Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 pick in 2018 and joined Tampa Bay on a one-year deal
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Dates: January 13-28, 2024 |
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles from this season's NFL playoffs to clinch the final spot in next week's divisional round.
The Eagles were narrowly defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl classic last February and, for the second year in a row, were the last team to lose their unbeaten record this season.
They were 10-1 at the end of November, but their season came to a miserable end, with a 32-9 defeat to Tampa Bay, meaning they lost six of their last seven games.
Earlier on Monday, Buffalo Bills Multiply the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 to set up an exciting matchup with Kansas City.
Two years ago, the Bills lost at that point after an epic shootout between star quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, which the Chiefs won 42-36 in overtime.
Now the Chiefs will head to Buffalo next Sunday aiming to keep their hopes of two straight Super Bowl victories alive — and a third NFL title in five years.
Philadelphia had more wins by the end of November than Tampa Bay had all season as the Bucs entered the playoffs with a 9-8 record — the worst of the 14 teams that advanced to the postseason.
Led by Baker Mayfield, who replaced the retiring Tom Brady as the starting quarterback this season, the Bucs won five of their last six games to win the NFC South.
It showed the difference in each side's form on the weekend, as the Bucs took a 16-3 lead on three field goals and a 44-yard touchdown run by David Moore.
Dallas Goedert's score just before halftime made it 16-9 and gave the Eagles hope of halting their decline.
But that evaporated late in the third quarter as Tampa Bay forced Philly to give up a safety and found the Eagles' defense vulnerable again as Trey Palmer scored a 56-yard touchdown.
Chris Godwin's late score made it three touchdown passes and 337 yards for Mayfield, who re-established himself as the best quarterback on his third team since leaving the Cleveland Browns after the 2021 season.
Bills beat Steelers after snowstorm in Buffalo
Josh Allen's 52-yard score added to his career-high 15 rushing touchdowns in the regular season
Pittsburgh's game with the Bills was moved from Sunday to Monday after a state of emergency was declared in the Buffalo area, with strong winds and heavy snow expected.
The Bills are appealing to fans to help clear snow from Highmark Stadium, offering them $20 (£15.70) an hour plus hot drinks and breakfast, after several feet fell in upstate New York.
The temperature was -7 degrees Celsius – nothing compared to -20 degrees Celsius in the Chiefs' home win on Saturday – and Buffalo caught the Steelers out cold by going on a 21-0 run with three touchdowns.
Allen produced scoring drives to tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid in the first quarter, before nailing it from 52 yards out in the second quarter — the longest of his career.
Image source, Sarah Steer
Fans at the Bills game had to shovel snow to get to their seats
Pittsburgh rebounded with a Diontae Johnson touchdown shortly before halftime, before the two teams traded field goals in the third quarter.
And although Calvin Austin's touchdown cut the score to 24-17 in the fourth quarter, Buffalo answered right back while Khalil Shakir did well after the catch to get into the end zone.
That led to Allen catching three touchdown passes and clinching the Bills' sixth straight win since the beginning of December.
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