Get ready for what might be the best weekend of the NFL season
It's the divisional playoffs. Welcome to what many consider the best weekend of the NFL season.
The divisional playoffs have featured some of the most epic games in league history: The Minneapolis Miracle, the Tuck Rule game, the Fog Bowl, the Epic in Miami, Red Right 88, Ghost to the Post, the Marathon by the Lake, the Cowboys' Hail Mary game, the Immaculate Reception, the NFL's longest game and the dramatic Chiefs-Bills game two seasons ago.
That's A LOT of awesome NFL lore!
Sports fans can only hope one of this weekend's games can one day be mentioned in that pantheon of all-time football classics.
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN) — After becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to win its division with a rookie head coach and quarterback, the Texans bombastically bumped the Browns from the playoffs with an emphatic rout. Now, Houston aims to reach its first-ever AFC championship game. Standing in the way are the mighty Ravens, a playoff regular seeking their fifth AFC title game appearance and third Super Bowl. All eyes will be on the quarterbacks. The Ravens' Lamar Jackson had a stellar season (career-high 3,678 passing yards and MVP honors likely to come), but he hasn't quite broken through in the postseason. The Texans' C.J. Stroud posted the highest passer rating ever for a rookie in a playoff game last week.
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET on FOX) — Like Stroud, the Packers' Jordan Love had a near-perfect passing game in the wild-card thumping of the Cowboys. The challenge will be much greater against the 49ers, whose roster is loaded with talent, featuring a league-high nine Pro Bowl selections. These two teams are familiar playoff foes. This divisional showdown marks the 10th time that the 49ers and Packers will have met in the postseason, the most of any playoff matchup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC) — Fresh off their first playoff victory in more than 30 years and first home playoff game ever at Ford Field, the Lions get to host another postseason game while chasing pro football history not seen in Detroit since the Eisenhower administration. The pewter powerhouse comes to the Motor City fresh off a demolition of the Eagles. The two quarterbacks in this one, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield, are former No. 1 overall draft picks who were jettisoned by their original teams. While Goff has played in a Super Bowl before, Mayfield is trying to get to his first.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS) — This is the most-anticipated matchup of the weekend. Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes is the NFL's new, great quarterback rivalry. This will be the third time that the two quarterbacks have squared off in the playoffs. The last time? Well, it was one of the greatest playoff games ever. Adding a dramatic subplot to this showdown is the weather situation in Western New York.
➤ Paste BN Sports' divisional playoff predictions
NFL news, notes and analysis
- QB confidence meter: Which of the remaining playoff quarterbacks inspire the most championship confidence?
- Cowboys' decision to keep embattled coach all comes down to star QB: The Cowboys decided to stay the course with Mike McCarthy after their stunning playoff loss. That only intensifies the spotlight on Dak Prescott, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Jason Kelce set example with toughness on field and vulnerability off: Jason Kelce and his brother don't shy away from their emotions off the field and, in doing so, give permission for fans to do so, too, Nancy Armour writes.
- 2024 NFL draft first-round order: Selections Nos. 1-24 are set following the events of Super Wild Card Weekend.
- Mock draft: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz's latest projection has four quarterbacks being selected in the top 13 picks.
Talkin' football 🗣
- It's a Football Podcast: Paste BN Sports NFL insiders Safid Deen and Tyler Dragon dish on the latest hot topics surrounding the league. This week's podcast dives into the Allen-Mahomes matchup and how the Cowboys and Eagles move on from playoff debacles.
- NFL Facebook group: Run a post route to The Ruling Off the Field 🏈 to engage in friendly debate and conversation with football fans 🏟.
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