If the NFL were scripted, the writers couldn’t have come up with a better lineup to open up the 2024 playoffs this weekend. Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff facing off against their former teams in Detroit. Tyreek Hill returning to Arrowhead for the first time since leaving the Chiefs. Mike McCarthy facing off against a team he coached for over ten years, who themselves will see if Jordan Love is next in line in the succession of great Packers quarterbacks. In this article, our club members look past the storylines to predict the outcome of each Wild Card game below.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7) at Buffalo Bills (2)
By Liv Pyrczak '27
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be facing the Buffalo Bills this Sunday at Highmark Stadium for Super Wild Card weekend. FanDuel places the Bills as 9.5-point favorites, with the over/under being 37.5 points. Weather will play a big factor in this postseason game. Winds in Orchard Park are predicted to be sustained at 20 miles per hour, with gusts reaching speeds up to 40 miles per hour, and the high temperature for the day is a below-freezing 26 degrees. Considering the wind, this game will likely be a display of each team’s rushing abilities.
Looking at the Steelers' offense, running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are poised to create the biggest threat for the Bills. Both RBs have had successful seasons, with 1,035 and 784 yards respectively, and the rushing defense for the Bills isn’t anything particularly special; it is ranked fifth in the league for rushing yards allowed per game. Notably, starting quarterback Mason Rudolph will be making his first playoff appearance. In his four starts this season, he has shown some spectacular passing moments, including an 81-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens against the Bengals. In addition, he hasn’t thrown a single interception in the past three games, compared to Josh Allen’s two red zone interceptions against the Miami Dolphins during Week 18. Defensively, the Steelers will be missing a core part of their defense: elite linebacker TJ Watt, who injured his MCL against the Ravens this past Saturday. The team is 1-10 in games without him. However, rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. will be an especially fun player to watch matched up against Bills WR Stefon Diggs. Joey Porter Jr, according to Next Gen Stats, has allowed only 0.9 yards per snap this season. If the weather is as predicted, a run-heavy game will keep the predicted blowout game competitive.
The Bills earned the second seed in the AFC after a win against the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday, continuing the Bills’ five-game winning streak. Offensively, top-five running back James Cook and elite quarterback Josh Allen are set to be key players for Sunday’s windy game. James Cook had his breakout game in Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, where he ran for 179 yards and a touchdown. Josh Allen is an elite passer, proven by his position as fourth in the league in passing yards; however, the biggest threat to the Steelers is his mobility. Josh Allen led the 2023 NFL season in rushing touchdowns with a total of 15. Not to discount the passing game, it is fair to mention the Bills have seen great success utilizing a two-tight end set, with rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid bringing in an impressive 51-yard catch against the New England Patriots in Week 17. Defensively, there are some concerns about the Bills’ rushing defense. Linebacker Tryel Johnson is questionable after a shoulder injury suffered against the Dolphins in Week 18. Head coach and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott’s defense is no stranger to injury, having adjusted to linebacker Matt Milano, cornerback Tre’Davious White, safety Micah Hyde, and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips all suffering significant or season-ending injuries. Expect linebackers Terrel Bernard and Baylon Spector to step up to defend against Harris and Warren. Overall, I believe that the dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen and pro-bowler James Cook’s explosiveness, and Sean McDermott’s adaptable defense will allow the Bills to come out with a close win. My prediction: Buffalo wins 22-17.
Miami Dolphins (6) at Kansas City Chiefs (3)
By Nico Luginbill '27
The Chiefs-Dolphins matchup has the potential to be one of the most exciting games in the Wild Card round. Halfway through the season, both teams were considered to be top AFC championship (and even Super Bowl) contenders, but they both have had rocky finishes to their seasons: the Chiefs suffered a string of unexpected losses capped off by a dismal home defeat to the Raiders, and the Dolphins closed out with an uncharacteristic loss to the Titans in early December and two more losses to finish their season. Expectations for both teams now are unclear.
