What will the Philadelphia Eagles do this offseason after losing in the Wild Card round to the San Francisco 49ers? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano, Jori Epstein and Frank Schwab break down the incredible games from the weekend, including a wild ending in Chicago as well as a thriller in Duval. The crew also looks back at Justin Herbert’s struggles in New England and what it could mean going forward for the Los Angeles Chargers before closing things out with their “One More Thing.”
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(3:20) – 49ers beat Eagles
(24:35) – Bears beat Packers
(36:55) – Bills beat Jaguars
(45:50) – Patriots beat Chargers
(54:35) – Rams beat Panthers
(59:45) – One More Thing
How will Philadelphia handle the offseason after losing their Wild Card matchup? (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Per On3, both players were 5-star recruits coming out of high school. Neither produced at that level at Alabama, but both carry upside as they head to an Ohio State team that will again seek to compete for a national championship next season.
Per ESPN, Smith is the 30th-ranked player in the transfer portal. Russaw is ranked 38th.
A rising senior, Smith tallied 28 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 15 games last season. Russaw, a rising junior, posted 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack in nine games in 2025.
They’ll both join an Ohio State program that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation, but lost its last two games to Indiana in the Big Ten championship and then Miami in the College Football Playoff.
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Despite the disappointment, Ohio State projects as a top-five team next season and is on the short list of favorites to compete for a second national championship in three seasons. Smith and Russaw project to bolster that case along with the Buckeyes’ defense.
Brooks Koepka understands the punishment heâs facing in order to facilitate his return back from LIV Golf.
Itâs not fun, but Koepka couldnât fight it. He knowâs thatâs the cost of making it back to the PGA Tour after spending several years with LIV Golf.
âThere was no negotiating,â Koepka told the Associated Pressâ Doug Ferguson on Monday night. âItâs meant to hurt, it does hurt, but I understand. Itâs not supposed to be an easy path. Thereâs a lot of people that were hurt by it when I left, and I understand that’s part of coming back.â
Koepka announced on Monday that he would officially return to the Tour, just weeks after he got out of the end of his current contract with LIV Golf. That contract was reportedly worth more than $100 million when he first signed with the league.
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The deal was done as part of the new âReturning Memberâs Program,â something the Tour created last week and announced on Monday in an effort to allow Koepka and a select few others to get back to the Tour. Players who have either won a major championship or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025 are eligible to apply for reinstatement â which only applies to Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith â before Feb. 2.
As part of the penalties handed down, Koepka will have to make a $5 million charitable donation. He will not be eligible for FedExCup bonus money in 2026, he canât receive sponsor exemptions into signature events and he wonât be able to receive equity grants in the Tour over the next five years.
In total, the Tour estimates that Koepka could miss out on anywhere between $50 to $85 million in potential earnings.
That plan was approved by the PGA Tourâs board last week. Koepka, per the Associated Press, spoke with new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp on the phone on Thursday night and then showed up by himself to the Tourâs headquarters on Friday to further discuss the plan.
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With how his time with LIV Golf was going â Koepka had publicly complained about the league last summer before the two sides officially split in December with one year left on his deal â Koepka wanted out. Even with what itâs costing him, he clearly thinks itâs worth it.
âI needed to be there with my family over the last few months. I needed to be closer to home,â Koepka said. âI was able to get out of the LIV contract, everything lined up perfectly and I was able to get back on Tour.
âIâm happy and grateful it was able to come to this.â
So, how will he be welcomed back?
Koepka is set to make his official return later this month at the Farmers Insurance Open. He said he will play in the Phoenix Open next month, too, which is where he won his first Tour event back in 2015.
Koepka has won nine times on Tour in his career, most recently at the PGA Championship in 2023. That marked his fifth major championship win.
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While the tone regarding LIV Golf has undoubtedly shifted in recent months and years â itâs nowhere near as hostile as it once was when the Saudi Arabian-backed venture first started â Koepka knows he is still going to have to put in some time with Tour members in the near future.
âIâve got a lot of work to do with some of the players,â Koepka said. âThereâs definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry ⌠If anyone is upset, I need to rebuild those relationships.â
When it comes time for his outing at Torrey Pines in a few weeks, Koepka knows itâll be a weird feeling.
But heâs ready for it. And after seeing how everything played out between the Tour and LIV Golf, he had to have known this was coming.
