It’s that time of the year again, and there’s plenty of excitement. This week’s first-round games feature a third meeting between longtime divisional rivals, and three other rematches from earlier this season. A pair of rookie quarterbacks will be at the helm of their teams on Sunday. All while the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, the top seeds in the AFC and NFC, await their first postseason foe for 2024.
The wild card round always seems to have its share of surprises. Keep in mind that four of the teams playing this week rebounded from losing campaigns a year ago.
Saturday, Jan. 13
L.A. Chargers (11-6) at Houston (10-7): Although the Texans are division champions for the second straight year and host a playoff game for the eighth time since 2011, it’s Jim Harbaugh’s club that has excelled as of late.
The Chargers did what Houston did a year ago, rising from last place to capturing a playoff invitation. The Bolts more than doubled their win total from last season in Harbaugh’s first year, and the club gave up the fewest points in the league. Houston has had problems winning as of late, dropping six of their final 11 games. Harbaugh’s club was an impressive 6-3 on the road this season.
Pittsburgh (10-7) at Baltimore (12-5): It’s the third meeting of the season for these longtime rivals, which will clash in the postseason for the fifth time dating back to 2001. Talk about two clubs headed in much different directions? The Steelers have dropped four in a row, including a 34-17 setback in Week 16 at Baltimore.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have won four straight, and totaled at least 31 points in each victory. In two games vs. Baltimore this season (1-1), Pittsburgh scored only 35 points, combined for two offensive touchdowns and seven field goals. The Ravens’ offensive unit totaled an impressive 62 TDs this season.
Sunday, Jan. 14
Denver (10-7) at Buffalo (13-4): The Broncos are making their first appearance in the postseason since beating the Panthers in Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Sean McDermott’s club is in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, but the Super Bowl continues to elude these Bills.
Quarterback Josh Allen had had a remarkable year, throwing for 28 scores and running for 12 touchdowns. It’s what he hasn’t done this season that’s been huge, turning over the ball a career-low eight times. The Broncos’ defense had some issues against the pass late in the season, however Sean Payton’s club led the league with 63 sacks.
Green Bay (11-6) at Philadelphia (14-3): The first of two games in which the clubs squared off during the first week of the regular season. It was a Friday night in Brazil and Nick Sirianni’s team held off the Packers, 34-29. Green Bay ended the season on a sour note with back-to-back losses to the Vikings and Bears, respectively.
Sirianni has the Birds in the playoffs for the fourth time in as many seasons, and with 14 wins for the second time in three years. Saquon Barkley led the NFL with 2,005 yards on the ground, 109 of those and two touchdowns (as well as a receiving TD) coming in the Week 1 win over the Pack.
Washington (12-5) at Tampa Bay (10-7): Yet another contest where the team clashed in Week 1. Back then, the Buccaneers made life rough on Commanders’ rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels as Baker Mayfield and company rolled to a 37-20 triumph. Still, the second overall pick in April’s draft helped the team finish fifth in the league in scoring with 485 points, a huge improvement from last season (329).
The Bucs are in the playoffs for the fifth straight year, the longest-active streak in the NFC. The team won six of its final seven games, and the club scored 154 more points this season (502) than a season ago (348).
Monday, Jan. 15
Minnesota (14-3) at L.A. Rams (10-7): Back in Week 8 on a Thursday night at SoFi Stadium, Sean McVay’s club came away with a 30-20 win over the Purple Gang. Amazing to think that the Vikings doubled their win total from a year ago (7-10) and still fell short when it came to winning a division title, becoming the first team with 14 wins to settle for a wild card.
Quarterback Sam Darnold has been nothing short of amazing, and Minnesota tied for the NFL lead with 33 takeaways. Can the Rams’ blockers keep Matthew Stafford safe from Minnesota pass-rushers Jonathan Greenard (12.0) and Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5)?