14 winners and losers from the divisional round of the NFL playoffs

• The second round of the NFL playoffs is in the books.
• Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the biggest winners of the weekend, taking down the New Orleans Saints to punch their ticket to the NFC title game.
• Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns were both big losers from the weekend, with both AFC North teams coming up short in their playoff matchups.

The divisional round of the NFL playoff gave fans four games and plenty of stories to follow.

Tom Brady outlasted Drew Brees in a battle of NFL legends. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers defended Lambeau Field and will get to host the NFC championship. And the Chiefs survived the loss of quarterback Patrick Mahomes to continue their march towards a second straight Super Bowl win.

Take a look below at the winners and losers of the first weekend of the NFL postseason.

WINNER: Tom Brady

Just a few months ago, Tom Brady was getting acquainted with his new teammates in Tampa Bay in the middle of a pandemic. Now, still in the middle of a pandemic, Brady has helped the Buccaneers reach the NFC championship game for the first time since their Super Bowl win in 2002.

On Sunday against the Saints, Brady was far from perfect, but he did enough to get the Buccaneers the win, avenging two earlier losses in the season against New Orleans. Brady completed 18 of his 33 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns - far from stellar numbers. But Brady made the most of the Saints' mistakes, taking advantage of New Orleans' turnovers to turn the Buccaneers' extra possessions into points, wrapping up a comfortable 30-20 win, and punching their ticket to the NFC title game.

For Brady, it's the 14th time he's reached the conference title game and his first time doing it in the NFC after two decades spent with New England. The Packers should prove a formidable opponent, but if you have any plans on counting out Brady now, I don't know what sport you've been watching for the past 20 years.

LOSER: Drew Brees

Drew Brees has had quite a career, and there's a good chance that it came to an end on Sunday. While he'll go down in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, currently standing as the all-time leader in NFL passing, against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Brees was flat out bad.

With just 134 yards passing, and one touchdown to three interceptions, Brees didn't do enough to put the Saints in position to win, and time and time again, put them in position to lose.

While Brees didn't give a direct answer as to whether or not he planned on hanging up his cleats for good, the way he left the field seemed to indicate that we'd seen the last of Brees in the NFL.

Congratulations on your historic career Drew. Enjoy your time in the booth.

WINNER: Jameis Winston

Drew Brees had a day to forget, but one Saints quarterback was ready to make some plays on Sunday.

With regular gadget quarterback Taysom Hill out due to injury, the Saints called upon backup Jameis Winston to be the "change-of-pace" quarterback. He was brilliant in his one play on the field, connecting with wide receiver Tre'Quan Smith for a touchdown on a brilliant trick play.

The Saints borrowed the trick play from the Chicago Bears, who successfully tricked the Saints with the misdirection earlier in the postseason. Had the Buccaneers studied a bit more film, maybe they would have been ready for it.

WINNER: Chad Henne

Speaking of backup quarterbacks that were ready to step up in the moment, Chad Henne saved the Chiefs' playoff hopes after Patrick Mahomes went down with a concussion.

While Henne had his struggles, including a disastrous interception that was a direct result of his over-ambition, he made plays when it mattered. When Kansas City had possession late in the fourth quarter while holding a 22-17 lead facing third-and-14, Henne stepped up and scrambled to get the ball just inches shy of the first down. It was the most impressive play of the game by either team.

LOSER: Tony Romo

After Henne scrambled to put the Chiefs at fourth-and-inches with the game on the line, color commentator Tony Romo predicted that the Kansas City offense wouldn't run a play but rather attempt to draw the Browns defense offsides before calling a timeout.

"Walk up, pretend like you're going to quarterback-sneak it, try to draw them offsides, and then take a timeout," Romo said. "You walk up there and say, 'No play, everybody. Don't jump.' There's no play. Just look at the body language."

Like the rest of us, Romo was left bamboozled when the Chiefs decided to snap the ball and pick up the game-sealing first down in gutsy fashion.

"Only Andy Reid gets in shotgun on fourth and an inch! And throws the ball!" Romo exclaimed from the booth. "There's no way! He shocked everybody! That is impossible. I've never seen it!"

Romo has had a knack for predicting the future in his career as a commentator, but he missed this one.

LOSER: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns had a great year, including a win over the Steelers in the Wild Card round that was two decades in the making. But on Sunday against the Chiefs, they didn't have enough to steal a spot in the AFC title game. Still, Kevin Stefanski, who is likely to be named Coach of the Year, can undoubtedly keep this team on the rise through the coming seasons.

