Arguably the best football weekend of the year has arrived.
And while the NFL may have taken the “super” out of wild-card weekend, with six playoff games on tap, it still feels “super” to most football fans.
Things get underway over in the AFC where there are a couple of heavy underdogs just hoping to keep things close.
The NFC is up next, where all three games have spreads of less than six points and are a rematch from the regular season.
It’s sure to be an action-packed slate and to get you set, we have one key question for each of the six NFC teams in action.
No. 7 Green Bay Packers @ No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles | Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET
It’s a full circle moment for these two teams, as this is a rematch of a thrilling Week 1 matchup in Brazil that the Eagles won 34-29.
It’s also a game that thankfully will feature both team’s starting QBs, as both Eagles Jalen Hurts (concussion) and Jordan Love (elbow) have been cleared to play despite some injury question marks.
Last year in this exact same spot, Love and the Packers pulled off a stunning upset over the No. 2 seed Dallas Cowboys and became the first No. 7 seed to win a playoff game since the NFL expanded the playoff format.
A repeat won’t come easy this year, however, as the Eagles have won 12 of their last 13 games and are the only team in this year’s playoffs that will have all 22 Week 1 starters suiting up in their original spots.
One key question for the Eagles: Can Eagles stay two-dimensional on offence?
Armed with one of the best offensive lines in the league and RB Saquon Barkley, who could’ve broken Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record if he wasn’t rested in Week 18, the Eagles offence is a nightmare for opposing defences.
If the Packers want to have any chance of pulling off the upset, their best chance is make control the time of possession and make Hurts into a drop-back passer.
The Eagles still have dangerous WR weapons in A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, but there’s no question Philadelphia is at its best when things run through Barkley.
Case in point, the Eagles have the 29th-ranked passing offence. If they fall down early and get one-dimensional on Sunday, an upset could be brewing.
One key question for the Packers: Can Packers’ pass catchers make enough big plays?
If the Packers want any chance of making the Eagles play from behind, they are going to need some big plays on offence against an Eagles defence that ranks first in yards allowed and second in points allowed.
Running back Josh Jacobs was outstanding for Green Bay this season, as he finished in the top five of scrimmage yards by RBs this season.
But against this vaunted Eagles defence, the Packers’ pass-catching group is going to need to step up and make some plays. Unfortunately, they’ll have to do it without their best WR against man coverage in Christian Watson, who is out with a torn ACL.
Expect the Eagles to play a lot of man coverage on Sunday with their talented group of defensive backs. If the remaining Packers WRs and TE Tucker Kraft can’t separate and make some big plays downfield, even a big Jacobs game won’t be enough to keep pace with the Eagles.
No. 6 Washington Commanders @ No. 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sunday 8 p.m. ET
Just like the Eagles and Packers, the Buccaneers and Commanders faced off in Week 1 with Tampa Bay besting Washington 37-20 in the first start of Jayden Daniels’ career.
But you can throw out the film from that one, as Daniels went on to become the Offensive Rookie of the Year favourite and led the Commanders to the post-season for the first time since 2020.
“It’s crazy just to see the growth over, not even a year,” Daniels said this week. “You just learn something different each and every game. It was something new; you just get more comfortable.”
Now, he gets to learn what playoff football is all about in his first post-season start against a reborn Baker Mayfield and a dangerous Bucs offence.
One key question for the Commanders: Will moment be too big for Daniels?
Starting your first playoff game is never easy. Doing it as a rookie, even more difficult.
Making your first playoff rookie while also on the road, and history suggests that the odds are even more stacked against you. In NFL history, rookie QBs have started 22 road games and are 5-17 in those contests.
Thankfully for the Commanders, Daniels isn’t an ordinary rookie. He has shown time and time again this season that he’s at his best in the biggest moments.
It’s also the perfect matchup for Daniels to get his feet wet, as the Bucs have the 29th-ranked passing defence.
We’ll wait and see whether or not the lights finally get a little too bright for the Commanders’ rookie. His play this season would tell us it’s wrong to bet against him.
One key question for the Buccaneers: How far can Bucs’ dominant Oline take them?
The Buccaneers finished last in rushing yards in both 2022 and 2023. This season, they rank fourth.
It’s been a complete overhaul, thanks in large part to one of the best offensive lines in the league and the play of rookie RB Bucky Irving who averaged 6.0 yards a touch and led the league in missed-tackles-forced rate.
It’s also a great matchup for Tampa Bay, as Washington allowed the third-most rushing yards per game this season.
If Daniels plays as expected against a porous Bucs D, they’ll need to score plenty of points to keep pace. Their best bet will be to ride the ground attack behind their dominant offensive line.
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings @ No. 4 Los Angeles Rams | Monday 8 p.m. ET
(Note: The game has been relocated to Arizona due to the tragic wildfires in Los Angeles)
“We respect all, but fear none.”
That was Rams head coach Sean McVay after the Rams opted to rest their key players in Week 18 and dropped to the No. 4 seed.
Their reward? Taking on a 14-win Vikings team that sports the best record a wild-card team has ever had.
There’s no shortage of familiarity between these two teams. Not only did the Rams already upset the Vikings in Week 8, but Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is also a former protégé of McVay.
Fear none? We’ll see if McVay is singing the same tune come Monday night.
One key question for the Vikings: Can Sam Darnold bounce back?
Vikings QB Sam Darnold has been one of the best stories of the season. Once written off, the former No. 3 overall pick has revived his career with O’Connell and the Vikings.
But in the biggest game of his career last weekend against the Lions with the NFC North title on the line, Darnold had his worst game of the season.
Now, the moment gets even bigger as he makes his first career playoff start.
In Week 18, the Lions heavily blitzed Darnold and forced him into his lowest completion percentage (43.9) and passing yards (166) of the season.
The Rams aren’t a heavy-blitzing team, as they usually just rely on their talented, young front four to deliver pressure. But they may opt to do a bit more on Monday after seeing how much success the Lions had.
If Week 18 was just a blip for Darnold, the Vikings are the more talented team and should walk away victorious. If it was a sign of things to come, it could be another disappointing end to a season in Minnesota.
One key question for the Rams: Which version of Rams offence will show up?
The Rams offence has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde this season.
As we saw in their 44-42 Week 14 win over the Buffalo Bills, they possess the firepower to beat any team on any day.
But in QB Matthew Stafford’s final three starts of the season, they scored 12, 19 and 13 points.
That won’t be enough against this Vikings squad.
However, unlike Darnold, Stafford has proven his worth in the biggest moments. Experience goes a long way in the playoffs, and the Rams will be hoping that rings true on Monday and the high-flying Rams O shows up.
Helping their case even more? Some literal bulletin board material courtesy of Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell:
