The NFL playoffs are here. It's incredible to think that just a few months ago, the Detroit Lions overwhelmed the Kansas City Chiefs in the first game of the season.
Both of these teams are in the playoffs and could potentially meet in the Super Bowl.
The road begins here. With the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers receiving byes in the first round, the remaining division champions and wild-card teams will be looking to narrow their spots.
See below for a breakdown of this weekend's playoff games.
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Texans vs. Browns – Saturday, 4:30pm ET
CJ Stroud of the Houston Texans warms up before a game against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 6, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Cooper Neal/Getty Images)
The Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns are both back in the playoffs and riding a wave of momentum toward a return to the postseason. The Texans became the first teams in the Super Bowl era to win a division title with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach, respectively, following C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans. The Browns made the playoffs for the second time in the past 20 years.
All eyes will be on how Stroud can handle the pressure of the playoffs, but it's been a minute since Houston had any postseason success. He has 4,108 passing yards and 23 touchdown passes this season.
He will face a Browns defense that features Myles Garrett, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Denzel Ward. Needless to say, Joe Flacco seems to have turned back the clock on him. Since taking the reins as the starting quarterback, he has accumulated 1,616 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes.
Cleveland defeated Houston 36-22 on Christmas Eve.
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Chiefs vs. Dolphins – Saturday 8pm ET
Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs runs onto the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 31, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
All eyes will be on Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill as he returns to Arrowhead Stadium for a key game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes' team is aiming to win back-to-back Super Bowls, something they haven't done since the early 2000s.
However, both teams struggled until the end. The Dolphins were the driving force behind the AFC East championship until losing to the Buffalo Bills in the final game of the regular season. The Chiefs have won three of their last four games, but the offense hasn't looked the same as in previous years.
The Chiefs have won the AFC West title eight years in a row, and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will have to plan something great to surpass the legend of coach Andy Reid. . Miami is making the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1997-2001.
Remember, weather is a big factor, as wind chills are expected to bring temperatures below freezing in the Kansas City field. Incidentally, the last time the two teams met was in Germany earlier this season. Kansas City won the game 21-14.
Bills vs. Steelers – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills plays against the Miami Dolphins on January 7, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills will meet in the Wild Card Round to begin Sunday's game. The Bills defeated the Dolphins in the final game of the regular season and entered the game as the AFC East champions. The Steelers are on a three-game winning streak as they aim to make the playoffs.
Pittsburgh defeated the Baltimore Ravens last weekend, but the Jacksonville Jaguars needed to lose to advance. That has become a reality, and now it's up to Mason Rudolph and the offense to make something happen against the Bills. It will be even tougher defensively without TJ Watt.
Josh Allen had 4,306 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes, and Buffalo won the AFC East for the fourth year in a row. A lot of people will be riding on Allen's shoulders to make things happen and keep Buffalo without turnovers against the hungry Steelers.
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Cowboys vs. Packers – Sunday, 4:30pm ET
Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys calls a play during the first half against the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field on January 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Scott Tetch/Getty Images)
There's a rich history between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in the postseason, especially recently with Dez Bryant's no-catch and Aaron Rodgers' late-game heroics. Now, Dallas is aiming to return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 28 years, and the Packers are entering a new era with Jordan Love taking pictures.
Dak Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes this season, and with the two teams meeting in the playoffs, the Cowboys' quarterback has been in the spotlight. Defensively, Micah Parsons is a leader and will be needed to stay on a tear. He recorded 14 sacks in 2023, becoming the fifth player since 1982 to record 40 or more sacks in his first three seasons.
Love was behind Prescott with 32 touchdown passes. This is his first playoff berth, and his first with a post-Rodgers team. Love also has 4,159 passing yards. The Packers are playing well, but will need to dig deeper to get a win on the road.
Lions vs. Rams – Sunday, 8pm ET
Jared Goff, No. 16, of the Detroit Lions waits to lead his team onto the field before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit on January 7, 2024. (Nick Antaya/Getty Images)
Playoff football comes to Ford Field for the first time. The Detroit Lions will host a playoff game, welcoming former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams to town on Sunday night.
It's a highly anticipated game where quarterback Jared Goff gets a chance to get revenge on the Rams who traded Stafford a few seasons ago. Fans will be excited and loud as the upstart Lions look to build on a potential dream season. Goff has 4,575 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes, while Amon-Ra St. Brown has 119 catches for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdown passes. Sam LaPorta also scored 10 touchdowns.
The Rams advanced to the playoffs behind the division champion San Francisco 49ers. The Rams played well during Stafford's rookie season as he developed Puka Nacua into a dynamite receiver alongside Cooper Kupp. Not to be forgotten, Aaron Donald had eight sacks and rookie Koby Turner had a team-leading nine sacks.
It's going to be a hell of a game Sunday night in Detroit.
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Buccaneers vs. Eagles, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is shown during a game against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on January 7, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (John Byram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The wild card final will be played between the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Baker Mayfield last appeared in the playoffs in 2020 with the Browns. The team surprised the Steelers and won the team's first postseason victory in 18 years. Now he will lead the upstart Bucks team against an Eagles team that looks to be in disarray.
A lot of pressure will be on the Eagles. Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown were injured in last week's loss to the New York Giants. The team doesn't quite exude the confidence it did this time last year. But victory solves everything. They could march to Tampa and beat the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay scored just nine points against the Carolina Panthers last weekend.
Can Mayfield and the Bucs catch the Eagles by surprise? Find out on Monday.
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