Has this been the best NFL playoffs ever? In my humble opinion, it has. Sure, that statement may have a bit of recent bias to it, but when you take a look at each game that’s been played over the past few weeks, it’s hard to argue against it.

The Wild Card round started strong with the Cincinnati Bengals winning their first playoff game in 31 years. Coincidentally, this win was against the Las Vegas Raiders, who ended the Bengals’ last playoff run that featured a win back in 1991. 

The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers made quick work of their underdog opponents, while the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams completed impressive upsets. 

But it was the Divisional Round this past weekend where the games produced more drama and thrills than any soap opera. In some magical way, each of the four games ended in a walk-off fashion. 

Still maintaining their “just lucky to be here” status, the Bengals rode in to face the No. 1-seeded Tennessee Titans, who were feeling good with the return of star running back Derrick Henry, who has been sidelined with a fractured foot for the previous nine games. 

Henry proved to be not as unstoppable of a weapon as the Titans thought, mustering only 62 yards on 20 carries. Fortunately, the Tennessee defense tied the postseason record with nine sacks on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Coming to Cincinnati’s rescue was rookie kicker Evan McPhearson, who the Bengals were ridiculed for by picking in the fifth round of the draft. McPhearson stepped up when it mattered most, converting all four of his field-goal attempts, including the game-winner that sent the team into the AFC Championship.

Elsewhere that night, the No. 1-seeded Packers were stunned on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in similar circumstances, with the 49ers’ Robbie Gould sealing the deal with a game-winning field goal. It was an ugly day for the green and gold, as MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers failed to score a touchdown, and the special teams handed points over to the opposition with a blocked field goal and a blocked punt that led to a score. With Rodgers mulling his future options, including the possibility of retirement, time may be running short on the Packers’ viability as a top-tier team. 

Coming off the first playoff win of his career, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford squashed Tom Brady’s hopes of an eighth Super Bowl ring. Despite an impressive Tampa Bay comeback in which they trailed 27-3 at one point, it only took 42 seconds for the Rams to march down the field and convert a game-winning field goal. They now have an NFC West showdown with the 49ers to decide who returns to the Super Bowl. 

The Chiefs-Bills game turned out to be the most-watched divisional game ever, with 42.7 million people seeing an absolute slugfest between the NFL’s best offenses. Patrick Mahomes proved once again that you can never count them out, as the lead changed three times within the final two minutes, eventually sending the game into overtime. The Chiefs won the coin toss and used their momentum to win on a walk-off Travis Kelce touchdown. Even with wide receiver Gabriel Davis setting a playoff record with four touchdown catches, this loss marked the Bills ninth straight on the road in the playoffs. 

The AFC Championship will be a rematch between Cincinnati and Kansas City, with the Bengals winning the previous outing behind wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s 266 total yards. The 49ers beat the Rams in both of their regular-season matches, but they remain the underdog heading into this weekend’s battle. 

Even if the outcome of these games is a mystery right now, the one thing that is for certain is that you don’t want to miss them.