The 2024 NFL postseason is in full swing, and while two divisional-round matchups are complete, there are two more to come on Sunday.
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 34-10 to kick of Saturday’s slate at M&T Bank Stadium to clinch a berth in the AFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2012 campaign when they went on to win the Super Bowl.
The San Francisco 49ers followed it up with a 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium to secure a berth in the NFC Championship Game for the third consecutive year.
While there’s matchups between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions on tap for Sunday, here’s a look at the updated 2024 draft order following Saturday’s results.
2024 NFL Draft Order
One of the biggest questions leading up to this year’s draft is whether the Chicago Bears, which own the No. 1 pick, will select a quarterback or continue to roll with 2021 first-round pick Justin Fields.
The Athletic’s Dan Brugler reported on Jan. 16 that “teams believe” the Bears will select a quarterback first overall and trade Fields. He picked USC’s Caleb Williams to land in Chicago in his mock draft.
With a few months remaining until the draft, anything could happen, and Chicago’s situation will be one to keep an eye on.
Another team that could draft a quarterback this spring is the New England Patriots, which own the No. 3 pick. With Mac Jones putting together the worst season of his career in 2023 and being benched for Bailey Zappe, it’s clear New England needs a new signal-caller.
However, with the No. 3 pick, the Patriots are likely to have their choice of the best player at every other position, including wide receiver, so it’s going to be interesting to see what they do with the selection.
The Carolina Panthers should also be a team to watch as they currently don’t own a first-round pick and could certainly use one following a disastrous 2023 season. Will they be able to trade into the first round?
Ravens 34, Texans 10
While Houston’s impressive 2023 season has come to an end, it’s full steam ahead for the Ravens, who dominated Saturday’s game after entering halftime tied 10-10.
Star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who earned his first home playoff win, led the Ravens on a touchdown drive coming out of the locker room to give Baltimore what proved to be a game-deciding 17-10 lead.
Jackson again led a touchdown drive to put the Ravens up 24-10 as he found tight end Isaiah Likely for a 15-yard score.
The game was put out of reach for Houston late in the fourth quarter when Jackson found the end zone on an eight-yard run for his second rushing touchdown of the game. He finished the game with 152 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 100 yards and two scores on 11 carries.
Jackson and the Ravens will now shift their focus to the championship game. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs will battle for the chance to head to Baltimore on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
49ers 24, Packers 21
It was a hard fought battle between the 49ers and Packers on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium, but San Francisco came out on top thanks to a couple of big plays from Brock Purdy and Dre Greenlaw late in the fourth quarter.
With the Niners trailing 21-17 in the final frame, Purdy led the team on a game-winning touchdown drive thanks to some help from wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk.
Running back Christian McCaffrey rushed in for the game-winning score with just 1:07 remaining on the clock.
While the Packers got the ball back, Jordan Love was picked off by Greenlaw with just under one minute remaining in the game to secure the victory for San Francisco.
The 49ers will take on either the Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game next weekend. They’ll be hoping to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 campaign.
Remaining Schedule
Divisional Round
Sunday, Jan. 21:
- (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (3) Detroit Lions, 3 p.m. ET
- (3) Kansas City Chiefs at (2) Buffalo Bills, 6:30 p.m. ET
Conference Championships
Sunday, Jan. 28:
- AFC Championship: (1) Baltimore Ravens vs. TBD: 3 p.m. ET
- NFC Championship: (1) San Francisco 49ers vs. TBD: 6:30 p.m. ET
Super Bowl LVIII
Sunday, Feb. 11:
- AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion, 6:30 p.m. ET
2024-01-21 05:16:27
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