NFL divisional round: 49ers defeat Cowboys; Bengals steamroll Bills

Four NFL teams remain with a chance to reach Super Bowl 57. The NFL divisional playoff round sets the stage for the elite teams to rise.

There are no more byes. Each team will hit the gridiron and validate their postseason credentials. Who will secure a spot in the conference championship?

The Kansas City Chiefs kicked off the weekend with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. They head to their fifth consecutive AFC championship behind a hard-nosed Patrick Mahomes and a career day from Travis Kelce.

The NFC's No. 1 seed, the Philadelphia Eagles, cruised past the rival New York Giants in Saturday's nightcap to advance to the conference title game.

Sunday continued the strong slate of NFL action. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park. The Bengals were dominant en route to a 27-10 victory and set up a rematch against the Chiefs.

The action concluded on Sunday night in an NFL throwback matchup as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in prime time.

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Here's a rundown of all the divisional round action around the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 20

Briefly: Despite injuring his ankle late in the first quarter, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to their fifth consecutive AFC championship by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mahomes went 22-for-30 for 195 yards and two touchdowns through the air and he added a rushing first down in one of his first plays back after sitting out some of the second quarter and taking a trip to the locker room for evaluation. Backup Chad Henne contributed a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, who had a career-high 14 catches, which broke his own record for most catches by a tight end in a postseason matchup. Trevor Lawrence's Cinderella season ends with a performance where he went 24-for-39 for 217 yards with a score and an interception.

One highlight to know: In the fourth quarter and up by three, Mahomes extended the Chiefs' lead with a one-footed touchdown pass. He felt the pocket collapsing around him, stepped up and hopped on his left foot to shovel the ball to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Next up: The Chiefs face the winner of the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills matchup. The Jaguars' season is over.

Philadelphia Eagles 38, New York Giants 7

Briefly: The top-seeded Eagles scored on their first possession and never looked back as they dominated the NFC East rival Giants. Philadelphia outgained New York 416-227 for the game and took a 28-0 lead into halftime. After a brilliant outing in Minnesota against the Vikings, Daniel Jones completed 15 of his 27 passes for just 135 yards and threw an interception on the Giants' second series. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (16-for-24) threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score. Philadelphia rushed for 268 yards on 44 attempts.

One highlight to know: Tight end Dallas Goedert got the scoring going for the Eagles with a nice one-handed snag and scamper. 

Next up: The Eagles will host the winner of the Cowboys-49ers matchup in the NFC championship game next week. The Giants' season is over.

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Buffalo Bills 10

Briefly: The Bengals arrived in Orchard Park on a mission. After winning eight consecutive games, Cincinnati had plans to slay one of the AFC's biggest giants. On Sunday afternoon, the Bengals prevailed, 27-10. Behind star quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals feasted on a respectable Bills defense. Burrow completed 23 of 36 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in snowy conditions. He connected with receiver Ja'Marr Chase and tight end Hayden Hurst early in the first quarter. Then, Burrow engineered scoring drives that resulted in two field goals and a Joe Mixon rushing touchdown.

Conversely, the Bills struggled to find an offensive rhythm. A lot of credit goes to Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The veteran coach disguised coverages that kept Bills quarterback Josh Allen off track. Allen threw for 265 yards and an interception. His top receivers didn't fare better. Bills receiver Stefon Diggs was held in check with 35 receiving yards.

One highlight to know: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow capped off a 79-yard drive in six plays with an opening touchdown. He found teammate Ja'Marr Chase with a 28-yard touchdown to gain an early lead.

Next up: The Bengals will play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. The Bills' season is over as they head into the 2023 offseason.

San Francisco 49ers 19, Dallas Cowboys 12

Briefly: Brock Purdy is one step closer to fulfilling Joe Montana's prophecy that the San Francisco 49ers can get to the Super Bowl behind their third-string quarterback. He went 19-of-29 for 214 yards and running back Christian McCaffrey added a rushing touchdown as the 49ers extinguished the Dallas Cowboys' season. Dallas kicker Brett Maher's lone extra point attempt was blocked after he missed four in the Cowboys' wild-card game. He made up for it by making both of his field goals. Running back Tony Pollard left the game in the second quarter with a sprained ankle and the Cowboys only had 76 total yards on the ground between him, Ezekiel Elliott, quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Prescott threw two interceptions as the San Francisco defense showed why they're ranked No. 1 in the league.

One highlight to know: Tight end George Kittle had 95 receiving yards in the game, including a 30-yard circus catch in the third quarter. Purdy threw downfield and Kittle reached out his right hand, tipped the ball up where it bounced off his facemask, and grabbed it for a monster first down. The play was in the middle of a drive that was capped off by McCaffrey's rushing touchdown that gave San Francisco the lead for good.

Next up: The 49ers face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game. The Cowboys' season is over.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL scores, schedule: Latest info for all divisional round games