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- Six wild-card matchups showcase playoff drama: the Packers-Bears rivalry resumes after splitting recent games, while the Bills face Jacksonville’s league-leading defense.
- Justin Herbert seeks his first playoff win against a Patriots team that finished No. 2 in the AFC.
- The Texans will arrive in Pittsburgh riding a nine-game winning streak.
1
DENVER — Third time’s the charm?
Twice in club history, the Chargers lost playoff games at New England. It was the AFC championship game in the 2007 season and a divisional game in 2018.
That’s little more than a trivia answer, though, as the two teams are entirely different now. This matchup features two outstanding coaches in Jim Harbaugh and New England’s Mike Vrabel, and two elite quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and Drake Maye.
The Patriots haven’t seen many elite quarterbacks this season, instead beating a ho-hum collection of passers that includes Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler, Dillon Gabriel and 40-year-old Joe Flacco. New England did beat Buffalo star and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, knocking off the Bills in Week 5 before blowing a 21-0 lead to them in Week 15.
Of course, you play who’s on your schedule in the NFL, so you don’t pick the quarterbacks you face. And the Patriots have routinely gotten the job done. It’s just that Herbert could present a significant challenge.
That said, Herbert has yet to win a playoff game in six seasons, and he has been hit more than any quarterback in the league (witness his broken left hand).
The Patriots figure to lean heavily on their solid running attack to play ball-control in the frigid cold and make it three for three against their AFC foes from the opposite corner of the country.
With Justin Herbert and many of the Chargers’ starters not playing, the team puts in a strong defensive effort in a 19-3 loss to the Denver Broncos.
2
Rams at Carolina Panthers
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, right, celebrates a touchdown with tight end Colby Parkinson during a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The Rams were atop a lot of power rankings for much of this season, but they have had a tendency to go ice cold at times.
One of those times was in Week 13 at Carolina, when they stumbled to a 31-28 defeat that included two Matthew Stafford interceptions, one of which was run back 48 yards for a touchdown. The Rams also lost a fumble in that game.
It was an unsettling end to the season for the Rams, who lost back-to-back games at Seattle and Atlanta, then got off to a sputtering start in the finale against Arizona.
It’s a good time to catch Carolina, however, as the Panthers finished with three losses in four games, falling to New Orleans, Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Matthew Stafford got hot in the second half and helped direct the Rams to a 37-20 win over the Cardinals, setting up a playoff matchup at Carolina.
3
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
(Erin Hooley / Associated Press)
The NFL’s oldest rivalry is also the most recent rivalry in these playoffs, as the Bears and Packers played twice in the past month. They split those games, even though Green Bay was the better team in six of those eight quarters.
The Packers probably feel as if they should be 2-0 in those games, and they’re right. Chicago trailed, 14-3, at halftime of the first game (and lost by seven), and 6-0 at halftime of the second (and won by six).
Neither team could stop the run in their last meeting, with the Packers rushing for 192 and the Bears 150. Baltimore rumbled for 307 against the Packers two weeks ago.
Chicago gives up too many explosive plays and has next-to-no pass rush.
This game is steeped in history. The last time Chicago won a playoff game was when it beat Seattle in the 2010 divisional round. A week later, the Bears lost in the NFC championship game to... Green Bay.
4
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars
(Seth Wenig / Associated Press)
Is this the season the Buffalo Bills finally reach the mountaintop?
They have a significant hurdle in the oft-overlooked Jacksonville Jaguars, who might be the most complete team in the conference. They haven’t lost since falling by a touchdown to Houston in Week 10.
Buffalo’s Allen has been predictably outstanding and had four consecutive interception-free games in December. He’ll be facing the AFC’s takeaway leader, as the Jaguars are second only to Chicago with 31.
In 2017, the Bills ended their 17-year postseason drought when they faced Jacksonville in a first-round game. The Jaguars won, and four months later the Bills drafted Allen.
5
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
(Jed Jacobsohn / Associated Press)
These teams met at Lincoln Financial Field three years ago in the NFC championship game, and San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had barely broken a sweat when he had to leave the game with a serious elbow injury.
The 49ers came back to Philadelphia in 2023 and rolled the Eagles, 42-19, but that was little consolation for losing a game a step away from the Super Bowl.
This isn’t a great matchup for the 49ers because Philadelphia has the ability to run the ball on San Francisco’s defense the way Seattle did in the regular-season finale, with the Seahawks gaining 180 yards on the ground.
The Eagles have been up and down with their running attack, but they can be explosive at times, with 207 yards against Washington, 183 against Las Vegas, and 276 against the New York Giants.
6
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked six field goals Sunday in a 38-30 win over Indianapolis, helping the Texans to their ninth consecutive win.
Accurate kicks were in short supply at the end of the winner-take-all thriller between Baltimore and Pittsburgh on Sunday night, and, after the Ravens missed from close range, the Steelers escaped with a two-point win and the AFC North title.
That means Aaron Rodgers is still going at 42 and has a chance to lead the Steelers to their first playoff victory since 2016.
The Texans, who knocked the Chargers out of the postseason last season, have never played Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Also, they have never won a playoff game on the road.