Both teams have great potential: Miami’s offense has been (mostly) stellar, leading the NFL in yards per game (401.3), with former Chief Tyreek Hill also leading NFL receivers with 1,799 total receiving yards on the season. The Chiefs also have an experienced quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who has helped run an effective offense with less star power than Miami. The Chiefs' defense has been top-tier, ranking second in the NFL in both yards allowed per game (289.8) and points allowed per game (17.3). Miami’s defense, on the other hand, has been inconsistent. On paper, they’re not bad, but they’ve struggled against top offenses this season, giving up 48 points to the Bills, 31 to the Eagles, and a shocking 56 to the Ravens on New Year’s Eve. In fact, against teams that finished with a winning record this season, Miami is 1-5.
Another notable thing to consider going into this game is that the Chiefs and Dolphins already faced each other this season, a game which KC won 21-14. It was a relatively close game – the Chiefs got off to a 21-0 lead, but Miami had several 4th quarter opportunities to equalize – that was dominated by defense. L’Jarius Sneed, covering Tyreek Hill, held the Miami star to under eight yards per catch and stifled the Miami offense for the entire first half. Meanwhile, the Miami defense did a good job of holding back the Chiefs, who only had two scoring drives (their third touchdown was a defensive fumble return). While the Chiefs will have the upper hand in the Wild Card matchup since they will be playing at home (the previous Chiefs-Dolphins game was in Germany), they have also struggled at Arrowhead, with a 5-4 home record this season.
Considering everything, the Chiefs are generally agreed upon to be the favorites. With home-field advantage (especially with frigid forecasted temperatures) and past playoff consistency, the Chiefs have good reason to be confident. However, my final prediction is a Dolphins upset. Their offense has been statistically superior to the Chiefs throughout the season, and, while they may have lost the Germany game, their strong defense performance in Frankfurt showed that they are perfectly capable of shutting down Mahomes. Assuming Tua doesn’t choke under pressure, I see the Dolphins offense just slightly powering past the Chiefs.
Cleveland Browns (5) at Houston Texans (4)
By Sammy Ryan '26
Wild Card Weekend kicks off with a premier matchup. The 11-6 fifth-seeded Cleveland Browns travel to Houston to take on the 10-7 fourth-seeded Houston Texans. With a potential Comeback Player of the Year taking on a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year, as well as dueling Coach of the Year candidates, this game is full of star power.
With mediocre quarterback play from Deshaun Watson and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Browns seemed likely to squeak into the wildcard round and go no further. But the Joe Flacco signing right before Week 12 completely reinvigorated their offense. In that stretch, the Browns have a 4-1 record with Flacco under center. In those games, he is averaging 323.2 passing yards per game and 7.9 yards per attempt, which is 8th best in the NFL among quarterbacks with a minimum of 50 attempts. On top of that, he also managed to post 13 touchdowns throughout those five games. Now, Flacco’s game hasn’t been perfect as he has been quite turnover-prone in his Cleveland stint. He's thrown eight interceptions - two against the Texans - and fumbled the ball four times. What will certainly help Flacco’s numbers is the return of his top receiver Amari Cooper, who has missed the last two games due to a heel injury. Despite not practicing on Tuesday or Wednesday, he told reporters that he will be ready to go for Saturday’s contest. In his last healthy game, he matched up against the Texans, torching their secondary for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches on the day, breaking the Browns' single-game receiving yards record. This put his total up to 1,250 yards on the season through 15 games, tenth best in the NFL. What makes this even more impressive is he has been doing this with only 2.2 yards per separation on average this season, which is the third worst in the NFL. He’ll be complemented by the tight end David Njoku in the passing game, who has been on a tear in the last month. He’s had at least 90 receiving yards in three of his last four games, with the one exception coming against Houston, primarily because Cooper took the bulk of Flacco’s passing yards. He’ll likely need to improve on his six catches for 44 yards and a touchdown to help the Browns, as Houston’s defense has been particularly susceptible to giving up yards to tight ends this season. In regards to their rushing attack, Cleveland was dealt a massive blow, losing Nick Chubb in their Week 2 loss to the Steelers. But backup running back Jerome Ford has been a sneakily solid replacement for the superstar. While not putting up the same quality numbers as Chubb, he has certainly held his own, putting up 813 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, and averaging four yards per carry. He has been complimented decently by Kareem Hunt in the backfield who only has 411 rushing yards on the year, but has served to be a solid goal-line back with nine touchdowns on the year, tenth best among running backs. But his mere three yards per carry and -101 rushing yards over expectation both serve as the third worst in the NFL among running backs and show a weakness when he is not in a goal-line situation. Defensively, Cleveland has had an outstanding year, ranking second in passing yards allowed, fifth in sacks, and third in interceptions. Even though their rushing defense isn’t as amazing, it is still a solid unit. They rank 11th in rushing yards allowed, 13th in scoring defense, and 19th in yards per carry. But with defensive playmakers like Miles Garret on the pass rush and Denzel Ward having a career year, this is a scary defense to run into in the playoffs.
