NFL playoffs: chaos, fresh faces and a wide-open road to San Francisco

At the start of the season, almost every preseason bracket featured teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens or Washington Commanders as playoff locks. In the end, the NFL always restores order. Whether due to underperformance, injuries, bad luck or any other factor, several of the early favorites are already out, and the 14 franchises still standing have earned their place. Two of last season’s four conference finalists are already KO, including the Chiefs. The reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, are far from their best, many quarterbacks lack postseason experience, and all of it combines into the perfect recipe for the most uncertain playoffs in years.

The road to the San Francisco Super Bowl on February 8 begins this Saturday with the first two Wild Card games – effectively the quarterfinals of each conference. Only two teams, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, will not play this weekend, thanks to their status as AFC and NFC champions respectively, which sends them straight to the Divisional Round against the lowest remaining seed. That extra rest is priceless after a brutal 17-game season.

While the top seeds wait, the Wild Card round opens Saturday with the Carolina Panthers hosting the Los Angeles Rams (4:30 p.m. ET, DAZN). At 8–9, Carolina are the only playoff team with more losses than wins in the regular season, and Bryce Young will make his postseason debut leading a Panthers side that are clear underdogs. The Rams (12–5) were, for weeks, the hottest team in the NFL, though a late-season dip saw them slip. Still, with a strong defense and an offense led by Super Bowl winner Matthew Stafford, they remain one of the NFC’s main threats and should have too much for an inconsistent Carolina team.

Later that night, at 8:00 p.m. ET, Soldier Field hosts one of the NFL’s great rivalries as the Chicago Bears face the Green Bay Packers. Chicago (11–6), second in the NFC, have capped a very solid regular season, confirming that their rebuild is on the right track. Now comes the real test for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who entered the league billed as a future superstar. He came close to becoming the first Bears QB to throw for 4,000 yards in a season and will also be making his playoff debut – historically a tough challenge, with quarterbacks going 20–40 in their first postseason start since 2002. He will try to lead the Bears past a Packers team (9–7–1) that failed to meet expectations and will be without Micah Parsons, the defensive leader whose season ended with a serious injury.

Sunday brings a triple-header. At 1:00 p.m. ET, the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Buffalo Bills in one of the Wild Card’s marquee matchups, guaranteeing that a major AFC contender will fall immediately. Jacksonville (13–4) finished the season in devastating form, winning eight straight games and outscoring opponents by 153 points in that span. Their run will be tested by Buffalo (12–5), another team that, like the Rams, looked dominant at times but paid for inconsistency. Even so, the Bills have the league’s reigning MVP, Josh Allen, and this postseason represents a golden opportunity without the Chiefs – their recent nemesis – standing in the way.

At 4:30 p.m. ET, two familiar foes collide again as the Philadelphia Eagles meet the San Francisco 49ers. Sparks have flown between these teams in previous postseasons, and this meeting looks just as unpredictable. The defending champions (11–6) have underwhelmed for much of the year but still boast a roster loaded with talent. The 49ers (12–5), whose Levi’s Stadium will host the Super Bowl, have survived a plague of injuries to key players and only clinched the NFC crown in the final week against the Seahawks. Much will hinge on Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and the damage he can inflict on a San Francisco run defense that has struggled. Quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy will also be under intense scrutiny.

The late game, at 8:00 p.m. ET, sees the New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in just their second playoff appearance since Tom Brady’s departure in 2019. New England (14–3) appear to have found another franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, and backed by a strong defense they enter as favorites. The Chargers (11–6), however, pose a threat through the arm of Justin Herbert.

The Wild Card round concludes in the early hours of Monday night, at 8:00 p.m. ET, with the most experienced quarterback of these playoffs stepping into the spotlight. At 42, Aaron Rodgers may be staring at the final chance of his career to win a second Super Bowl. Remarkably, he alone has more postseason wins (11) than the other six AFC quarterbacks combined (10). In his first year, he dragged the Pittsburgh Steelers (10–7) into the playoffs at the last second, helped by a missed Ravens kick that sealed their ticket. His journey begins against the Houston Texans (12–5), owners of one of the league’s best defenses and a team few expected to be here. Everything is set for the most wide-open NFL playoffs in years.

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