âThe first week Iâll be a little bit nervous,â Koepka said. âThereâs a lot going on than just golf. Iâll be glad to put the first week behind me â dealing with the media, dealing with the players, and then getting some of those tougher conversations. But Iâm looking forward to it.
âAm I nervous? Yes. Am I excited? Yes. In a weird way, I want to have those conversations.â
Virginia has scored a commitment from Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula in the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.
During his lone season in Columbia, Pribula threw for 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in eight starts. He also rushed for 297 yards and 6 scores on 95 carries. Pribula has one season of eligibility remaining.
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In transferring from Missouri to Virginia, Pribula goes from the middle of the pack (4-4, 8-5 overall) in the SEC to a team that finished first in the ACC regular-season standings (7-1, 11-3). The Cavaliers missed out on the College Football Playoff by losing the ACC championship game to Duke 27-20.
Virginia made a big jump in head coach Tony Elliott’s fourth season, improving from five wins the previous season. The Cavaliers ended the season ranked No. 20 in the AP poll, while the Tigers finished No. 25.
Last season, Virginia was led at quarterback by Chandler Morris, who threw for 3,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 starts.
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Interestingly, Virginia and Missouri faced each other this past season in the Gator Bowl. The Cavaliers won that matchup 13-7. Pribula opted out of the game once he entered the transfer portal.
Pribula transferred to Missouri last winter after two seasons as Drew Allar’s backup at Penn State.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was arrested Sunday on a reckless driving charge, according to The Dallas Morning News, citing Collin County jail records.
Ezeiruaku posted a $500 bond and was released.
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An officer spotted Ezeiruaku driving “recklessly” on the southbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway in Plano, Texas, just before midnight on Sunday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said that the “trooper initiated a traffic stop to investigate, which ultimately led to the arrest of the driver,” via the NFL Network’s Jane Slater. Further specifics of the incident are not yet known.
The Cowboys said Monday night that they were aware of the arrest and did not provide additional comments. Collin County sits just northeast of Dallas.
Ezeiruaku had 40 total tackles and two sacks with the Cowboys this season. He was ejected from the teamâs final game of the season after he ripped off the helmet of New York Giants offensive lineman Greg Van Roten during a scuffle in the second half, ending his rookie season early.
Ezeiruaku was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft last spring out of Boston College. He racked up 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss during his senior campaign with the Eagles, both of which led the ACC.
The Cowboys went 7-9-1 this past season and lost four of their last five games to fall out of playoff contention for a second straight year.
Collins landed face first into the ground while attempting to catch a pass early in the fourth quarter. Per the ESPN broadcast, he remained hunched over on the ground for more than a minute after the collision and struggled to make it to the sideline medical tent.
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When he left the tent, he sat down on the back of a cart with a towel over his head and his left hand cradling his forehead.
Houston ruled him out shortly after he left the game with a concussion. Further details of Collins’ condition weren’t initially clear. Fellow Texans wide receiver Justin Watson was also ruled out with a concussion.
The injury took place early in the fourth quarter as the Texans held a 7-6 lead. Houston’s defense controlled the game from two defensive touchdowns as the Texans opened the one-point contest into a blowout.
Collins is Houston’s top receiver, but played a secondary role to Christian Kirk prior to his exit. Collins had 3 catches for 21 yards when he left the game, while Kirk finished with 8 receptions for 144 yards a touchdown.
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Collins’ health moving forward will be a significant storyline for next week and beyond.
Joe Mazzulla had two words, and only two words, on Monday night.
âIllegal screen.â
The Boston Celticsâ head coach said those two words over and over when speaking with reporters after the teamâs late loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday, clearly upset by what he thought was an illegal screen set by Pascal Siakam before the game-winning bucket.
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While itâs not as harsh as the comments made by Jaylen Brown on Saturday, itâs still likely to lead to a fine from the NBA in the coming days.
Siakam set a screen for Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard at the top of the court, though Nembhard gave him the ball back almost immediately. Siakam then worked Derrick White down the paint and hit a bank-shot with less than seven seconds left to secure a 98-96 win over the Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Itâs the screen that set Mazzulla off. Siakam didnât appear to be completely set when he set the screen for Nembhard, and then he leaned into Whiteâs hip â which knocked him to the ground briefly.
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Siakam wasnât called for a foul on the play, and the game continued.
