansas City Chiefs
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Just short for Ben Roethlisberger who can't quite sign off with a touchdown, but that looks like it's that for the two-time Super Bowl winner after 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And as he bows out, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs move on for a blockbuster Divisional Round showdown with the Buffalo Bills next weekend!
Two minute warningpublished at 04:11 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-42 Kansas City Chiefs
Pittsburgh get the ball up just inside the KC half of the field at the two minute warning, Ben Roethlisberger will be looking to end his career with a touchdown.
He's also moved up in a very exclusive list during this game...
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Sack for Steelerspublished at 04:02 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-42 Kansas City Chiefs
With five minutes left to play and the Chiefs well in front, that's one of the nicest sacks you'll see as TJ watt brings Patrick Mahomes down ever so gently to bring up fourth down and a Chiefs punts.
Touchdown - Steelerspublished at 03:55 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 21-42 Kansas City Chiefs
If Ben Roethlisberger is going out, he's going out swinging and he fires a touchdown pass to James Washington to make it two for the night for the veteran QB.
That was actually a decent drive from Pittsburgh even if Kansas City have taken their foot of the gas a little.
Touchdown - Chiefspublished at 03:38 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 14-42 Kansas City Chiefs
Image source, Getty Images
It's a nice route run by Byron Pringle and he collects the short pass over the top from Patrick Mahomes...oh, wait hang on, no that's tight end Travis Kelce!
Kelce took the snap and when you'd expect him to run it right up the gut, he stops, checks and then floats a ball over for Pringle to score.
Andy Reid is emptying out his play book here as KC move above 40 points.
End of the thirdpublished at 03:36 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 14-35 Kansas City Chiefs
On second and five at Pittsburgh's nine-yard line, Patrick Mahomes scrambles for four yards to put the Chiefs on the brink heading into the fourth quarter.
Great play!published at 03:34 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 14-35 Kansas City Chiefs
It's been said many times before and will be said many times again... but Patrick Mahomes, what an arm!
He bides his time before stepping out of the pocket and letting rip with a pinpoint sidearm pass to Mecole Hardman, who cuts inside his man then charges down the left sideline for a 41-yard gain.
The Chiefs look set to score again.
Touchdown - Steelerspublished at 03:27 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 14-35 Kansas City Chiefs
Finally, the Steelers get some offence going and are able to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field.
Ben Roethlisberger sprays it around for Pittsburgh, making seven passes on the drive before picking out Diontae Johnson at the back of the end zone for an 13-yard touchdown and his team's first offensive score.
Touchdown - Chiefspublished at 03:20 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-35 Kansas City Chiefs
Make that five Kansas City touchdowns in 11:31.
Tyreek Hill may have been denied a touchdown a few moments ago but there's no doubt about this one, with Patrick Mahomes making a deep throw towards the corner of the end zone for Hill to run on to for a 31-yard score.
That's also 35 unanswered points for the Chiefs. Start the car.
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Steelers Turnoverpublished at 03:15 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-28 Kansas City Chiefs
Looks like it's about to get worse too.
On the first play of their drive, Najee Harris spills it in the tackle and Frank Clark recovers the fumble at Pittsburgh's 29.
Big Man Touchdown - Chiefspublished at 03:12 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-28 Kansas City Chiefs
Image source, Getty Images
This has turned ugly real quick for the Steelers, after they took the lead early in the second quarter.
Patrick Mahomes finds Demarcus Robinson for 29 yards and although he's sacked on the next play, he then dumps a screen pass to Jerick McKinnon for another 23 yards.
Two plays later Mahomes plays a short pass to Tyreek Hill, who is tackled as he dives for the line and adjudged to be down just one yard short of the end zone on review.
No matter, as on the next play guard Nick Allegretti chucks TJ Watt to the deck then turns around to catch a touchdown pass from Mahomes.
That's four Kansas City touchdowns in about 10 minutes.
Kick-off - second half under waypublished at 03:01 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-21 Kansas City Chiefs
We're back in action at Arrowhead, with the Chiefs starting their drive at their own 32.
Kelce brothers' mom set to complete play-off missionpublished at 03:00 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-21 Kansas City Chiefs
We mentioned earlier that Donna Kelce, mother of Eagles centre Jason Kelce and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was hoping to watch both her sons play today.
We saw her at Tampa Bay earlier, and now she's about to arrive at Arrowhead. If her flight wasn't delayed she might have made it in time to see Travis score that touchdown for Kansas City.
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Mahomes turns it aroundpublished at 02:55 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-21 Kansas City Chiefs
After a scoreless first quarter, Patrick Mahomes passed for three touchdowns in less than six minutes at the end of the second quarter.
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Half-time: Chiefs in chargepublished at 02:47 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-21 Kansas City Chiefs
It was a scrappy start but the Chiefs have exploded and are well in charge at the break after those two late touchdowns inside the final two minutes.
The Chiefs are now on over 300 yards of offence for that half, with Mahomes passing for 241 and three TDs. The Steelers have 44 yards.
This already looks like a mountain that Pittsburgh aren't equipped enough to climb.
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Touchdown - Chiefspublished at 02:42 Greenwich Mean Time 17 January 2022
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-21 Kansas City Chiefs
Classic Chiefs! Patrick Mahomes on the scramble looking around before he fires a zinger of a pass down the field for Travis Kelce, who is just too big, too strong and then too fast and he runs away for a 48-yard touchdown.