Baltimore will host the AFC title game for the first time since January 1971 after surging past the Houston Texans with a powerful second half.

The San Francisco 49ers braved rain and a determined Green Bay Packers to reach their fourth NFC title game in the past five seasons. 

Here are the five quick hits from the day's NFL playoff action.

1. Lamar Jackson's Forest Gump moment

Coming into the game this weekend, there were some questions about Lamar Jackson.

Sure, the Baltimore quarterback has had a stunning season, rushing for 821 yards total, and he is undoubtedly an MVP contender.

Yet heading into this contest, he only has a record of 1-3 in the playoffs.

"You know I heard that," Jackson said.

"But it is what it is. I don't really care about what people say."

Jackson is an action man — and he delivered.

Jackson ran for 100 yards on 11 carries against the Texans, including a stunning 14-yard effort on fourth-and-1 near midfield that extended a drive that eventually gave the Ravens some breathing room through a touchdown to Isaiah Likely, one of his 16/22 successful passing attempts for 152 yards.

When he scored his second rushing touchdown to put the Ravens 31-10 up, he celebrated by carrying on running down the tunnel, Forest Gump-style, all the way to the AFC title game.

2. Sims's punt return touchdown

The final result was emphatically in favour of the Ravens, but it's easy to forget that at half time the score was 10-10 and the Texans were more than hanging in with Baltimore.

CJ Stroud was playing neatly at quarterback for the Texans but couldn't get through a dominant Baltimore defence, while Jackson was struggling to beat the Texans' blitz.

So when Steven Sims returned a Kaʻimi Fairbairn punt 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-10 at the half, Ravens fans might have started to fear the worst.

They needn't have worried: The Texans' offence never did reach the end zone in 120 minutes against the Ravens this season — they lost 25-9 in the season opener.

"They [the defence] motivated us to go put points on the board," Jackson said.

"They're stopping an opposing team, a very good team, led by a great quarterback. Our defence, sometimes they get us and sometimes we get them … and it was them tonight."

3. Kicker's season struggles exposed in biggest moment

Few positions in sports are as polarising as a kicker in the NFL.

The highs of being the player to win a big game are second to none.

But kickers are paid to do one thing — put the ball between the posts.

When that doesn't happen, the harsh lows of a kicker can make them feel like the loneliest man on Earth.

Packers' rookie kicker Anders Carlson came into the Divisional Round playoff against the San Francisco 49ers with misses to his name.

He had missed 11 kicks this season (six field goals and five extra points)

Carlson had missed one kick in 10 of the last 12 games.

Late in the fourth quarter, with his team up 21-17, Carlson had a 41-yard field goal attempt to extend the Packers' lead to seven.

In the rain, from the left hashmark, the rookie was wide-left, missing the chance to go up by a touchdown and giving the 49ers a good starting field position to go on a game-winning drive.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy marched his men downfield, with star running back Christian McCaffery scoring what was the game-winning touchdown with just 68 seconds remaining.

4. Dre Greenlaw steals the show for 49ers' defence

In tough conditions in northern California, the 49ers and Packers were engaged in a battle worthy of two historic teams in the post-season.

These are the games where match-winning performances are immortalised.

For the 49ers, their hero came in the form of linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

The 26-year-old, who was signed by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, made two crucial interceptions in San Francisco's playoff win.

The first came in the third quarter, with the Packers driving and holding a seven-point lead.

On third down, Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw a pass over the middle of the field, intended for tight end Tucker Kraft.

The throw was behind Kraft, who tipped the ball in the air while attempting to pull off a miracle catch.

Greenlaw was waiting to pounce, with the resulting drive netting a field goal for the 49ers to reduce the deficit to four.

With the lead and the Packers trying to drive down the field to send the game into overtime, Love made a cardinal sin as a quarterback, throwing the ball across his body into the middle of the field.

Greenlaw was there again, ready to intercept the pass and seal the playoff victory for his team.

5. Swifties and the muchies in Buffalo

Because it is now impossible to talk about Kansas City without some reference to pop idol Taylor Swift, it goes without saying her presence will be felt at the Chiefs' divisional clash in Buffalo on Sunday night.

Fans attending the match at Buffalo's Highmark Stadium will now be able to buy food items that have a reference to Swift.

The Bad Blood Waffle Fries and The Karma Quesadilla will be added to the menu for Sunday's blockbuster match.

"Our culinary team has again designed a great menu for the Divisional playoff game this weekend," Andy Altomare, general manager of the stadium's catering partner, Delaware North, told NBC.

"We had a lot of fun with this week's menu, adding a few new options that celebrate this incredible rivalry with the Chiefs and their star-studded fans."

The infatuation with the romance between Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce may have some NFL fans feeling slightly nauseous, but the Bills will be hoping that one of their other offerings, such as a Kansas City bowl of tears, will go down easier.