The NFL playoffs are almost here.
While the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos will each take next weekend off to relax, the other 12 teams will compete in the wild-card round.
Here’s a look at those six games, which include: A team that fell back into the playoffs despite falling short of the .500 mark; a tight race in the NFC North; the emergence of a former No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft; a fragility display from the defending Super Bowl champion; an MVP candidate in only his second season, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ magic is jaw-dropping.
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(5) Los Angeles Rams vs. (4) Carolina Panthers
Why the Panthers Win
In Week 13 of the regular season, the Panthers defeated the Rams 31-28 in Charlotte. So why not anymore? The key was getting Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford off the field again, which is what Carolina did in Game 1. In that game, Stafford uncharacteristically turned the ball over 3 times, including a 6-point turnover in the first quarter, which was ultimately the reason for the loss. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young was also very efficient and opportunistic, throwing a game-deciding 43-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tetairoa McMillan in the fourth quarter.
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Why the Rams can win
Wide receiver Davante Adams could be back in the lineup, which would give the Rams a very effective two-way running back rotation in Adams, receivers Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, as well as an extremely tough team matchup between Stafford, who had a nice four-touchdown passing game in the regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Safety Quentin Lake’s return to the playoff lineup is also a huge improvement. Los Angeles’ defense was playing its best football when he went down, and he was sorely missed in several big games down the stretch until mid-November. He missed the first game against the Panthers, but he will definitely make a difference in this one.
Who has juice in it?
There’s no doubt the Rams are feeling better after a season-ending win over the Cardinals in which the Rams offense got on track and the defense performed well, allowing Jacoby Brissett to get six sacks from five different players. Yes, that game was against the Cardinals, but the Rams had something worth fighting for, and they showed it. They also know their defense will have Lake back this week. There’s a lot of positivity in Los Angeles. The Panthers returned to the playoffs, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the regular-season finale, then needed help from the Atlanta Falcons to make the postseason. Carolina is also 8-9 and its offense has been a roller coaster. The Panthers are at home, but it’s hard to know which Panthers team you’re going to face.
(7) Green Bay Packers vs. (2) Chicago Bears
Why the Packers win
Quarterback Jordan Love will return from a concussion and was having his best game of the season before the Packers lost to Denver on Dec. 14. Green Bay also faces a Chicago offense that has relied too much on turnovers throughout the season and has struggled to get to the quarterback while giving up a ton of yardage over the past month.
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Why the Bears win
Despite losing to the Detroit Lions in the final game of the season, Chicago’s offense still has some intriguing young talent blossoming at the right time. Tight end Colston Loveland is a major matchup problem, while wide receiver Luther Burden III is versatile and more comfortable than ever in his role. The Bears also may have wide receiver Roman Odunze back from a long-term foot issue.
Who has juice in it?
Bears, just because the Packers have been a complete failure over the past month. They lost four straight games late in the season, with Micah Parsons out with an injury and Love missing the rest of the season with an injury. Chicago has lost three of its past five games, but the Bears’ offense has shown an ability to be dynamic and balanced. Chicago also has the benefit of playing in front of home fans, who haven’t been this excited about their team since the 2018 season.
(6) Buffalo Bills vs. (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
Why Jaguars Win
Trevor Lawrence has been outstanding over the past six games. He scored a total of 19 touchdowns on cornerback runs in head coach Liam Cohen’s offense. Granted, many of the sparks came against some bad teams, but it also included one of the biggest regular-season wins of Lawrence’s career, a 34-20 road win over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 21. This feels like a coming of age for Lawrence — including playing with some arrogance (in a good way) — though there are still doubts whether that can be replicated in the postseason. If Broncos nemesis Lawrence is the real Trevor, the Jaguars can play anyone in the playoffs.
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Why Bill won
The Bills have the best veteran quarterback on an AFC playoff team in Josh Allen, and he’s in his prime. He’s also hard to bring down and is going up against a Jaguars defense that can pressure the quarterback but ranks in the bottom five in the league in sacks. Allen now has a legitimate partner in the backfield in James Cook to shoulder the playoff load, and he’s made some big plays against three AFC playoff teams (the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots) since November. A 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17 wasn’t inspiring, but Buffalo was a better wake-up call at the end of December than it was in January.
Who has juice in it?
The Jaguars have done just that, winning eight straight and nine of ten games since the bye week. The only loss came on the road against the Houston Texans, a team heading into the final stretch against a high-end defense and playoff team. Lawrence reaching another level as a quarterback will likely excite fans as much as ever, and that will show in the home field advantage. The Bills, on the other hand, are in a tough spot as their last full-strength performance was a loss to the Eagles in which Allen was sacked five times. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott’s 0-5 record in postseason road games is also concerning.
