The NFL's first taste of postseason action delivered drama in bunches.
Clutch moments defined the wild-card round, with 11 go-ahead touchdowns scored in the fourth quarter so far this postseason -- already the most in a single NFL playoff run, per ESPN Research. The next-closest seasons finished with nine such scores, in 2018 and 2007.
With win-or-go-home stakes, emotions ran high, providing plenty of fuel for trash talk and sharp sound bites. Some of the postseason's most memorable moments didn't just come between the whistles, but from what was said before and after them.
Players and coaches carried that intensity from the field to the podium, delivering standout lines in their postgame news conferences and team debriefs.
From bold declarations to perfectly timed one-liners, here are the best quotes from around the NFL's wild-card round.
"I'm not even in that mindset as I sit here tonight. I'm more in the mindset of what transpired in this stadium and certainly what we did and didn't do." Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin
The Houston Texans dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 in the weekend's final wild-card matchup. The Steelers had just 175 total yards, their fewest in a playoff game since Dec. 21, 1947, according to ESPN Research. The Texans on the other hand had 408 yards, making the +233 difference the Steelers' worst yardage differential in a playoff game in franchise history.
The loss marked Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin's seventh straight playoff loss, tied for the longest streak in NFL history. After the game, Tomlin wasn't in the right head space to address his future as the Steelers' lead man.
"There's a rivalry that exists between these two teams, something that I fully recognize and I'm a part of. And, yeah, I just, I don't like that team." Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson
After Chicago's 31-27 wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers -- the organization's first playoff victory since Jan. 16, 2011 -- Johnson didn't shy away from expressing his disdain for the team's NFC North rivals.
The Bears shared a video from the locker room celebration at Soldier Field that quickly gained traction on social media, showing Johnson saying, "F--- the Packers. F--- them. F---ing hate those guys."
On Monday, the Bears coach doubled down on his celebration and choice of words.
"There are no style points in the playoffs. It's all about survive and advance." Los Angeles Rams DL Kobie Turner
The opening game of the NFL playoffs set the tone for a tightly contested wild-card slate.
The Rams jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Carolina Panthers before Carolina responded, rallying to take a 24-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by four with 2:38 remaining, the Rams delivered the game's final lead change when tight end Colby Parkinson hauled in a touchdown pass with 38 seconds left in regulation, sealing a 28-24 win for Los Angeles.
After the game, Turner acknowledged there were areas the Rams can improve as they progress in the postseason.
"We want the ball with the MVP." Buffalo Bills LT Dion Dawkins
Allen, the league's reigning MVP, led Buffalo past the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 27-24 win, earning high praise from his teammate afterward.
Behind Allen's 306 total yards and three total touchdowns, Buffalo snapped the second-longest postseason road losing streak in NFL history. The performance also marked Allen's first career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime of a playoff game.
"[Jauan Jennings] thinks he can make every play known to man." San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan
Jauan Jennings, the 49ers' wideout-slash-backup quarterback, filled the stat sheet in San Francisco's 23-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, finishing with 66 receiving yards, 48 rushing yards and 29 passing yards, along with a touchdown pass.
Jennings' lone completion proved decisive, delivering the proverbial dagger against the reigning Super Bowl champions. On the first play of the fourth quarter, he took a pitch, rolled right and hit running back Christian McCaffrey for a 29-yard touchdown that gave the 49ers a 17-16 lead.
After the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings carries the confidence of a player who believes he can make every play imaginable.
"The big dogs come out in January." New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel
Moments after Milton Williams dropped Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to seal the Patriots' first playoff win in seven years, the defensive lineman's celebration spilled over to the sideline.
Williams head-butted Vrabel, knocking the former player backward and leaving him with a bloodied lip -- a moment Vrabel later shrugged off as postseason intensity at its peak.
