The National Football League's postseason begins this weekend with a slate of six tantalising wildcard matchups. From historic rivalries renewed to clashes between the league's most explosive talents, the road to the Super Bowl starts here.
Historic Rivalry Takes Centre Stage
The weekend's most storied contest sees the Green Bay Packers travel to face the Chicago Bears on Saturday night. The Bears are chasing history, seeking their first playoff victory over their division rivals since a 33-14 win on 14 December 1941. Chicago's success that day was built on a dominant ground game, a blueprint current coach Matt Eberflus may look to replicate with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
For the Packers, the strategy is to suffocate Chicago's opportunistic, big-play defence. The plan involves establishing the run to drain the life from the unit before unleashing quarterback Jordan Love's deep connection with Christian Watson. The Bears' hopes may rest on the shoulders of veteran safety Kevin Byard, who led a turnover-happy defence that topped the NFL with 23 interceptions and 33 total takeaways.
Quarterbacks Under the Microscope
Elsewhere, the spotlight falls on several star quarterbacks. In Buffalo, Josh Allen carries the Bills' hopes against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his protection is paramount. A thread of pressure and turnovers runs through Buffalo's five regular-season defeats, a weakness the Jaguars will aim to exploit.
The Sunday night game features a blockbuster rematch as the San Francisco 49ers visit the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers will lean heavily on the one-two punch of running back Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy, who leads the NFL in success rate on passes of 20+ air yards. The Eagles counter with Jalen Hurts, whose designed runs could target a suspect 49ers linebacker corps.
Key Matchups and Predictions
The weekend opens with the Los Angeles Rams visiting the Carolina Panthers. The Rams' fortunes hinge on quarterback Matthew Stafford's ball security, while the Panthers, massive underdogs, will need audacious play-calling to repeat their regular-season upset. Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who led the NFL in receptions (129) and yards per game (107.2), is the key weapon.
In the AFC, the New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the likely MVP, brings impressive ball security against a Chargers defence that recorded the third-most interceptions. New England's powerful run game, utilising six-lineman 'jumbo' packages, could dominate.
The final wildcard game sees the Houston Texans visit the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Texans must improve their red-zone efficiency against a stout Steelers defence, while Pittsburgh needs a fast start to energise their home crowd. Houston's menace, defensive end Will Anderson Jr., will be central to disrupting the Steelers' plans.
Our Wildcard Weekend Predictions:
- Rams over Panthers
- Bears over Packers
- Jaguars over Bills
- Eagles over 49ers
- Patriots over Chargers
- Texans over Steelers
