Year in and year out, the divisional round of the NFL playoffs is typically the most exciting. Following one of the best Wild Card weekends in recent memory, football fans are in for another treat, as all four games this weekend promise to be must-see TV. Here’s a preview of what to expect.
Saturday 4:30 p.m.
Denver Broncos (1) vs. Buffalo Bills (6)
With the Kansas City Chiefs out this year, the AFC is wide open. Traditionally, the team with the best quarterback tends to come out on top in the playoffs, and this year, it is undoubtably be Buffalo’s Josh Allen. Allen put on a Superman-like performance last weekend, carrying the Bills’ offense—despite having only three healthy wide receivers—to a 27-point victory. He will need to do the same against the Broncos, who have one of the most potent defenses in the league.
As for the No. 1 seed Denver Broncos, they sat out last weekend with a first-round bye. Their success can be attributed to a top defensive line, highlighted by the best cornerback in the league, Patrick Surtain II. Offensively, Denver’s offense will need to establish the run game, in order to be successful.
“I am most excited to watch Broncos versus Bills,” sophomore Jordan Jacobs said. “Without Lamar, Burrow or Mahomes, it has to be Allen’s year, and if it’s not, I don’t know if it will ever be.”
Saturday 8 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks (1) vs San Francisco 49ers (6)
The 49ers’ season has been definied by a “next-man-up” mentality. Despite having 11 players on injured reserve, the team has still had an incredibly successful season. This revolved around running back Christian McCaffrey, who last week scored both 49er touchdowns along with 116 all-purpose yards.
The Seahawks took a huge risk by bringing in Sam Darnold, but it paid off. Seattle’s offense has become one of the most effective units off the back of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. On top of having one of the best defenses in the league, the Seahawks have earned the top seed and look like a strong Super Bowl contender.
“I’m most excited to see the 49ers-Seahawks game because they’re division rivals and split the regular-season series,” senior Ian Pietrucha said. “It should be interesting to see who comes out on top.”
Sunday 3 p.m.
New England Patriots (2) vs. Houston Texans (5)
Complementary football has been the Patriots M.O. all season, and that was on display last week in Foxborough as the Patriots cruised to a 16-3 Wild Card victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Facing Houston’s best defense in the league, the Patriots defense is going to have to pick up where they left off last week to give Drake Maye the best chance at advancing to the championship round.
On the other hand, Houston had the largest margin of victory in the Wild Card games, beating the Steelers 30-6. That game perfectly encapsulates the Texans, a team that is going to wear down its opponents. The defense scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Offensively, quarterback CJ Stroud struggled with five turnovers; he must limit them if the team has a chance at beating the Patriots.
“I’m looking forward to watching Texans-Patriots,” senior Aedan Perez said. “I want to see how Drake Maye does against an elite defense and if he’ll be able to perform to an MVP level.”
Sunday 6:30 p.m.
Chicago Bears (2) vs. Los Angeles Rams (5)
Last week, the Bears won an absolute stunner at home against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, when Chicago was down 15 in the fourth quarter, but scored 22 points in just 10 minutes to take down the Packers 31-27. It has been a season of comeback wins for the Bears in seven of their 12 games. As for quarterback Caleb Williams, he emerged as a league star during wildcard weekend.
Coming into the playoffs, many fans picked the Rams as the favorites to win it all, but their narrow 34-31 win over Carolina raised concerns. Offensively, Matthew Stafford started strong, completing his first eight passes, but struggled afterward, going just 16-of-32 while throwing a pick. If the Rams want to return to championship form, they’ve got to return to their early-season rhythm.
With both the AFC and NFC Championship Games scheduled for next weekend, it won’t be long before fans find out which teams will compete for the Lombardi Trophy at Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 6.















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