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NFL wild-card previews: Predictions and breaking down all six matchups as the playoffs begin

yahoo sports staff
·3 min read

The NFL playoffs are set to begin Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET as the Houston Texans host the Los Angeles Chargers. By Monday night's end, six teams will have advanced to the divisional round next weekend to join the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions.

Who will those teams be? How can you watch each game? What will be the X factors?

Yahoo Sports NFL writer Frank Schwab breaks down all six games. Click the matchup link to read the individual game preview.

The big question is if Jalen Hurts is healthy and effective. Hurts missed two straight games after suffering a concussion, and was still in the protocol at the start of the week. He was expected to be ready for Sunday's game, but it's not ideal to miss almost three full games due to a concussion and then return for a playoff start. The Eagles need Hurts to be effective.

It's hard to find a quarterback who is supremely dangerous as a runner and also an advanced passer. Jayden Daniels is both. He set a rookie quarterback record with 891 rushing yards, which led the Commanders. He also had a 100.1 passer rating, which was fourth all time among rookies. The Commanders' path to a win is simple: If Daniels plays like the superstar he was all season, they have a good shot.

There has to be some letdown for the Vikings. They were on the verge of a 15-2 season, NFC North title and a bye week as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But they lost in a Week 18 game that became a blowout in the second half and now have to play at the Rams on wild-card weekend. Even if the Vikings don't have a hangover, it's not like the Rams are an easy opponent. The Vikings went 14-1 against everyone but the Lions, and the one blemish was a 30-20 loss to the Rams in Week 8.

The Broncos' pass rush is the strength of the team. Denver led the NFL with 63 sacks, nine more than any other team. On the flip side the Bills had just 14 sacks allowed, which was eight fewer than any other team. If the Broncos are going to pull off an upset, it will be because they can do what no other team could this season: sack Josh Allen.

The Steelers have had success against Lamar Jackson. Before the Ravens won in Week 16, the Ravens had lost four of Jackson's five career starts against the Steelers and he had just five passing touchdowns to eight interceptions. Jackson played well against the Steelers in the Ravens' 34-17 win a few weeks ago, but they've shown they can force Jackson into mistakes better than any other opponent. A few mistakes early, and perhaps Jackson starts to feel some of that playoff pressure again.

Joe Alt has turned out to be the right pick for Jim Harbaugh's Chargers. He has been fantastic at right tackle, with he and left tackle Rashawn Slater providing the foundation of a good offense. This week Alt has a tough challenge against Texans pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, who combined for 23 sacks this season. Slater has been one of the NFL's best tackles all season. If Alt has a great game Saturday, the strength of the Texans' defense will be neutralized.