GETTING IT DONE: This was old-school, leather helmet stuff. T formations and flying wedges. No style points. No artistry. But Patriots fans waited six years for this moment and there were no complaints at the end of Sunday night’s victory. Dan Shaughnessy has more from the win.
FAMILIAR FEELING: The win was the franchise’s first postseason victory in seven seasons, since a 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII in February 2019. Chad Finn believes it's impossible to not appreciate the aesthetic similarities.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Drake Maye’s first exposure to playoff football resembled a test, one where he settled for a solid passing grade and continuing education instead of acing the subject matter like the regular-season syllabus. Christopher L. Gasper has more on Maye's postseason debut.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: With the offense finally experiencing some struggles, it was the defense that stepped up to carry the Patriots to a hard-fought victory. Ben Volin has more on the performance.
BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS: Andy Borregales hasn’t quite reached legendary status, but Christopher Price writes that any kicker who can consistently deliver like Borregales did Sunday deserves to be celebrated.
MIKE'D UP: Vrabel had plenty to say about the performance of the defense. Emma Healy has more from the Patriots coach after the win.
MORE THAN ENOUGH: It wasn’t Maye’s finest performance, but he had his fair share of highlights on an up-and-down night. Amin Touri has the postgame reaction from the quarterback.
AS IT HAPPENED: As has been the case all season, the Globe provided live updates throughout Sunday night's win. Here's how it unfolded.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT HIM: Christopher L. Gasper believes executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf deserves some credit for the Patriots' turnaround.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville. ... Buffalo's win means the Patriots will host the winner of the Texans-Steelers game, with the time for Sunday's kickoff to be announced after tonight's contest.
Here are the matchups for the divisional round. ... Brock Purdy threw a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter and the 49ers eliminated the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles with a 23-19 victory at Philadelphia. ... Caleb Williams
came through in his playoff debut, throwing a go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining, and the Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Packers 31-27 Saturday night. ... Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Rams to a dramatic 34-31 win over the Panthers on Saturday. ... Stafford beat out Maye, while Myles Garrett, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba
were unanimous choices for the 2025 Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. ... The Falcons named former longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the newly created role of president of football. The Boston College product will leave his role as NFL analyst with CBS.
TUNE IN: Boston Globe Sports Report airs every Monday at 5:30 p.m. on NESN and can also be viewed on the Globe’s website, YouTube channel, and other social media platforms.
SCHOOL IS COOL: Sign up for Varsity News, the Globe's weekly newsletter for everything high school sports.
See more Patriots stories here. | 