(6) San Francisco 49ers vs. (3) Philadelphia Eagles
Why the 49ers can win
If San Francisco — and that’s an overwhelming “if” — has a full complement of offensive players in this game, the Niners can challenge the Eagles’ defense. But after watching the 49ers lose 13-3 to a similarly talented (and well-coached) Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 18, it became clear that offensive tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall really needed to get back up and running in this game. Running back Christian McCaffrey missed that tandem in the Seahawks’ loss. While we won’t get an update on this pair until mid-week, it seems a bit far-fetched right now.
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Why did the Eagles win?
Their offense is inconsistent and frustrating, and it’s uncertain whether the running game will continue to show up in the postseason, but their defense has elite talent that can hold off wins. When defensive coordinator Vic Fangio came up with a game plan to beat Josh Allen and hold the Buffalo Bills to 12 points in Week 17, it showcased at least half of a Super Bowl team. Instead, the 49ers’ pass rush has had issues getting to the quarterback, which should make life for Jalen Hurts — and the performance of his uncharacteristically unpredictable offensive line — a little easier.
Who has juice in it?
Oddly enough, even after losing to Seattle in the regular season finale and getting a wild card, the 49ers still had a chance against the Seahawks…and quarterback Brock Purdy and the offense were hot in that game. The Eagles, meanwhile, rested starters and lost to the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the process, deflating the game and leaving a lasting memory of their poor second-half offense against the Bills. Frankly, between head coaches Kyle Shanahan and Nick Sirani, Shanahan has produced a masterpiece this season despite playing in a brutal NFC West.
(7) Los Angeles Chargers vs. (2) New England Patriots
Why the Patriots can win
Quarterback Drake Maye turned a runaway MVP race into an absolute photo finish — accentuating the defense with his accuracy, deep passing magic, ball-rushing ability and composure that have made him look like a 10-year veteran this season. He’s going to cause problems for the Chargers. Now, he has a very capable two-headed running attack to back him up, with Tre’Vion Henderson and Lamond Stevenson really coming together over the past month of the season. Defensive tackle Milton Williams and offensive tackle Will Campbell also return when New England needs them most. That’s a lot of upward arrows.
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Why the Chargers Can Win
New England’s run defense struggled down the stretch, and the Chargers’ ever-retooling offensive line could definitely use help. The return of Milton Williams will certainly help the Patriots, but you can’t count on continued improvement from the front seven until you see it come to fruition. That said, the running game quarterback Justin Herbert gets from Omarion Hampton — coupled with Herbert’s own ability to scramble or create against designed runs — is sure to hurt New England. Especially on the rare occasions when Herbert didn’t get knocked down by the pass rush.
Who has juice in it?
The Patriots are currently riding high and are just one poor second half away from the Buffalo Bills, who have won 14 straight games heading into the postseason. They are only 13-1 over their past 14 games, but they have beaten the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in their past two games. Yes, they beat a lot of non-playoff teams over time, but good teams should beat and sometimes dominate bad teams, and that’s what New England did. The Chargers have lost their last two games. Although Week 18 was a rest game for their starters, Herbert had 16 sacks in three of four games in December. He took too many hits and still had an injured non-throwing hand. This is worrying.
(5) Houston Texans vs. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
Why the Steelers can win
If ever there was a time when emotions ran high and magical dust fell upon a team in the final game of the regular season, it was Pittsburgh’s 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the playoffs. But this is no fluke. After the Ravens took a 17-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the surrounding offense traded blows the rest of the way — and did it without DK Metcalf for the final game of the hiatus. Yes, it took a critical field goal miss for the Ravens to win and make the playoffs. But now everything is a new lease. The all-in gamble to get Rodgers to work put the Steelers back into the playoffs with emotions running high.
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Why the Texans can win
Houston started with 0 wins and 3 losses, but relied on tenacious defense to end the season with a 12-2 record. The team’s offense showed vitality in the final stage. That included a 9-0 run to end the season. With the exception of the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 18 matchup against the Texans (who began to sit in the starting lineup as the game wore on), this defense didn’t allow its opponents to score. Houston also held down the mobile Justin Herbert with five sacks in Week 17, and this week they’ll be staring at Rodgers like he’s a potted plant. At quarterback in the AFC playoffs, the Texans went on a 9-0 run that featured Herbert, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen. Talk loudly.
Who has juice in it?
It might be like flipping a coin, but for different reasons. Houston went on a 9-0 run to take advantage, but the Steelers were given the gift of postseason life in the final game of the regular season when it looked like the postseason was extinguished. That talent and the home games bring plenty of energy to Pittsburgh. But the Texans gained the overall advantage because they cut the aforementioned AFC playoff quarterback on their way to the postseason. The elation over the Steelers winning the finale was probably more relief than confidence. we will see.
