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

49ers v Cowboys statspublished at 21:20 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
Image source, Getty Images
Just before we kick-off in Dallas - let's hit you up with some stats...
- Deebo Samuel was third in the NFL with 1,770 scrimmage yards - and one of just two players to score six or more rushing TDs and six or more receiving TDs along with Austin Ekeler.
- Samuel's eight rushing TDs this season are the most ever by a wide receiver. He's also the first player in NFL history to record over 1,400 receiving yards (1,405) and 300 rushing yards (365) in a season.
- Defensive lineman Nick Bosa was joint-first in the NFL with a career-best 21 tackles for loss, and fourth with 15.5 sacks.
- Dallas won the NFC East for the first time since 2018 and led the league in scoring offense (31.2 points per game), total offense (407.0 yards per game) and takeaways (34).
- Dak Prescott threw a Cowboys record 37 TD passes this season.
- Trevon Diggs had a league-best 11 interceptions, which is the most in one season since 1981.
- Linebacker Micah Parsons had 13 sacks, the joint third-most by an NFL rookie since 1982.
What a catch!published at 21:19 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 15-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They lost, but we need to give it up for Jalen Hurts and DaVonta Smith for connecting on this two point conversion for what was probably the play of the game.
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NFC play-off picturepublished at 21:16 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 15-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Image source, Getty Images
Green Bay are sat at home resting up - the Bucs haven't been pushed too hard today so the number one and two seeds will host Divisional Round games next week.
We've got the 49ers against the Cowboys coming up and luckily we'll have a clear picture of what's happening after that game.
If Dallas win they'll come to Tampa next week and the winner of the Rams v Cardinals will go to Green Bay.
Is San Francisco win they'll go to Lambeau and the Rams or Cardinals will come to Raymond James Stadium to face Tom Brady.
Game over - Bucs winpublished at 21:15 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 15-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Image source, Getty Images
Tampa Bay move on and the Eagles go home after a pretty one-sided encounter at Raymond James Stadium.
It was never really in doubt after a fast start from Tom Brady and the Bucs, who led 14-0 after the first quarter and 17-0 at half time.
It's a 35th play-off win for Brady.
Two minute warningpublished at 21:01 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 15-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Really professional job by the Bucs - they've got that extra unit in the line just to claim a bit more real estate at the line of scrimmage and they're just running the ball and running down the clock.
Touchdown - Eaglespublished at 20:59 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 14-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's our man Kenneth Gainwell who scores on a 16-yard pass from Jalen Hurts, showing great desire to charge and dive his way through tacklers into the end zone.
And as for the two-point conversion, which succeeds, I've no idea how Hurts manages to fire a ball to DaVonta Smith after being made to scramble around like a mad man in the backfield.
That could be the play of the game!
Eagles still goingpublished at 20:56 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 7-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Meanwhile, back in Tampa, the aptly-named Kenneth Gainwell has a 20-yard play on a screen pass as Philadelphia threaten to score another touchdown.
Five minutes left in this one.
Coming up - A rivalry for the agespublished at 20:54 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
As this Buccaneers game winds down, let our Jason and Osi break down our huge second game coming up in Dallas shortly...
Media caption,
The NFL Show: What to expect from San Francisco 49ers v the Dallas Cowboys
Fans flooding in for Cowboys gamepublished at 20:51 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
San Francisco 49ers v Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
There are standing tickets available for the Dallas game - they won't be there long...
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Touchdown - Eaglespublished at 20:44 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 7-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There'll be no shutout today as the Eagles finally get on the board thanks to two explosive plays.
DaVonta Smith goes off for a 31-yard catch and run, before Boston Scott breaks off a 34-yard touchdown run - his eighth rushing TD of the season.
It's not much, but it's something!
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Brady taken downpublished at 20:36 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
That's a fourth sack on Tom Brady today - and that must surely be that for Bruce Arians who just can't take any chances with his star man now with the game won.
The risk is too great, and plus we all want to see a bit of Blaine Gabbert don't we?
Gronk spikepublished at 20:27 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
We've seen 107 Gronk spikes in his career - the fourth most TDs ever for a tight end.
Image source, Getty Images
Game over?published at 20:26 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not sure why the question mark's there, as it's surely all she wrote now, and the Eagles yet again just have to punt it away after getting nothing going on offence.
As we've seen here, and with the Patriots last night, if you're going to the play-offs as a one-dimensional run team, you better get the rest of your game right to keep it tight.
Going behind big and early is NOT the way to win these games as a run-first outfit.
Touchdown - Bucspublished at 20:22 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It's not a pick six, but it's almost as Brady fires the very first play of the drive since the pick for a 36-yard TD pass to Mike Evans.
Evans stays in bounds after his defender hits the deck and he celebrates in style by somersaulting into the end zone.
Get Involvedpublished at 20:20 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Use #bbcnfl on Twitter
Chris Moule: The definition of insanity - keep running the offense the same way & expecting a different result.
Interception!published at 20:18 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Just when you think it can't get any worse, Jalen Hurts, who to be fair has to go for it on fourth down, lobs a pass up that is picked off by Shaq Barrett, who tipped it to himself and collected at the second time of asking.
Image source, Getty Images
Touchdown - Bucspublished at 20:11 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rob Gronkowski is somehow left all alone in the end zone to collect an easy pass from Tom Brady as the Eagles went all-in on stopping the run.
They were wrong...
That's a record 15th play-off touchdown for tight end Gronkowski and TD number 107 overall - the fourth most ever by a player in his position.
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Tampa in tunepublished at 20:09 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Giovani Bernard has a nice gain on a simple screen pass, but with plenty of mates alongside him the blocking is excellent.
Mike Evans than takes a nice catch right at the goal line to set up first and goal.
Eagles muff the punt!published at 20:04 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Eagles defence does a great job to force a Brady three and out, but as the Bucs punt, Philly returner Jalen Reagor makes a horrible mistake by dropping the ball and the rebound is picked up by the Bucs.
Tampa Bay get the ball back just inside the Philly half and if they make the most of the short field with a touchdown that could well be that.
Eagles punt....againpublished at 20:01 Greenwich Mean Time 16 January 2022
Philadelphia Eagles 0-17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A bit more promising drive from Jalen Hurts, but there's a bad penalty in there and a near interception before they eventually have to punt it away.
Rookie receiver DaVonta Smith hasn't been able to showcase his speed and big-play ability, having been targeted just three times and taken in one catch for six yards.
Philly need to find a way to get him involved.