After a poor 2022 season, it seemed like the Texans would be in a rebuilding year. Wow, did they rebuild fast. A large part of their success has been the emergence of rookie phenom C.J. Stroud. In his first year in the league, Stroud has managed extremely impressive stats including 4,108 passing yards (eighth best in the NFL), 8.2 yards per attempt (seventh best among players with at least 50 pass attempts), and an incredible touchdown to interception ratio of 23 to 5. He did not get to prove his ability against the Browns though as that was one of the two games he missed due to a concussion. In fact, if he hadn’t missed two games due to that concussion, there was a chance that Stroud could have led the league in passing yards this season during his rookie year. Part of his success though definitely came from the breakout season of his top receiver Nico Collins. After a combined total of 927 receiving yards in his first two seasons, he outperformed that extremely well, posting 1,297 receiving yards this year. Although missing a few games due to injury this season, Collins returned to his peak form last week when he torched the Colts secondary, getting nine catches for 195 yards. While his numbers weren’t quite as strong against Cleveland in Week 16, only posting four catches for 18 yards, some of the blame can be placed on the inconsistent pair of quarterbacks filling in for Stroud during his concussion. But Collins needs to improve on these numbers against a formidable Cleveland secondary that could complicate his day. He isn’t Stroud’s only offensive weapon though as Dalton Schultz has been as steady in Houston as he was the past few years in Dallas. Continuing his fourth consecutive season of at least 500 receiving yards, Schultz topped that with 635 yards this year and equaled his receiving touchdowns tally from his final year in Dallas with five. Schultz served as Houston’s leading receiver in the matchup against Cleveland, taking advantage that Denzel Ward was effectively locking down Nico Collins in that matchup. With strong corners guarding the perimeter of the field, Schultz needs to perform at his best and take advantage of the soft middle of the field against the tough Cleveland secondary. On the ground, Devin Singletary has been pretty solid in the second half of the year since taking control of the backfield. On the season, he has 898 rushing yards, 4.2 yards per carry, and four rushing touchdowns. From an efficiency standpoint, he was solid against Cleveland, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and getting three catches out of the backfield, but he only finished the day with 44 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards. While that isn’t a terrible day by any means, the run game will have to get going to keep the pressure off of Stroud. Defensively, the Texans have been decent this season. Although their passing yards allowed ranks 25th in the NFL at 4,334 yards allowed, they have been good at stopping the run this year, ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed and second in yards per carry allowed. Despite that fact, Jonathan Taylor completely demolished Houston’s run defense just last week rushing for 188 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. It will be interesting to see if that was a one-week issue or if the Colts figured out the Texans’ weakness on the ground. Their 16th-ranked interception defense though could make plays given how turnover-prone Flacco has been in his few starts in Cleveland.
This game has the makings of a close duel between evenly matched teams. Both teams have been hot in recent weeks and surged their way into the playoffs. As for who has the edge, playoff experience is a big distinct factor between the two teams. While many players on the Browns may not have as much playoff experience as players on other teams, Joe Flacco has the most playoff experience of anybody in this game, even having a 5-0 record on Wildcard Weekend, four of those wins coming on the road like this one will be. While it is extremely impressive that C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans are the first-ever rookie quarterback and rookie head coach pair to ever win their division, playoff experience is a difficult thing to prepare for. Additionally, Stroud has had some difficulties against top-ranked pass defenses, as the only games where he failed to throw for 250 passing yards came against the Ravens, the Falcons, the Saints, the Panthers, the Jets, and the Titans – all of which, except for the Titans, are top ten ranked pass defenses like the Browns. If Devin Singletary and Dalton Schultz can step up and not force Nico Collins to win against the tricky Cleveland corners, Houston can alleviate some of that pressure on C.J. Stroud, but as it stands Flacco gets a huge boost by having Amari Cooper return this Saturday and if he can get half the receiving yards he got last time he stepped foot on the football field, the Texans will be in trouble. But with the Browns having a stronger defense and the Texans offense being a pass-first offense, that plays into the strengths of the elite Browns defense, so in a back-and-forth game, it seems likely that the Browns win a close game against the Texans by a score of 21-17.
