14 teams.
That’s all that are left.
- Seven from the NFC, seven from the AFC.
All 14 of them fighting to either stay on top of the football world as champs or getting their own Lombardi Trophy.
While the other 18 teams are clearing out their lockers, hiring new coaches or general managers, the 14 that remain are going to basically play a game of Football Musical Chairs. That means that as long as the music plays, everyone has a chance to get a seat.
But when the music stops…
CHAOS!
People scrambling for a seat and someone is left out alone in the cold.
The post-season is nothing like the regular season. It’s finality. Someone’s moving on and someone’s going to have their season end.
You win.
Advance.
You lose.
Your next game is in September 2024.
There are no second chances.
There are NO do-overs.
The winners will be praised and talked about, while the losers will be second-guessed from now until the start of the 2024 season. It’s not pretty and sure as hell ain’t fair but this is the NFL.
THE STARTING 11: No one scripts and spawns hope like the National Football League. This season was better than even Hollywood could have imagined.
Two of the best examples of that hope will kick off the 2023 NFL Playoffs when Cleveland (11-6) meets Houston (10-7) at NRG Stadium on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo.
The Texans completed a worst-to-first turnaround by winning the AFC South the year after finishing in last place. In 19 of the past 21 seasons (2003-23), at least one NFL team has won its division the year after finishing last or tied for last. Houston became the first team with a rookie head coach (Demeco Ryans) and rookie starting quarterback (C.J. Stroud) to win its division in the Super Bowl era (1966-present).
What’s more, in 25 of the past 28 seasons (1996-2023), at least one team has made the playoffs the year after finishing last or tied for last. This year, both Cleveland and Houston qualified for the postseason after finishing last in their respective divisions in 2022.
Meanwhile, in each of the past four years, a team that started 2-5 has rebounded to earn a playoff berth. This season, Green Bay (9-8) accomplished the feat and in the process became the 11th team since 1990 to author such an impressive in-season turnaround. The Packers visit Dallas (12-5) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on FOX and FOX Deportes. Including the 2023 Cowboys, there has not been a repeat NFC East division winner since 2004, the longest active streak among divisions in the NFL and the longest such streak in league history.
The ultimate reward for that abundance of hope starts to pay dividends this week.
With two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and a primetime finale on Monday, Super Wild Card Weekend begins the 33-day, 12-game march to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Ready or not, the NFL Playoffs are here.
And in the immortal words of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, here we go.
The Starting 11 entering Super Wild Card Weekend…
- DOLPHINS-CHIEFS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON PEACOCK: When Miami (11-6) visits Kansas City (11-6) on Saturday, Peacock will present the first-ever exclusively live-streamed NFL postseason game. Peacock’s AFC Wild Card exclusive will again feature a commercial-free fourth quarter, similar to the December 23 Buffalo-Los Angeles Chargers game.
And that could be a good thing because the forecast for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night calls for bitter cold. When that fourth quarter begins, current models expect the temperature to hit minus-6 degrees with double-digit wind speeds and a 43-percent chance of light snow. The Dolphins and Chiefs, who played the longest game in NFL history (82 minutes and 40 seconds in the 1971 AFC Playoffs), also could be playing in one of the coldest. The coldest-recorded kickoff temperatures all-time:
TEMPERATURE (WIND CHILL), DATE/SITE (RESULT)
-13 (-48), December 31, 1967/Lambeau Field (Green Bay 21, Dallas 17; NFL Championship)
-9 (-59), January 10, 1982/Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati 27, San Diego 7; AFC Championship)
-6 (-25), January 10, 2016/TCF Bank Stadium (Seattle 10, Minnesota 9; NFC Wild Card)
-1 (-23), January 10, 2008/Lambeau Field (New York Giants 23, Green Bay 20 in OT; NFC Championship)
Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill, selected by the Chiefs in the fifth round (165th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, plays his first game in Kansas City since the Chiefs traded him to Miami before the 2022 season. Hill, who led the league this year with 1,799 receiving yards and tied for the NFL lead with 13 touchdown receptions, is the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons. He finished second in the league last year with 1,710. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa makes his postseason debut. A first-time Pro Bowl selection this season, Tagovailoa (4,624) became the first Dolphins player to lead the NFL in passing yards since Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino in 1992.
Kansas City’s Andy Reid is in his 25th season as an NFL head coach, including 1999-2012 at the reins of the Eagles. His 2023 defense under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best Reid has ever deployed. The Chiefs this season produced 57 sacks and allowed only four rushing touchdowns and 176.5 net passing yards per game – all the best marks among any team with Reid as a head coach. Kansas City also allowed 289.8 total yards per game, the second-fewest mark by a Reid-coached team, surpassed only by the 2008 Eagles (274.3). Reid has won 10-or-more games in nine consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in NFL history. Only Bill Belichick (17 seasons of 10-plus wins from 2003-19) owns a longer stretch.
