Here’s who we’re picking in the opening week of the playoffs.
Then there were … 14. Okay, so it doesn’t have the same gravitas when almost half the NFL is in the playoffs, but here we are at Wild Card Weekend — also known as “Super Wild Card Weekend,” for some reason.
The San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens get a week off for finishing the regular season first in their respective conferences, and now the field battles it out to see who moves forward. Some of these games feel like chalk, with the Bills universally expected to beat the Steelers, and the Cowboys looking like a lock to beat Green Bay — but there’s a lot of intrigue here as well.
Miami’s elite offense heads to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs in what should be the game of the weekend, but the cold might have other plans. The Dolphins will need to play is unprecedented conditions, which could really hurt their chances to move on.
Meanwhile there’s an emotional battle between the Browns and Texans. Two relative Cinderellas, desperate to make an impact. Houston came out of nowhere in 2023 to assert themselves as the future of the AFC South, while Cleveland were heavily favored out of the gate — but have been decimated by injuries this season. A lot is on the line for both franchises, and it’s going to be a dramatic day in Cleveland.
Here are our picks.