Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ and Philadelphia Eagles’ victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, all attention turned to Sunday’s remaining Divisional Round matchups.
The Buffalo Bills faced the Cincinnati Bengals, while the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Dallas Cowboys.
Cincinnati Bengals Crush Buffalo Bills 27-10
Just twenty days after suffering a cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin attended the Divisional Round matchup between the same teams at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
Despite the emotional boost of Hamlin’s presence and Buffalo’s homefield advantage, the Bengals secured a decisive 27-10 victory.
Hamlin arrived at the stadium, accompanied by his family, and was shown on the CBS broadcast entering the Bills’ locker room. His presence was acknowledged during the game, drawing a huge ovation from the crowd.
Hamlin also energized the fans with his signature heart-shaped gesture and by raising his arms to pump up the noise level. With a steady snowfall setting the scene, the Bengals started strong, with Joe Burrow throwing two touchdown passes for an early 14-0 lead. By halftime, Cincinnati led 17-7.
The Bengals’ defense effectively stifled the Bills’ offense, which struggled to find any rhythm and only managed to score one touchdown throughout the game. Cincinnati’s victory means they advance to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
San Francisco 49ers Defeat Dallas Cowboys 19-12
49ers rookie quarterback sensation Brock Purdy continued his impressive run, improving to 7-0 as a starter after taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in mid-December. Purdy threw for 214 yards in the win against the Cowboys.
Dallas struggled with kicking woes again. Kicker Brett Maher had an extra point blocked after missing four in the previous week’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Maher recovered and successfully made two field goals later in the game.
The 49ers will now travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in the NFC Championship game next Sunday at 3 p.m. ET, aiming for a spot in the Super Bowl for the second time since 2019.
Looking Ahead
Super Bowl LVII is scheduled for February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the winners of the AFC and NFC Championship games set to compete for the title.