Neither No. 1 seed played extremely well during Saturday’s two divisional round playoff matchups. One top-seeded team advanced, while the other suffered a gut-wrenching loss.
The Chiefs outlasted a spunky Texans team and will now await the winner of Sunday night’s game between the Bills and the Ravens. Kansas City will play in its seventh consecutive AFC title game and its sixth at Arrowhead. The Chiefs were the only top seed to advance on Saturday, though, as the Lions were stunned by the Commanders, who advanced to their first conference title game since 1991.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s biggest winners and losers.
Daniels is having the greatest rookie season in NFL history. He was unflappable on Saturday night, going 22 of 31 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards on 15 carries while leading the Commanders to victory.
One of Daniels’ biggest completions was a 12-yard dart to Terry McLaurin on a fourth-and-2 play that set up Jeremy McNichols‘ short touchdown run that gave Washington an insurmountable, 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Daniels and McLaurin had teamed up for a 58-yard touchdown earlier in the game.
As good as Saturday night was for Daniels, it was equally that bad for Goff, who once again came up short in a big game. Goff’s rocky night included a pick six, an interception in the end zone just before halftime and an interception late in the game when the Lions were trying to pull off a miracle comeback. Goff also committed a fumble in the first quarter that set up Washington’s first touchdown.
Goff is now 4-5 in the playoffs dating to his years with the Rams, who traded him to Detroit after Los Angeles coach Sean McVay apparently decided that Goff wasn’t capable of winning it all. The Lions may be thinking the same thing after Saturday night. The Lions appear married to Goff, however, after they signed him to a four-year extension last offseason.
Winner: Kliff Kingsbury
While Ben Johnson gets a lot of attention, his counterpart had a pretty good night. In fact, it seemed like everything Kingsbury called worked against a Lions defense that was on its heels the entire game.
As was the case all year, Kingsbury wasn’t afraid to put the game on Daniels’ shoulders on several big possession downs. And unlike last week, Kingsbury’s offense established much-needed balance, as the Commanders ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries.
All told, the Commanders’ 45 points were the most in franchise history for a road playoff game. That’s saying something, as Washington has a rich history that includes three Super Bowl wins.
Speaking of Johnson, he is probably regretting his called trick play that called for Jameson Williams to throw downfield to Jahmyr Gibbs early in the fourth quarter and the Lions trailing by 10. Williams’ pass was picked off by rookie Mike Sainristil (one of his two picks on the night), and the Commanders scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive, extending their lead to 45-28.
Loser: Lions defense
Detroit’s defense was the team’s biggest question mark entering the playoffs, and it was the main reason why the Lions joined the 2011 Packers as the only 15-win teams to lose their first playoff game. The unit, which has dealt with a myriad of injuries, simply couldn’t hang with Daniels and the Commanders offense.
Specifically, the Lions’ pass rush was an issue that was never solved after Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5. The Lions struggled to put pressure on Daniels, who was not sacked. Detroit’s lack of a pass rush was especially felt on fourth down, as Washington was 3 of 4 on its fourth-down attempts.
The Chiefs’ future Hall of Fame tight end broke Jerry Rice’s record by recording his ninth career 100-yard receiving game in the postseason. Kelce’s big night included the game-winning touchdown catch shortly after the Texans had gotten to within a point of the Chiefs.
In all, Kelce caught seven passes for a season-high 117 yards. He also joined Rice as the only players in history with at least 20 career touchdown grabs. Kelce is three touchdown catches from taking that record from Rice, who is widely regarded as the greatest receiver of all time.
Loser: Texans special teams
It was a bad day at the office for Houston’s special teams units. They started the game by allowing a 63-yard punt return that turned into a 78-yard gain following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Adding insult to injury was Kris Boyd, who committed the penalty, shoving special teams coach Frank Ross on the sideline.
The Texans later missed two field goals and an extra point attempt that would have tied the score in the fourth quarter. Houston’s poor special teams play undermined gritty efforts by its offense and defense.
Stroud played well extremely well in a losing effort. Despite injuring his knee in the first quarter, Stroud consistently made plays in the air and on the ground, especially on possession downs. Trailing 13-3, Stroud led the Texans on consecutive scoring drives that included a 15-play, 82-yard drive that took over 10 minutes off the clock.
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year finished the game with 245 yards on 19 of 28 passing. He was also the game’s third-leading rusher with 42 yards on six carries.
