Through three games in the NFL playoffs' divisional round, the top seeds are all moving on to the conference championship tilts. Yet it wouldn't be fair to say that things have gone as expected in the postseason.
That certainly held true Jan. 18, when the New England Patriots bested the Houston Texans 28-16 in a contest that featured eight turnovers. In the weekend's finale, will the offenses run cold again when the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams face off in frigid conditions? If the former prevails, each conference will have its top two seeds squaring off for a trip to Super Bowl 60.
Here's our look at the biggest winners and losers from Sunday's divisional-round playoff action:
C.J. Stroud sure made their life easier, but New England's cover men came up clutch in several spots. Carlton Davis III set the tone early with an incredible diving interception toward the end of the first quarter, and he secured his second of the day before halftime. Marcus Jones, meanwhile, bounced back from allowing a first-quarter touchdown to Christian Kirk by pulling off a pick-six he returned 25 yards. Rookie safety Craig Woodson accounted for the final pick. Meanwhile, standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez allowed just 58 yards on seven catches despite being targeted 16 times, according to Next Gen Stats. In all, the Patriots tallied an incredible 14 passes defensed.