After the game, instead of talking about anything that led up to that play, Mazzulla answered plainly to every question he was asked by reporters.
âIllegal screen,â he said every time before finally walking off.
Siakam led the Pacers with 21 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10-of-15 from the field. Jay Huff added 20 points, and Nembhard finished with 13 points. The win marked the third straight for Indianapolis, which now holds a 9-31 record.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists in the loss, which marked their third in a four-game span. White added 18 points, and Anfernee Simons finished with 16 points off the bench.
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This is the second straight game in which someone within the Celtics organization has publicly criticized the officials. Brown went off after the teamâs loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, calling out the referees in that game with a long, expletive-filled rant. Brown didnât attempt a single free throw in that contest, and the Celtics took only four as a team.
âI’ll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls*** tonight,â Brown said on Saturday, in part. âI think they’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good ⌠Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. I’ll take the f***ing fine. Curtis, all them dudes, was terrible tonight. I don’t care, they can fine me whatever they want.”
Wild-card weekend is in the books, and the next round of the NFL playoffs are set.
The Seattle Seahawks secured the top seed in the division, which allowed them to watch wild-card weekend from home. Theyâll now get to host the San Francisco 49ers next weekend in the divisional round, a rematch of their Week 18 battle that clinched the NFC West for Seattle. The Chicago Bears will host the Los Angeles Rams in the other NFC game.
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The Denver Broncos narrowly beat out the New England Patriots for the first-round bye in the AFC, and will now get to host the Buffalo Bills, who beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots will then host the Houston Texans, who rolled over Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers to wrap up the wild-card round on Monday night.
Hereâs everything you need to know with the divisional round of the playoffs looming.
NFC playoff field
1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3) 2. Chicago Bears (12-6) 5. Los Angeles Rams (13-5) 6. San Francisco 49ers (13-5)
AFC playoff field
1. Denver Broncos (14-3) 2. New England Patriots (15-3) 5. Houston Texans (13-5) 6. Buffalo Bills (13-5)
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NFL divisional round schedule
NFC matchups
6. San Francisco 49ers at 1. Seattle Seahawks When: Saturday, Jan. 17 | 8 p.m. ET Location: Lumen Field | Seattle TV: Fox Tickets: Gametime
5. Los Angeles Rams at 2. Chicago Bears When: Sunday, Jan. 18 | 6:30 p.m. ET Location: Soldier Field | Chicago TV: NBC Tickets: Gametime
AFC matchups
6. Buffalo Bills at 1. Denver Broncos When: Saturday, Jan. 17 | 4:30 p.m. ET Location: Empower Field at Mile High | Denver TV: CBS Tickets: Gametime
5. Houston Texans at 2. New England Patriots When: Sunday, Jan. 18 | 3 p.m. ET Location: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass. TV: ESPN/ABC Tickets: Gametime
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NFL wild-card round results
Saturday, Jan. 10 Los Angeles Rams 34, Carolina Panthers 31 Chicago Bears 31, Green Bay Packers 27
Sunday, Jan. 11 Buffalo Bills 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 24 San Francisco 49ers 23, Philadelphia Eagles 19 New England Patriots 16, Los Angeles Chargers 3
The question probably isnât whether we just witnessed the greatest wild-card weekend in NFL playoff history (with one game to go). It almost unquestionably was.
The better question might be whether it was the greatest single set of games in any round of NFL playoff history.
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There is an argument to be made it was. In terms of fourth-quarter lead changes, it had blown away the old record for any round after just three games. There were nine lead changes in the fourth quarter of the first three games, and the previous record for a single playoff round was six. Then there were three more in the San Francisco 49ersâ win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
In the first three games, none of the teams that led at the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter won the game. The Eagles almost made that a clean sweep through four games but their final drive came up just short of a go-ahead touchdown.
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All of the fourth-quarter drama led to the first four games being decided by four or fewer points, the first time that had happened in NFL history.
The greatness of wild-card weekend went beyond stats. There were fantastic clutch drives and game-winning plays by quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Caleb Williams and Josh Allen. The Panthers were expected to be blown out but surprised everyone by leading the Rams until the final minute of regulation. The Bears had their greatest playoff comeback in team history, and it was one of 12 playoff comebacks in NFL history of 18 or more points.
In terms of the total amount of drama and strong play through the weekend, itâs hard to imagine any set of games over a playoff round being much better.