Loser: Officiating
Unfortunately, questionable officiating was one of the main takeaways during and after the Chiefs’ win. Several questionable calls were made against the Texans that included multiple unnecessary roughness penalties against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. One of those penalties drew the ire of Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who was on the call for ESPN.
“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game,” Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. said afterward.
The Chiefs defensive end had a career-high three sacks that included one on fourth down with Kansas City protecting an eight-point lead. Karlaftis spearheaded a Chiefs pass rush that sacked Stroud eight times. Kansas City’s pass rush was one of the keys to the Chiefs’ win.
Loser: Some betters in Texans-Chiefs
The Chiefs, who were 9.5-point favorites, had an 11-point lead late in the game after blocking a Texans field goal. But Kansas City gave up two points moments later after intentionally taking a safety. That decision had clear implications from a betting standpoint.
Bettors that took Kansas City earlier in the week were still OK, though, as the Chiefs were initially tabbed as 8.5-point favorites.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Renato Moicano of … [+] Brazil face off during the UFC 311 ceremonial weigh-in at Intuit Dome on January 17, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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The UFC is at Intuit Dome for tonight’s UFC 311 pay-per-view fight card. UFC 311 features two title fight at the top of the card. In the headlining bout, which came together on weigh-in day, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev faces Renato Moicano. Meanwhile, in UFC 311 co-headliner, UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili puts his title on the line against Umar Nurmagomedov. Also on the PPV fight card is an important light heavyweight scrap between former UFC champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill. UFC 311 results, winners and losers and more will be updated live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.
The main card for UFC 311 streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
UFC 311 Main Event – Islam Makhachev Vs. Renato Moicano
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Renato Moicano of … [+] Brazil face off during the UFC 311 ceremonial weigh-in at Intuit Dome on January 17, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
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Makhachev (26-1) has compiled a 15-1 record with the UFC, racking up 10 finishes (seven submissions, three knockouts) and five decisions. Makhachev captured the vacant UFC lightweight title in October 2022 with a submission win over former UFC 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira.
Makhachev has defended his crown three times since defeating Oliveira. His first two title defenses were a decision win and knockout of then-UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. In his most recent outing, Makhachev submitted former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302.
Renato Moicano (19-5-1) is riding the first four-fight winning streak of his UFC career. The 35-year-old opened his run with the promotion at 3-0 record between 2014 and 2017. Since then, Moicano has been up and down. He followed that by going 5-5 over his next 10 outings before beginning his current unbeaten streak in 2022.
Moicano is 6-1 dating back to June 2021. His only loss during that time was a March 2022 unanimous decision setback to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a 160-pound catchweight battle.
In April 2024, Moicano picked up his first knockout as a member of the UFC, decking Jalin Turner on the early prelims of the UFC 300 fight card.
Then, in September 2024, the UFC tapped Moicano for the first main event of his UFC career against Benoît Saint Denis. That fight ended after the second round after Moicano left Saint Denis’ face bloody and swollen. The damage Moicano put on his opponent forced the doctor to wave off the fight as Saint Denis’ right eye was nearly swollen shut.
Moicano enters UFC 311 as the No. 10 fighter in the UFC’s 155-pound weight class.
UFC 311 Fight Card Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Opponents Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia and Umar … [+] Nurmagomedov of Russia face off during the UFC 311 ceremonial weigh-in at Intuit Dome on January 17, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Merab Dvalishvili (18-4), a long-time training partner of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stepped into the spotlight of the promotion’s 135-pound division in September 2014 when he scored a unanimous decision win over then-champion Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306.
The 33-year-old Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 as much-hyped prospect. At the time, Dvalishvili was 7-2 and had won and defended the Ring of Combat bantamweight crown.
Dvalishvili did not have a smooth start to his UFC run, losing his first two fights. Falling to Frankie Saenz by decision, and the second, to Ricky Simon, via submission. In September 2018, things clicked in place for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, and he has not lost since.
Heading into UFC 306, Dvalishvili was on a 10-fight winning streak. Prior to his matchup against O’Malley, Dvalishvili had defeated Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. The win over O’Malley stretched his winning streak to 11 straight. Even with one of those victories coming at a catchweight of 140 pounds, Dvalishvili holds the record for longest winning streak in the division at 10, beating Sterling’s mark of nine wins in a row.
Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0) is the brother of Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and the cousin of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is currently the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings.