Saturday’s contest features the NFL’s most prolific offense (Miami led the league with 401.3 yards per game) against the league’s second-stingiest defense (Kansas City finished second, allowing just 289.8 yards per game). The Dolphins also produced 29.2 points per game, second in the league, while the Chiefs allowed the second-fewest points per game (17.3).
- NUMBER OF THE WEEK – 6,104: The age difference in days between Houston rookie C.J. Stroud (22 years, 102 days old on Saturday) and Cleveland’s Joe Flacco (38 years, 362 days old). Only four other games in NFL postseason history have seen a larger gap in the age of starting quarterbacks, and all involved Tom Brady (7,674 days between Brady and Jalen Hurts on January 16, 2022; 6,619 days between Brady and Patrick Mahomes on January 20, 2019; 6,619 days between Brady and Mahomes in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021 and 6,281 days between Brady and Jared Goff in Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019).
When Cleveland (11-6) meets Houston (10-7) on Saturday, Flacco is expected to make his first postseason start in nine years, when he started two games for the Ravens in the 2014 NFL Playoffs. Flacco’s 3,290 days between playoff starts will be the second-longest gap ever for a quarterback, behind DOUG FLUTIE, who went 4,382 days between postseason starts on January 3, 1987, and January 2, 1999.
Stroud finished with 4,108 passing yards this season, becoming the fifth rookie all-time with 4,000 passing yards, joining Andrew Luck (4,374 in 2012), Justin Hebert(4,336 in 2020), Cam Newton (4,051 in 2011) and Jameis Winston (4,042 in 2015). Stroud recorded a 100.8 passer rating and became the fourth qualifying rookie quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, joining Dak Prescott (104.9 in 2016), Robert Griffin III (102.4 in 2012) and Russell Wilson (100.0 in 2012). And Stroud had nine games with 250 passing yards, surpassing Andrew Luck (eight in 2012) for the second most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Only Justin Hebert (12 in 2020) had more. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski, a Coach of the Year candidate after winning games with four starting quarterbacks this season, is bidding to become the first Browns head coach to win a second career postseason game since Marty Schottenheimer in 1986-87.
- THE CLOSE-GAME ERA: The 2023 regular season produced 113 games decided by six-or-fewer points, 135 decided by seven-or-fewer and 147 decided by eight-or-fewer, all the second-most or tied for the second-most single-season marks in league history. And in all three categories, only 2022 had more. That means that over the past two seasons (543 games), 43.3 percent of all NFL contests were separated by no more than six points, 50.8 percent by no more than seven and 55.8 percent by no more than one score (eight points).
- SPOTLIGHT – INDIVIDUAL MATCHUP: When Houston (10-7) has the ball against Cleveland (11-6) at NRG Stadium on Saturday, circle the matchup on the left side of the line of scrimmage. That’s where Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will engage in a game within the game that features nine combined Pro Bowl selections, five for Garrett and four for Tunsil. Garrett has 14-or-more sacks in each of the last three seasons.
- SPOTLIGHT – TEAM MATCHUP: The Eagles’ offensive line includes three players selected as Pro Bowlers this season, guard Landon Dickerson, tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce. When Philadelphia (11-6) faces off against Tampa Bay (9-8) in the final Wild Card game on Monday that Eagles line will see a Buccaneers front seven that includes former Pro Bowl selections Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Vita Vea and Devin White.
- STREAK SPEAK: January 5, 1992 – that was the date the Lions last won a postseason game, a 38-6 victory over the Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at the Pontiac Silverdome. With a victory over the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Ford Field on Sunday, Detroit (12-5) would end the third-longest streak without a playoff victory in league history. The Cardinals went 51 years and five days between postseason wins, from December 28, 1947, to January 2, 1999 and the Lions went 34 years and seven days between playoff victories, from December 29, 1957, to January 5, 1992.
- DID YOU KNOW?: The showdown between the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and Detroit (12-5) at Ford Field on Sunday might set a postseason record for most pregame storylines. Among those angles, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, a former first-overall selection who led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in 2018, faces the team that traded him for Matthew Stafford. Stafford, himself a former number 1 overall pick who led the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2021, returns to Detroit to meet his former team. Another individual meeting his former team, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, spent 18 years (2003-2020) in the Rams’ front office before joining the Lions in 2021. And speaking of front offices, Holmes and counterpart Les Sneed of the Rams have engineered some of the most impressive personnel performances in recent memory. Nowhere is that work more evident, in collaboration with their respective coaching staffs, than the wide receiver position.
Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown has memorized each of the 16 wide receivers selected ahead of him in the 2021 NFL Draft, before Holmes drafted him in the fourth round (112th overall). St. Brown has 315 career receptions and surpassed Christian McCaffrey (303) for the third-most catches by a player in his first three career seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Jefferson (324) and Michael Thomas (321) have more. Nineteen wide receivers were taken before Snead selected Puka Nacua in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. Nacua had 105 receptions and surpassed Jaylen Waddle (104 in 2021) for the most by a rookie in NFL history. Plus, Nacua had 1,486 receiving yards and surpassed Bill Groman (1,473 in 1960) for the most by a rookie all-time.
