On Jan. 10, the NFL Wild Card Weekend will kick off. From Saturday to Monday, six games will take place continuously.
On Saturday, Jan. 10, the National Football Conference (NFC) South Champion Carolina Panthers will face off against the Los Angeles Rams at 4:30 p.m. ET. The 12-5 Rams are led by MVP Candidate Matthew Stafford, who has thrown for 46 regular-season touchdowns, and are hoping to make a run to their first Super Bowl in four years.
The 8-9 Panthers are making their first playoff appearance since 2017, and are hoping for a big performance by quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers’ inconsistent play has occasionally led the team into trouble; however, they did beat the Rams earlier in the regular season 31-28.
Later on Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. ET, divisional rivals will face off, as the 9-7-1 Green Bay Packers will travel to Chicago to square off against the 11-6 Chicago Bears. The Ben Johnson-coached Bears are set to debut in the playoffs for the first time since 2018. They hope to win their first playoff game in 15 years, as they hope to defeat a team they have long struggled with. These teams have faced off twice in the regular season so far, with the series being split with narrow finishes.
At 1 p.m on Jan. 11, the AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills. The Jags have won eight straight games, which have led them to become one of the hottest teams in the league. They will face the Bills, who have frequently made playoff appearances in this decade. This will be a rematch of the 2017 Wild Card round.
At 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, the Philadelphia Eagles hope to defend their Super Bowl title, as they host the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers, as of late, have been injury-riddled, as they lost stars Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk to the Injury Reserve. As a result, the Niners relied on their efficient offense, led by Christian McCaffrey. The Eagles have featured offensive struggles this year, but they have had one of the best defenses in the league.
Later on Jan. 11, at 8 p.m., the New England Patriots will host the Los Angeles Chargers. MVP candidate Drake “Drake Maye” Maye hopes to make his playoff debut as he faces off against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who hopes to win his first playoff game in three tries. The Patriots, coached by Mike Vrabel, hope to continue their turnaround from back-to-back years of mediocrity, as they have won three straight games.
The next day, on Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Houston Texans at a loud, frigid Acrisure Stadium. The Texans’ second-ranked defense will be tested against a Steelers offense that gets wideout DK Metcalf back from a two-game suspension. 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers will make his first playoff appearance since 2021.
At the end of the games, the Rams, Bears, Bills, 49ers, Patriots, and Steelers advanced to the Divisional Round. They joined the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, who have earned first-round byes, in the Divisional Round.
