4 wild-card video games down, two to go. The rescheduled Steelers-Payments matchup means the AFC’s whole divisional spherical slate continues to be up within the air. On the NFC aspect, the Lions will play the winner of Monday’s Eagles-Buccaneers contest. However we do know one divisional spherical matchup: The Packers will play on the 49ers subsequent weekend.
So let’s stay up for the divisional spherical schedule, which can embody the primary postseason video games of the marketing campaign for the Niners and the Ravens, who every had a bye. To get you prepared for subsequent week’s slate, we’re wanting forward as a lot as we will proper now. Stephen Holder picked out the most important factor to observe in our solely agency matchup, and Seth Walder explored how every of these two groups can win to advance to the NFC Championship Recreation. Walder additionally took a fast have a look at what to anticipate going ahead from the Ravens, Chiefs, Texans and Lions, who’re all nonetheless ready on matchup readability. (We are going to replace this file after every of the remaining wild-card video games.)
Bounce to set matchups:
GB-SF
Different groups:
BAL | DET | KC | HOU
NFC
When: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Fox)
What to know: Packers quarterback Jordan Love confirmed beautiful accuracy in opposition to the Cowboys’ edge rush and protection in his playoff debut Sunday. However the problem posed by the rested 49ers coming off a bye gives an excellent greater take a look at. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy isn’t any postseason rookie, and he has some unfinished enterprise after his sizzling begin within the 2022 playoffs was short-circuited by an elbow harm within the NFC Championship Recreation.
With Niners coach Kyle Shanahan aiming to enhance his postseason report to 7-3 in seven seasons, search for San Francisco to rely closely on Christian McCaffrey and the working sport. That is the place this matchup might flip, permitting the 49ers to assault a Inexperienced Bay weak spot. No NFL workforce had extra runs performs of 10 or extra yards than San Francisco’s 74 within the common season. In the meantime, the Packers rank within the backside third in speeding yards in opposition to after first contact (twenty ninth with 906) and yards allowed per rush (twenty third at 4.4). — Holder
Why the 49ers will win: Why will not they win? I can ask that query from now till the Tremendous Bowl, as a result of after the Packers dismantled the Cowboys, that left San Francisco with out a main risk remaining within the convention. The 49ers are the perfect workforce in soccer, and so they’re the perfect workforce left within the NFC, by far.
San Francisco boasts the perfect trait a Tremendous Bowl hopeful can have: the No. 1 offense (together with the No. 1 passing offense). And it is by lots. The Niners’ 0.16 anticipated factors added (EPA) per play was nicely forward of the No. 2 workforce, the already-eliminated Dolphins at 0.12. Purdy is supported by an absurd set of playmakers in McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. Oh, and we’re two paragraphs in, and I have never talked about the protection, with Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Chase Younger speeding the passer. The 49ers have so many strengths that they do not even want all of them to click on to win. — Walder
Why the Packers will win: The flip aspect of all of the compliments I bestowed on San Francisco is that they’re all dangerous information for Inexperienced Bay. These two groups will not be in the identical league. But it surely’s soccer. Issues occur. The Packers might win, and it begins with Love — not simply because he is the quarterback however due to the kind of quarterback he has advanced into over the course of the marketing campaign. From Week 10 till the top of the common season, Love completed second in QBR. The one signal-caller forward of him? Dak Prescott, whom Love simply outdueled within the wild-card spherical.
Defensively, though the Packers have been disappointing all season, that is nonetheless a proficient group. May the Packers put all of it collectively of their greatest sport of the season? It stays doable. Turnovers, fortunate bounces and an A-game from their protection are most likely all essential for the Packers to tug off this upset. But it surely might occur. — Walder
Doable divisional spherical matchups: The Lions will host the winner of Monday evening’s Eagles-Buccaneers contest on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (NBC).
Purpose for divisional spherical optimism: First off, the best way coordinator Ben Johnson has gotten essentially the most out of this offense has stood out, and the start of the wild-card sport in opposition to the Rams was yet one more instance. Second, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has made a late-season surge and can get after both Jalen Hurts or Baker Mayfield within the divisional spherical. Hutchinson is on a three-game multiple-sack streak. — Walder
AFC
Doable divisional spherical matchups: If the Steelers beat the Payments on Monday, Baltimore will host Pittsburgh on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS). If the Payments high the Steelers, Baltimore will host Houston on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.
Purpose for divisional spherical optimism: The 2023 Ravens’ protection completed sixth in EPA per play (minus-0.1) amongst all groups over the previous 10 seasons. Sixth! Regardless of which workforce heads to Baltimore within the divisional spherical, it’s going to have a tough time scoring. And as if that weren’t sufficient, the probably recipient of the MVP award — quarterback Lamar Jackson — can also be on this workforce. That is how good of a place this workforce is in. — Walder
Doable divisional spherical matchups: If the Steelers beat the Payments on Monday, Kansas Metropolis will host Houston on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. If the Payments deal with the Steelers, Kansas Metropolis will play at Buffalo on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS).
Purpose for divisional spherical optimism: With tight finish Travis Kelce displaying indicators of decline, the Chiefs badly wanted one other goal for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to step up. And wideout Rashee Rice produced 2.6 yards per route run within the common season, together with his position growing as his rookie 12 months went on. Then got here Saturday, when Rice collected 130 yards on eight receptions in opposition to the Dolphins. Kansas Metropolis has discovered its second playmaker for Mahomes, maybe simply in time. — Walder
Doable divisional spherical matchups: If the Steelers beat the Payments on Monday, Houston will play at Kansas Metropolis. If the Payments care for the Steelers, Houston will play at Baltimore. Both sport could be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.
Purpose for divisional spherical optimism: How might it’s something apart from quarterback C.J. Stroud after what we witnessed Saturday? When the proverbial lights had been brightest, he delivered in an enormous manner in opposition to the Browns. His 98.4 QBR in that matchup was the perfect within the postseason since Josh Allen’s dismantling of the Patriots two years in the past. With Stroud taking part in this nicely, Houston all of a sudden has the next upside than we maybe ever realized. — Walder
