After Saturday’s games, which saw the Colts and Cowboys move on, it was the Chargers and Eagles’ turn on Sunday to advance.
In the matinee affair in Los Angeles, the Chargers defeated the Baltimore Ravens by a final score of 23-17. The game was a defensive struggle, as the two teams combined for 6 field goals and only 3 total touchdowns.
The Chargers held a 12-0 halftime lead after 4 field goals from kicker Mike Badgley. They extended this lead to 23-3 after Melvin Gordon’s fourth-quarter touchdown run and another Badgley field goal. Despite two late touchdowns by Baltimore, they couldn’t claw their way back and fell six points short.
Badgley was, without a doubt, the MVP of the day for the Ravens, who will play the Patriots next Sunday.
In the day’s second game, the Chicago Bears hosted the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
This dramatic matchup was full of drama. The Eagles escaped with a 16-15 win after Golden Tate caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles in the game’s final minute. Foles finished with 266 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky starred for the Bears, throwing for 303 yards and a touchdown, but they ultimately fell short. After Trubisky led the Bears down to field goal range in the game’s final seconds, the unthinkable happened.
Kicker Cody Parkey, who had made three field goals earlier in the game, lined up for a 43-yard field goal to win. He hit the post two times, however, and the ball just barely didn’t go through the posts.
The Eagles escaped with the narrowest of wins and will play the Saints next weekend.