Colby Parkinson of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after scoring a game-winning touchdown to beat the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
(Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images)
The New England Patriotsâ win over the Los Angeles Chargers was the only dud of the weekend. An 80% hit rate isnât bad at all. The NFLâs popularity continues to grow, and a phenomenal start to the playoffs, following a regular season that had numerous game of the year candidates, should make for a massive divisional round, in terms of viewership. That has to make their television partners happy.
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The only problem might be the rest of the playoffs living up to the high bar from the wild-card weekend. It wonât be easy.
Here are the rest of the winners and losers from a scintillating wild-card weekend:
WINNERS
Matt Burke: The longer the Houston Texans go on in the playoffs, the better it might be for Burke, Houstonâs defensive coordinator.
Usually itâs the opposite for head-coaching candidates. Theyâre having to juggle getting ready for the next game with interviews for their dream job. But in Burkeâs case, every time the Texans play, his resume looks even better.
The Texans defense was responsible for two touchdowns and gave up none in a 30-6 beating of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Burkeâs defense has been fantastic all season and was really impressive on a big stage against the Steelers.
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All teams with a head-coaching vacancy will be taking note. There are some good defensive-minded candidates in this cycle, like Brian Flores, Jesse Minter, Chris Shula and Robert Saleh. But each time the Texans play, it becomes more evident that Burkeâs defense is the best in the NFL. That could matter to teams setting up those interviews.
That Caleb Williams throw: There were a lot of great storylines from wild-card weekend. Maybe thatâs why we didnât make a bigger deal over one of the better throws youâll ever see in the playoffs.
On fourth-and-8, with the Bears trailing by 11, Williams was flushed to his left. Without being able to properly turn his body, he contorted his body and got a pass downfield (about 35 yards in the air) to Rome Odunze for a first down. Without that play, the Bears are very unlikely to pull out a 31-27 win that will be celebrated in Chicago for a long time.
The combination of Williams defying physics to get himself in a position to throw, the arm strength, the accuracy and the situation makes it a simply stunning highlight.
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It wasnât a perfect game from Williams, but still a pretty good one. He had 361 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to DJ Moore in the final two minutes. He did have two interceptions and only completed 50% of his passes â consistent accuracy is the one missing piece from Williamsâ game â but the Bears have to be thrilled at where heâs at near the end of his second season.
Sean McDermott: Was McDermott ever on the hot seat this season? We might never find out.
The Buffalo Bills came into the playoffs as the most interesting team in the field. Their range of outcomes was a Super Bowl championship or a first-round exit. Neither would have been a big surprise. But a one-and-done playoff stay, wasting another year of Josh Allenâs prime in a season that saw the Patriots zoom by the Bills in the AFC East, would have made for plenty of criticism about McDermott and whether the Bills had stalled or were even backsliding.
Speculation about major changes in Buffalo seems less likely now. The Bills pulled out a late 27-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, thanks mostly to Allenâs heroics. The Bills are lucky to have Allen. Theyâre very flawed around him. And often, like Sunday afternoon, it doesnât matter.
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If the Bills lose at the Denver Broncos on Saturday, there will still be some angst about McDermott and the Bills seeming further away from a Super Bowl than the previous few years. But it also seems much less likely there will be any serious discussions about a change.
Carolina Panthers: For most teams, a playoff loss after an 8-9 season wouldnât be cause for celebration. But the Panthers should feel OK about what they did.
The Panthers were expected to get blown out by the Los Angeles Rams, but instead they led until the final minute. Matthew Stafford hit Colby Parkinson on a nice play for the game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left, but the Panthers should still feel pretty good about taking a Super Bowl contender to the brink. The Panthers got a good game from quarterback Bryce Young, and hopefully he can build on that in his fourth season. They have some good, young talent. The Panthers shouldnât be too confident going into the offseason. They did lose 10 times this season, including Saturdayâs loss. But there is more hope in Carolina than there has been in a long time.
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LOSERS
Justin Herbert: Maybe Herbert should be in the winners section. Because no matter how poorly he plays, he never faces the same criticism other quarterbacks do.
Some quarterbacks get ripped no matter how well they play. Others get ripped for potential playoff lossesbefore the postseason even begins. No quarterback goes unscathed from criticism ⌠except Herbert, for some reason. Itâs an odd phenomenon.