The 28-year-old joined the UFC in January 2021 with a submission win over Sergey Morozov. Since that win, he has picked up another five victories in the UFC most recently beating former interim UFC title challenger Cory Sandhagen in a five-round main event scrap in August.
The win over Sandhagen answered any questions about Nurmagomedov’s upside. Before the fight there was some criticism that Nurmagomedov had not defeated anyone of note. However, his dominant win over the then No. 2 ranked bantamweight put that talk to rest.
Nurmagomedov looked the part of a future champion against Sandhagen. He went five rounds, never lost his cool, stayed within himself, and stuck to a strong game plan.
UFC 311 results, winners and losers will be updated live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.
UFC 311 Results – Winners
Bogdan Guskov: The No. 13 ranked UFC LHW, Bogdan Guskov, had a rough first four minutes against late replacement Billy Elekana, getting taken down, cut, and dominated on the mat against an opponent he was heavily favored against. He turned the tables with 45 seconds left in the round, scoring a reversal and then nearly finishing the fight with a choke.
Guskov picked things up in the second stanza, using pressure and power on the feet to take over the fight. That approach left Elekana gassed. With the fight clearly in hand, Guskov applied a guillotine choke that brought a quick tap from his depleted foe.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Bogdan Guskov of Uzbekistan reacts after a victory against Billy … [+] Elekana in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
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Grant Dawson: Grant Dawson is on a three-fight winning streak since Bobby Green knocked him out in October 2024. Dawson’s game is to get the fight to the mat and keep it there. He did that at UFC 311, picking up six takedowns and nearly 11 minutes of control time for a dominant decision win.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: (L-R) Grant Dawson punches Diego Ferreira of Brazil in a … [+] lightweight fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
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Ailín Pérez: Ailín Pérez used her wrestling and aggression against Karol Rosa, and that was enough for her to get the win. Look for Perez to make it into the top 10 with the next update of the UFC rankings.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: (L-R) Ailin Perez of Argentina punches Karol Rosa of Brazil in a … [+] bantamweight fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Muin Gafurov: Rinya Nakamura had something he wanted to prove at UFC 311, and that was that he could strike as well as wrestle. That played right into the hands of his opponent Muin Gafurov, who was simply a better striker who threw with power while mixing up his targets and techniques.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: (L-R) Muin Gafurov of Tajikistan battles Rinya Nakamura of Japan … [+] in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
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Bernardo Sopaj: The 24-year-old Bernardo Sopaj picked up his first win under the UFC banner on Saturday night (1-1) with a spirited performance against a game Ricky Turcios.
Sopaj did an excellent job mixing up high and low kicks early. His low kicks forced Turcios to attempt to implement his wrestling, but Sopaj showed some decent takedown defense and an unwillingness to accept the position Turcios wanted to establish.
Sopaj began to fade during the late stages of the second stanza, but he stayed in the fight.
Sopaj hurt Turcios early in the third round and was aggressive in looking for a finish, but Turcios, bloodied but unbowed, got back to his feet and took the fight to Sopaj.
This was an entertaining scrap.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: (R-L) Benardo Sopaj of Albania knees Ricky Turcios in a … [+] bantamweight fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Tagir Ulanbekov: Tagir Ulanbekov entered UFC 311 as the No. 11 flyweight in the UFC. While Ulanbekov looked slightly slower than his opponent, Clayton Carpenter, in the striking department early in the fight, he dominated things on the ground.
Ulanbekov looked excellent on the mat, using control but also scoring with strikes, mixing up elbows and punches when he postured up and created space. With the win, Ulanbekov is on a three-fight winning streak, a run that began after a decision loss to Tim Elliott in 2022.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Tagir Ulanbekov of Russia prepares to face Clayton Carpenter … [+] during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
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UFC 311 Results – Losers
Billy Elekana: Billy Elekana scored a quick takedown and body lock against Bogdan Guskov. Once on the mat, Elekana didn’t force the position. Instead, he rolled with his opponent while looking to land strikes and find an opening for a choke. Elekana was backing up to start the second round while looking like he didn’t have much gas in the tank, and the finish came in the second stanza.
Diego Ferreira: Diego Ferreira had no answer for the wrestling and ground control of Grant Dawson at UFC 311. Despite that, he didn’t avoid tangling with his opponent on the mat, much to the chagrin of his coaches.
The decision loss for Ferreira ended his two-fight winning streak.