WINNER: The worst rule in football

One of the main culprits of the Browns' failed comeback was the worst rule in football. Late in the first half, the Browns were driving for a potential touchdown that would bring them within one score of the Chiefs heading into halftime.

Baker Mayfield connected with wide receiver Rashard Higgins on the sideline just shy of the end zone. While reaching for the pylon, Higgins lost control of the football, fumbling out of the end zone for a touchback.

This change of possession is the worst rule in football. The team defending the initial play gets the ball back, and the team that fumbled is robbed of a scoring opportunity even though no one recovers the ball.

Making the situation even more frustrating is that there is an easy fix. Rather than change possession, give the team that fumbled the ball out of the end zone the ball back at their opponent's 25-yard line. The fumbling team still pays the price for losing possession - getting pushed back to the 25 - but don't entirely lose their opportunity to score.

It's a bad rule, one that judging by Twitter reactions to the moment on the field, the vast majority of football fans would like to see changed, but until the league does something about it, the rule is destined to continue owning teams and fans alike.

Adding insult to injury for the Browns, the Chiefs took their extra possession to march down the field and add three points before halftime.

WINNER: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers cruised to victory pretty easily against the Rams on Saturday, with Rodgers throwing for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

Rodgers and the Packers will now host the Buccaneers at Lambeau Field in the NFC championship game. While they suffered a terrible loss to Tampa Bay in the regular season, the Packers have since then played at a higher level, having won eight straight games by at least a touchdown.

Like Brees and Brady, Rodgers has already sealed his spot as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game, but winning a second Super Bowl would go a long way for his legacy, and going through Brady to do it would surely be a sweet bonus.

LOSER: Aaron Donald

On the other side of the ball on Saturday, Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald just wasn't at his best. He was held back a bit due to health reasons, as his snap count was far lower than it would be in a typical game, and for the snaps that he was on the field, he wasn't nearly as effective as he has been in the past.

Donald is the single most impactful defensive player in football, but on Saturday, he needed to be a complete wrecking ball to give the Rams a shot at upsetting the Packers. Playing at less than 100%, he couldn't get there.

WINNER: Best buddies Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs

The Buffalo Bills are through to the AFC championship game for the first time since 1993. Their success this year came thanks in large part to the stellar play of quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who the Bills traded for in the offseason.

Allen and Diggs are a dynamic duo on the field together, connecting for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens on Saturday night. They're also adorably cute friends off the field. Take a look at this postgame interview.

If these two can put together one more brilliant game, they'll be through to the Super Bowl.

LOSER: Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens looked ready to turn their game against the Bills into a barnburner. Trailing 10-3 late in the third quarter, the Ravens entered the red zone with a chance at tying the game. Instead, their game and season fell apart in a matter of seconds.

First, Jackson threw a backbreaking interception that the Bills returned 101 yards for a touchdown to extend their lead to 17-3. Just moments later, Jackson was brought down with a big hit and forced to exit the game. It was a tough way for the Ravens' season to end.

LOSER: Justin Tucker

Justin Tucker is the greatest kicker in the history of the NFL. That said, some swirling winds in Buffalo seemed to baffle both him and his brilliant foot on Saturday, as he missed not one but two field goals that would have gone a long way in the Ravens' effort to keep things close against the Bills.

When Tucker misses a field goal, there is no one on Earth more surprised than Tucker himself.

You'll get 'em next year Justin.

LOSER: Football fans

We have to be honest - this past weekend of games kind of stunk. The Packers beat the Rams in a no-doubter. Ravens-Bills was supposed to be an offensive explosion, only to instead turn into a war of attrition that ended in a stretch of three minutes just when it was getting interesting. Saints-Buccaneers was a dud compared to what it could have been.

The best football I watched all week was the second half of the Chiefs-Browns game when the absence of Patrick Mahomes made a Cleveland comeback that much more likely. Simply put, what should have been some of the best football of the year turned out to be a slog.

WINNER: Football fans

Still, this coming weekend, we should be in for a real show. At the start of the postseason, this is likely the final four teams you would have wished for in an ideal conference championship set up, and here we are. In the AFC, it's the new dynasty of the Chiefs vs. a Bills team chasing away demons of the past. In the NFC, Aaron Rodgers is looking to cap off an MVP season vs. Tom Brady, again refusing to let a Super Bowl go by when he isn't a factor.

It should be a great weekend.