The San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals advanced to the conference championship games with excellent defensive performances on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles also had a standout defensive effort Saturday night.
While high-flying offenses led by star quarterbacks get most of the attention, defense matters.
It was evident in the NFL divisional round this weekend.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive unit forced two turnovers in the fourth quarter, helping Kansas City beat Jacksonville 27-20 in the first game.
“We focused throughout the week, especially on the week we had off, focused on maybe punching the ball a little bit more or hop on the ball or just catching the ones that they give us,” Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton said.