Green Bay Packers (7) at Dallas Cowboys (2)
By Andrew Heller '27
Going into the Wildcard matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys are a massive favorite, with Vegas setting the spread at Cowboys -7.5. The Cowboys have been a dominating force in the NFC this season being the number two seed in the playoffs with a 12-5 record, while the Packers barely scraped into the playoffs in the number seven seed with a 9-8 record. Looking at their records, it is obvious why the Cowboys are the clear favorites. However, the Packers are on a hot streak, going 6-2 in the final eight weeks of the season, including wins against the Chiefs and the Lions. While the Packers are the underdogs, their wins against the Chiefs and the Lions show their ability to upset an opponent similar to the Cowboys.
The Packers have the fifth most rushing yards allowed which an explosive running back like Tony Pollard should be able to abuse. Against the Cardinals (the most rushing yards allowed by a defense) Tony Pollard had 122 yards, which is likely to be echoed in this game. Jordan Love has finished the season strong, going back-to-back as NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In these games, he threw 24/33 for 256 yards and three touchdowns and 27/32 for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns. He did this against defenses that allowed the eighth and ninth most passing yards, respectively. The Cowboys have allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards, significantly better than the Bears and the Vikings. Additionally, Love has no playoff experience so it is unknown how he will perform under this pressure.
Both teams have potential injuries heading into the game, the Cowboys with left guard Tyler Smith and corner Stephon Gilmore and the Packer’s wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. Both Smith and Gilmore are likely to play while Doubs and Watson’s status are more in question. This is a huge gain for the Cowboys as both of these players are vital to both sides of the ball. The Packers would be much better off with both of these players, but they won their past two games without them playing the whole game.
Overall, it seems likely the Cowboys will win this game. The Packers are relying on Love’s unknown playoff ability to lead them to a victory. The Cowboys have been dominant on both sides of the ball all season and will continue to be in this game. This dominance will lead them to victory and the next round of the playoffs.
Los Angeles Rams (6) at Detroit Lions (3)
By Atul Venkatesh '27
The playoff matchup that has the entire NFL world salivating will take place Sunday night as the six-seed Los Angeles Rams head to Ford Field to take on the three-seed Detroit Lions. The game has an aura of familiarity around it, as Detroit welcomes back their beloved Matthew Stafford, and Jared Goff has an opportunity to get revenge on his former team.
In a sense, this game is a battle of the underdogs. The Lions secured their first division title since 1991 and are looking to win their first playoff game since 1992. In the midst of so many down years, Dan Campbell and company have given Lions fans a beacon of hope. The Rams, on the other hand, have gone through a complete roster overhaul since their recent Super Bowl victory. Key players from the 2021 squad, such as Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, and Andrew Whitworth, among others, are no longer with the team. Without any early draft selections, the Rams were forced to field a defense filled with late-round rookies and inexperienced players. Their playoff berth is not only a reflection of the young squad’s chemistry but also a testament to the coaching of head coach Sean McVay, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, and the rest of the coaching staff. This game is expected to be a showcase of both teams’ incredible offenses.
Led by Matthew Stafford, the Rams quietly boast a top offense. Stafford has accumulated a turnover-worthy play percentage of 2.0% and a big-time throw percentage of 6.0%. Among quarterbacks with more than 400 dropbacks, Stafford ranks first in both categories. Stafford’s ability to make clutch throws in tight windows while avoiding major mistakes is a special skill that has been instrumental to the Rams’ playoff push. Perhaps the x-factor of this jaunted Rams offense is Kyren Williams, who, since returning from injury, has provided the team a spark. Since Kyren’s return, the Rams are an incredible 6-1, with their one loss being an overtime defeat to the juggernaut Baltimore Ravens. Kyren has earned a stellar 90.6 PFF grade, good for second in the league amongst running backs with over 140 rush attempts. One cannot mention the Rams offense without Puka Nacua. The new record holder for receptions and receiving yards by a rookie is a model of consistency and a big play waiting to happen. Puka ranks 8th in yards per route run and 4th in yards after catch per reception. Not bad for a fifth-round pick. Don’t forget Cooper Kupp. While he is experiencing a down year by his standards, the former OPOY is still capable of having huge games and performing in the clutch.
