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this National Football League The playoffs include a wild-card round and six exciting games.
The road to Super Bowl LX has begun, and the dream is to hoist the Lombardi Trophy on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
With the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos able to cool off at home as the No. 1 seeds in the NFC and AFC, let’s take a look at the 12 teams in the early going.
Aaron Rodgers returns to playoffs, while Matthew Stafford,and Los Angeles Ramsand Derek Meyer (New England Patriots) will be the two front-runners for this year’s MVP.
Here are six things to watch out for in the Wild Card Round:
Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers
Saturday 10 January 9:30pm GMT:
Stafford. He was the favorite to win the MVP award, beating out Meyer in a heated but nauseating debate over narrative and strength of schedule. Both are deserving of this award. Stafford was ravaged by the Panthers in one of their few losses this season (31-28 in the regular season) and committed three more turnovers in the days since. “I don’t want to throw it to their team, I think that’s the story of the game,” Stafford said. “We moved the ball well in some areas, got a couple goals in the red zone, did some nice things, ran the ball well, just had turnovers.” Redeem here and advance to divisional weekend, even as a 10.5-point favorite, would underline the Rams’ status as a favorite and possibly even put them ahead of division rival Seattle in the betting markets. Although the Seahawks rest this week as the No. 1 seed, they’ve only narrowly won all of their games.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Sunday 11 January 1am (GMT)
It’s one of the NFL’s classic rivalries, but one that perhaps lacked a ton of iconic moments until now. A strong coaching and quarterback tandem appears to have arrived in the Windy City, with Caleb Williams throwing the ball and Ben Johnson masterminding an approach that hits opponents hard as well as smartly. Trailing only the Ravens and Bills in yards per carry (4.9) and first downs (142), the Bears also ranked third in first-down percentage (28.1 percent) and looked for DeAndre Swift and Kyle Monunge to set the stage for a home team victory amid injuries to the Packers.
Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday 11 January 6pm (GMT)
After Patrick Mahomes’ struggles and the Chiefs’ absence from the playoffs, Josh Allen remains the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the league despite falling out of the MVP race. it provides a compelling duel Trevor Lawrencewho might be aggrieved by the lack of MVP consideration given to Stafford and Meyer. An eight-game winning streak has put the Jaguars in the playoffs under Liam Cohen, and the offense has evolved into a slick machine. If you put aside the teething issues with the new coach and the messaging to his quarterback, who threw 11 interceptions in his first 11 games, Lawrence appears to have become an elite passer, throwing just 1 pick over the last 6 games and throwing 15 touchdowns in that same span, second-most in the league. Crafting Cohen’s playbook will be critical to Jacksonville becoming a contender. “I’ve always had confidence in myself,” Lawrence said. “I know in my career I’m not always going to play my best every Sunday and that’s part of growing and learning and developing. There are some growing pains and some things you have to go through, but I have a better perspective on all of it. I just want to keep getting better and keep finding ways to win.”
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San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday 11 January 9:30pm GMT
Philadelphia is a volcano of a fan base that, despite their continued success, is always bubbling beneath the surface, ready to explode. Remember, this is the defending Super Bowl champion, but it’s been a tumultuous season filled with vitriol and animosity toward opponents. Outbursts from players and coaches didn’t derail this team. A weak NFC East performance at home allowed Nick Sirianni to silence the doubters once again, and an injury-plagued defense was tasked with stopping the mighty Eagles. Given the pressure on the Niners’ defense, which includes D’Omodole Lenoir and Leonardo Green, the Eagles will want to find A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith early and often. It provides a prime opportunity to get a match right and find new life in an unlikely title defense.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots
Monday 12 January 1am (GMT)
This game could either be the beginning of a legendary run, with Meyer poised to get his first win in the playoffs, perhaps days away from his first MVP win, and possibly deal another blow to Justin Herbert’s tarnished reputation. At least that’s especially true in the playoffs. It should be remembered that Herbert was a loser, and along the way, he lost his two primary protectors: Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. It would be understandable if the season ended in failure, but Herbert’s character is made of the right stuff. He doesn’t need to win here, but an admirable performance could add some luster to his reputation and help Los Angeles get healthy again heading into 2026.
Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Tuesday 13 January 1:15am (GMT)
So, one last hurrah for Aaron Rodgers, but with home field advantage, can there be any life left for the veteran quarterback? After eliminating the division and forcing a hard reset on the Ravens, a great matchup awaits against one of the best defenses in the league, with the Texans ranking first in EPA per game (-0.13) and total EPA (-130.69). sumerian sportstowering over the notorious Seahawks defense. Fans are divided, but prepare for DK Metcalf’s return from a two-game suspension after punching a supporter, and every Rodgers game from here on out is worth making an appointment to watch as one of the greatest pitchers of all time delivers an incredible goal.