Herbert has been in the playoffs three times and he has had three bad performances. For the second straight postseason the most disappointing team was the Los Angeles Chargers. Their uncompetitive 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots was a lot like last seasonâs uncompetitive wild-card weekend loss to the Houston Texans, when Herbert threw four interceptions. On Sunday night, Herbert didnât surpass 100 passing yards against a good-not-great Patriots defense until deep into the fourth quarter. Yes, Herbert got hit a lot late in the game behind a bad offensive line, but that doesnât stop people from ripping other quarterbacks.
Herbert is a very good quarterback who hasnât done well in the playoffs yet. He still has time to turn that around. And in the meantime, he wonât hear much criticism about it.
Nick Sirianni and A.J. Brown: Nothing summed up the Philadelphia Eaglesâ season better than the clip of Sirianni running down the sideline to scream at Brown to get off the field, then the receiver shouting back at his coach.
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The Eagles seemed miserable all season. They appeared as unhappy as any division winner coming off a Super Bowl championship as youâll find. At least they donât have to be around each other anymore this season.
The Eagles are done after a 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that was a good snapshot of their season, and not just for the sideline fights. The offense couldnât come up with the key plays it needed, not even against a 49ers defense that has been ravaged by injuries.
Now comes an interesting offseason. Everyone seemed to believe that Brown will be traded after a drama-filled season, though weâll see. There likely needs to be some major changes to the coaching staff after the offense was a mess all season. Something big has to change, because the Eagles donât want to suffer through another season like this past one.
It will be hard for the NFL to top the drama we saw in wild-card weekend.
There were great games and exciting finishes, but the divisional round often delivers fantastic football as well. We have the top seed in each conference added to the fun, and the six teams that were good enough to survive a tense first round.
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Here is a first look at the divisional round matchups (the fourth matchup will be added after the Texans-Steelers game on Monday night):
NFC
(6) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Seattle Seahawks (Saturday, Jan. 17)
Why the 49ers can win
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh have had phenomenal seasons. It makes no sense how the 49ers have gotten as far as they have given all the injuries to star players, but they keep winning. They won in Philadelphia on wild-card weekend after losing George Kittle to a torn Achilles tendon. Itâs hard to see how the 49ers will produce that much offense without Kittle, considering they struggled mightily against Seattleâs defense in Week 18, but Shanahan gives San Francisco a chance. If Salehâs defense can create some big turnovers from Sam Darnold, maybe theyâll pull off another surprise.
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Why the Seahawks can win
Seattleâs success in the regular season was no fluke. The Seahawks went 14-3 and the three losses were by nine combined points. A defense that led the NFL in points allowed is the foundation. Seattleâs defensive performance in Week 18, holding the 49ers to three points and just 173 yards, was magnificent. The 49ers will adjust for the rematch, but it will be hard to find a solution for a complex defense. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive guru and the team clicked with his scheme this season. Seattleâs offense isnât bad, either, finishing third in points scored and eighth in yards gained. As long as quarterback Sam Darnold doesnât make mistakes â that will be a key storyline all postseason â the Seahawks will be tough to beat.
Who has the juice going in
The George Kittle loss might be deflating for most teams, but this 49ers team is used to dealing with adversity. Still, losing a player as important as Kittle will hurt. The Seahawksâ Week 18 stonewalling of the 49ers has to give Seattle confidence, but it allows the 49ers to learn from it and make changes. Seattle has a great home-field advantage with a loud crowd, and that will factor in. The 49ers will be ready, but it will be a daunting task to win at Seattle.
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(5) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Chicago Bears (Sunday, Jan. 18)
Why the Rams can win
Is it possible Matthew Stafford will win MVP and isnât unquestionably the best player on his team? Puka Nacua has been on a great run whenever he has been healthy this season, and that continued in the wild-card round with 111 yards against the Panthers. The combination of Stafford and Nacua is probably the best still remaining in the playoffs. And the Rams have plenty more around them, whether itâs Davante Adams, Kyren Williams leading the run game, productive tight ends or a defense that gets a lot of disruption from the front seven. Theyâre also very well coached by Sean McVay. The Rams are the rare wild-card team that is clearly a viable Super Bowl contender.