On the other sideline, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has done an incredible job of transforming his crew into a multi-dimensional behemoth of an offense. His usage of boot and crossing routes off of play action stemming from a willingness to lean on the run game has brought the best out of all his players. Jared Goff is enjoying a career renaissance, posting a personal-best 84.3 PFF passing grade. Amon Ra St. Brown has built on his stellar sophomore season by posting a monstrous 90.7 PFF receiving grade. His 2.63 yards per route run rank sixth among receivers with 90 or more targets. The Lions have always been known for their offensive line but they seem even more dominant this year. Led by right tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow, the Lions’ 77.6 PFF run blocking grade ranks second in the league. Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the performance of rookie tight end Sam Laporta and rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Both picks, especially the selection of Gibbs at 12th overall, were heavily criticized by draft pundits. While the long-term impacts of the selections are still unknown, there is no doubt that these picks have brought the Lions short-term success. LaPorta has been stellar, breaking the rookie reception record for a tight end, leading the league in touchdowns at his position, and finishing second in the league in contested catch percentage for a tight end. Gibbs has been no slouch either. His 1,261 all-purpose yards are good for 11th in the league among RBs. While he started slowly, Gibbs has been excellent for the Lions, acting as the lightning to free agent acquisition David Montgomery’s thunder.
The defense for both teams is a different story. While the Rams have enjoyed a huge season from future hall-of-famer Aaron Donald, the secondary has shown its youth, ranking second to last in PFF coverage grade. The Lions are no better. While young superstar Aidan Hutchinson remains a force to be reckoned with, Detroit ranks fourth to last in the same category. Detroit also ranks sixth to last in yards allowed per play at 5.5. Due to this offense-defense mismatch, both the Rams and the Lions should not have any trouble moving the ball.
So who comes out on top? This will be a close, high-scoring game but ultimately, I think the experience of Stafford, Donald, and McVay prevail and the Rams come out of Detroit with a win. The Lions may be without their young star Sam LaPorta and stellar returner Khalif Raymond. Dan Campbell’s aggressive style of play has come back to bite him in the past and I could see this happening on the big stage. The Lions will be relevant for years to come but I think they ultimately fall just short as the Rams look to extend their Super Bowl window.
Philadelphia Eagles (5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
By Nelson Mendels '27
If you had asked anyone a few months ago who would have won this matchup in a first-round playoff game, most would have said that the Eagles would be an easy lock to win this. Some would have even said that the Eagles were Super Bowl favorites around week 12, having a record of 10-1, while the Bucs were 4-7. In their previous matchup, the event was low-scoring: 11-25 for the Eagles.
Now, the Eagles are coming off of a dismal 1-5 in their final six games of the season, while the Bucs had a strong 5-1 finish to their season, propelling them into the four seed and home-field advantage for this playoff matchup. On paper, the Eagles have all the star power they need to make this win happen, especially their strong offensive duo of D’Andre Swift and A.J. Brown, however, the offense has recently struggled. Swift hasn't finished with over 100 rushing yards since the last time the Eagles played the Buccaneers, so a rebound from him would be beneficial, considering the Buccaneers have lost a majority of games - six - they have played when giving up over 100 rushing yards.
On the rush, the Buccaneers average a league-worst 88 yards per game, but they’ll be hoping their RB Rachaad White can make a big impact. White was one of six players with 1,500+ scrimmage yards and 9+ touchdowns and was fourth among RBs in yards from scrimmage (1,539 yards). With the Eagles having given up over 25 points in four out of their five recent upset losses, White and the rest of the Bucs will be looking to capitalize on their dominance of the NFC South, having maintained the top seed in the division.
With that being said, who’s going to win this matchup? What it comes down to in playoff football is a team with a winning culture. Even with their recent slowdown, when it comes to the playoffs, a quarterback like Jalen Hurts will always find a way to pick up a win. With four playoff games in his pocket, Hurts made it to the Super Bowl last year, having an impressive QB rating of 96.9.
My money's on the Eagles to take the away win over the Bucs.