Karol Rosa: Karol Rosa is a good, technically sound fighter. However, on Saturday night, she seemed more focused on defense than offense, which hurt her against the more aggressive Ailín Pérez.
Rinya Nakamura: A massive betting favorite against Muin Gafurov, Rinya Nakamura’s commitment to the striking game at UFC 311 hurt him in a big way. He had nothing to offer his opponent on the feet, and by the time he could switch to his wrestling, it was too late, although he did have a submission attempt in the third round.
With the loss, Nakamura’s perfect record was no more. He fell to 9-1 as a pro.
Ricky Turcios: Ricky Turcios gave everything he had against Bernardo Sopaj, but outside of his cardio and pace, Turcios didn’t have much to offer Sopaj. With that said, Turcios’ style pushed his opponent, never allowing him to rest.
With the loss at UFC 311, Turcios fell to 2-3 in the UFC, but his fast-paced approach, heart, and willingness to scrap make him a tough opponent for any UFC bantamweight who wants to prove their mettle.
Clayton Carpenter: Clayton Carpenter looked good in the opening moments of his UFC 311 opposite Tagir Ulanbekov. He was fast with his hands and showed a lot of power. He also scored well with kicks to the lead leg of his foe. However, Carpenter could not compete with Ulanbekov on the mat.
Another thing that hurt Carpenter was that he didn’t show a sense of urgency going into the third round when he seemed to need a knockout win.
With his loss on Saturday, Carpenter is 2-1 in the UFC.
UFC 311 Fight Card Results
UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Pay-Per-View Card Results
Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Jiří Procházka vs. Jamahal Hill
Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder
UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Fight Card Prelims Results
Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos
Zach Reese vs. Azamat Bekoev
Bogdan Guskov defeats Billy Elekana via submission (Guillotine choke at 3:33 of Round 2)
Grant Dawson defeats Diego Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
UFC Tonight: UFC 311 Fight Card Early Prelims Results
Ailín Pérez defeats Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Muin Gafurov defeats Rinya Nakamura via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
UFC 311 scorecard: Ricky Turcios vs Bernardo Sopaj
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UFC 311 scorecard: Tagir Ulanbekov vs Clayton Carpenter
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UFC 311 Bonuses
UFC 311 Pay-Per-View Card Odds And Predictions
UFC 311 Main Event
The betting odds for the fight favor Makhachev (-1100) over Moicano (+700).
The betting pick is for Makhachev to win via stoppage. Moicano is a good fighter, and he is on a decent winning streak, but the step up in competition he faces in the UFC 311 main event is immense. There is nowhere that he is better than Makhachev, and he will struggle mightily with the champs skill set. A knockout or submission is not out of the question for Makhachev.
UFC 311 Co-Main Event
The opening odds for the UFC 311 co-main event saw Nurmagomedov open as the -300 favorite over the +240 Dvalishvili. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, the challenger is listed at -275 and the champ comes in at +200.
Eighty-three percent of the bets have been placed on Dvalishvili, while 85 percent of the handle is on the champ.
The betting pick is for Nurmagomedov to take the title via decision.
UFC 311: Prochazka Vs. Hill
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: (L-R) Opponents Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic and Jamahal … [+] Hill face off during the UFC 311 ceremonial weigh-in at Intuit Dome on January 17, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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The opening odds for this light heavyweight contest saw Prochazka open as a -120 betting favorite over the +100 Hill. Those odds have flipped. Today, Hill is the -140 favorite over the +115 Prochazka.
Most of the bets (54 percent) and money (92 percent) are on Hill.
The betting pick is for Hill to beat Prochazka via knockout.
UFC 311: Holland Vs. De Ridder
The opening odds for this matchup saw Holland as the -145 favorite over the +120 De Ridder. Today, the fight is a pick ‘em with Holland at -105 and De Ridder at -115. Holland has the majority of the bets (63 percent) in his favor. Slightly more money has also come in on Holland (51 percent.)
The betting pick is for Holland to win via knockout.
UFC 311: Almeida Vs. Spivac
This heavyweight fight landed on the main card with the removal of Dariush vs. Moicano. Almeida (21-3) opened as a -300 betting favorite over the +260 Spivac (17-4), who came in at +260. Today, Almeida is -450 over Spivac at +340.
Spivac has most of the bets in his favor (61 percent), while most of the money is on Almeida (52 percent).
The betting pick is for Almeida to pick up a submission win.
UFC 311 results, winners and losers and more will be updated live throughout tonight’s pay-per-view card.
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