A pair of AFC Wild Card playoff games kick off the NFL’s race for the Lombardi trophy. It’s the start of a month-long race to New Orleans and the 2025 Super Bowl.
The Los Angeles Chargers will be in Houston to take on the Texans in the early matchup. The Chargers, with a 11-6 record, are three-point favorites and won their final three regular-season games, but the organization is concerned about the wildfires in Los Angeles, which continue to burn.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh says the team has contingency plans for families should something happen while they’re away so that they can stay focused on the game plan.
“There were 32 teams; now there are 12. The whole football world will be focused on this weekend, excited about that, but we don’t want to settle,” Harbaugh said.
The Texans finished 10-7 and won the AFC South division. They will lean on their fifth-ranked defense, one of the toughest in the league. Quarterback CJ Stroud is also playoff-tested—last year, he led Houston to a pair of wins as a rookie.
Stroud says they are ready for a deeper run, even as underdogs.
“They said the same thing about us last year against the Browns,” Stroud explained. “I’m not saying this is last year, but we did what we had to do to win. That’s ultimately what the playoffs come down to; there’s 14 teams now, and the microscope is on you.”
The second matchup is a big-time AFC North rivalry, as the division champion Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Amazon Prime. The two teams split their matchups in the regular season.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to four straight wins down the stretch. Though he’ll be without star receiver Zay Flowers, the team scored at least 31 points in those final four games.
The Ravens will also lean on the home-field advantage.
“I expect our fans to be how they are, they’ll be into it, they’ll be fired up,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “It’s gonna be a night game; it’ll be cold, dark, and the team is gonna try to play lights out.”
The Steelers finished the regular season going in the opposite direction, having lost four straight. Quarterback Russell Wilson needs a running game to find success, while the Steelers’ defense must improve as well.
In their last meeting with Baltimore three weeks ago, the Steelers allowed Derrick Henry to rush for 162 yards. Steelers defensive end JJ Watt believes it’s simple; “There is no secret, especially this time of year. Teams that are playing physical football, getting as many hats to the football as possible, being opportunistic as a defense, are going to win the game.”