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Why the Bears can win
The Bears are one of those teams that finds different, and usually dramatic, ways to win. They certainly know how to win close games. They had eight wins in one-score games, including a wild comeback to beat the Packers in the wild-card round. Caleb Williams continues to make incredible highlight throws and often does it in critical situations. The offense as a whole has continued to improve under Ben Johnsonâs watch, and continued improvements from a pair of rookies, tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III, have been big factors. Chicago can get big plays against the Ramsâ secondary, which is their most obvious weakness. The Bears donât blow many teams out, but 12 times this season theyâve come up with a win.
Caleb Williams celebrates after the Bears knocked off the Packers in a wild-card playoff game. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
(Todd Rosenberg via Getty Images)
Who has the juice going in
The Rams might be the better team, but the Bears have to feel like they are a team of destiny after that Packers victory. They trailed by 18 at halftime and somehow came back to beat their biggest rival. The Rams came back, too, but barely beating a Carolina team that went 8-9 in the regular season wasnât impressive. The Rams had a bit of a slump late in the season and nearly losing to the Panthers shouldnât convince anyone theyâve snapped out of it.
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AFC
(6) Buffalo Bills at (1) Denver Broncos (Saturday, Jan. 17)
Why the Bills can win
Pretty simple: They have Josh Allen. Allen covers up a lot of the Billsâ issues, and we saw that happen again in a dramatic comeback win over the Jaguars in the wild-card round. Allen put together a game-winning drive after the Jaguars took a lead with a little more than four minutes remaining. His flat-footed throw downfield to Brandin Cooks for a 36-yard gain, with the Jaguarsâ rush about to sack him, was a key play on Buffaloâs winning drive and not one that many quarterbacks can make. If you believe in the idea that having the best quarterback is a major edge in any playoff game, you have to like Buffaloâs chances.
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Why the Broncos can win
The Broncos arenât the first team to be a playoff threat with an uneven offense and a fierce defense. The defense, and the pass rush in particular, carried the Broncos. Denver had a league-best 68 sacks, 11 more than any other team. The offense has its moments too, but it often waits until late in games to start making plays. Bo Nix has been fine after a strong rookie season, but he has been inconsistent. The Broncos have a fantastic coach in Sean Payton and that helps in the many close games they find themselves in. And those reps in close games will help in the postseason.
Who has the juice going in
Youâd think a 14-3 team coming in off the bye would be feeling great, but itâs hard to be comfortable given how the offense has disappeared for long stretches. That includes a poor performance in Week 18 when the offense didnât score a touchdown in a 19-3 win over a Chargers team that was resting starters. The Bills got a reminder of what they are in wild-card weekend: a flawed team that has a superstar quarterback that can dig it out of plenty of jams. Josh Allen is a special player, and that gives the Bills all the juice they need most weeks.
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(5) Houston Texans at (2) New England Patriots (Sunday, Jan. 17)
Why the Texans can win
Well, itâs not their offense. The Texans defense is either the best in the NFL or on a very short list. In the wild-card round the defense scored two touchdowns against the Steelers while giving up none. Houstonâs pass rush is intense and they are strong in coverage and against the run too. Thereâs no real weakness. If you beat the Texans, who have now won an NFL-best 10 games in a row, it will be because youâve shut down their middling offense and squeezed out a few points on their defense. And Houstonâs offense got a nice boost against the Steelers when rookie running back Woody Marks had 112 yards. The Texans donât produce much on offense but thanks to the defense, they donât need many points to win.
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Why the Patriots can win
Drake Maye has looked like one of two realistic choices for NFL MVP all season. This week is a big chance to make yet another statement in his breakout season, against a Texans defense that gave up the fewest yards in the NFL this season. Great quarterbacks can make a massive difference in the playoffs, and Maye has been one of the NFLâs best quarterbacks all season. It will be a fascinating matchup between Maye and the Texansâ defense. The Patriots defense was great against the Chargers in the wild-card round and has an easier matchup against a Texans offense that hasnât been very good all season and might be without receiver Nico Collins, who left Monday nightâs game after he was evaluated for a concussion.
Who has the juice going in
Itâs hard to say itâs not the team that has won 10 games in a row. The Texans defense has been fantastic all season. Their pass rush sets the tone, but they play well at all levels. They present a matchup nightmare. But itâs not like the Patriots are limping in. Theyâve won 14 of 15 games including last weekâs decisive win over the Chargers. Both teams will feel confident. The Texans feel great about their defense against anyone and the Patriots have full trust in Maye. Letâs call this a push for what should be a fantastic matchup.