The Lions – with rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs (11 scrimmage touchdowns), rookie tight end Sam LaPorta (10), veteran running back David Montgomery (13) and St. Brown (10) – were the second team in NFL history with four players with 10 scrimmage touchdowns in a season, joining the 2013 Denver Broncos. Gibbs and LaPorta were the first pair of rookie teammates each with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in NFL history. LaPorta had 86 receptions and surpassed Keith Jackson (81 in 1988) for the most by a rookie tight end in NFL history. With 10 touchdown receptions this season, LaPorta became the third rookie tight end in NFL annals to reach the mark, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (12 in 1961) and Rob Gronkowski (10 in 2010) and among rookies at all positions, LaPorta was the second rookie in NFL history with at least 85 receptions and 10 touchdown catches, joining Odell Beckham, Jr. (2014).
- UNDER-THE-RADAR STORYLINE: The cradle of 2023 NFL playoff coaches is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 1993-94 football rosters at the College of William & Mary listed both wide receiver Mike Tomlin and defensive back Sean McDermott, the respective head coaches for Pittsburgh (10-7) and Buffalo (11-6), who clash at Highmark Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+). Several other coaches in the 2023 NFL Playoffs also made stops at William & Mary, including Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
- TREND TIME: The Cowboys, the NFL’s only team to go undefeated (8-0) at home this season, have won 16 straight games at AT&T Stadium, the second-longest home winning streak in franchise history (Dallas won 18 consecutive home games from 1980-81). In home games this season, Dallas (12-5) led the NFL in points scored (299), points margin (plus-172), total offense per game (425.8) and turnover margin (plus 1.25 per game). The Cowboys’ Wild Card opponent, Green Bay (9-8) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on FOX and FOX Deportes), won three of its final four road games, a big reason the Packers are in the playoffs.
Thirteen years ago, Mike McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV triumph in Dallas. McCarthy, who now holds the reins of the Cowboys, is 29-9 (.763) at AT&T Stadium, including the postseason. He was 4-0 as Green Bay’s head coach. Six decades ago, Green Bay used victories over Dallas to earn trips to each of the first two Super Bowls. One year before the Ice Bowl (the 1967 NFL Championship Game), Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry squared off in the first of eight all-time postseason meetings between the Packers and Cowboys (the teams are tied, 4-4). That 1966 NFL Championship Game at the Cotton Bowl, where Green Bay sealed a 34-27 victory with a last-minute interception in the end zone, marked the first of the Packers’ seven all-time postseason trips to Dallas. The Packers have won their last two playoff games in Dallas, a 34-31 thriller in the 2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs and a 31-25 triumph in Super Bowl XLV. Before that, however, the Cowboys ended Green Bay’s hopes in three straight seasons, 1993-95, at Texas Stadium.
Led by Jordan Love, the first Packers quarterback since at least 1950 to lead the team to the playoffs in his first full season as a starter, Green Bay became the youngest team to earn a postseason berth since Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton and the 1977 Chicago Bears. The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott (36 touchdown passes) became the first Dallas player in 50 years to lead the NFL in touchdown passes, since Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach in 1973. Prescott also became the first quarterback in NFL history with four games in a season with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher (minimum 30 attempts in each game). Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had 12 touchdown catches and a franchise-record 135 receptions, becoming the fourth player all-time with at least 125 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Antonio Brown (2014 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (2002) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Lamb had seven games with at least 11 receptions, surpassing Michael Thomas (six games in 2019) for the most games with 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
- NEXT GEN STAT OF THE WEEK: In last week’s regular-season finale, Miami running back De’Von Achane was traveling 14.83 MPH when he crossed the line of scrimmage on his 25-yard touchdown run, and reached a top speed on the carry of 17.67 MPH. This season, Achane averages the fastest speed at the line of scrimmage (12.22 MPH) among running backs with at least 50 carries. Teammate Raheem Mostert ranks second in that category among running backs (11.28 MPH).
- AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: For the first time in 23 years, the NFL playoff field features three franchises that have never played in a Super Bowl: Cleveland, Detroit and Houston. The last time an NFL postseason included as many franchises without a Super Bowl berth was 2000 (Baltimore, New Orleans and Tampa Bay). After the Ravens captured a Super Bowl XXXV championship in 2000, the Buccaneers followed just two years later by winning Super Bowl XXXVII and in 2009, the Saints also earned their Lombardi Trophy with a win in Super Bowl XLIV. Could similar futures await Cleveland, Detroit and Houston? The last time both the Browns and Lions won at least 10 games in the same season was 1953, when Detroit defeated Cleveland in the NFL Championship Game, 17-16.
SEVEN FROM SUNDAY: A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Saturday, January 6 and during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern windows on Sunday, January 7, the 18th week of the 2023 season.
NEW PLAYOFF TEAMS: Since 1990 – a streak of 34 consecutive seasons – at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before. This season, six teams – Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams – accomplished the feat.
DIVISION WINNERS AFTER MISSING PLAYOFFS: Detroit (NFC North) and Houston (AFC South) both won their division this season after missing the playoffs in 2022.
In each of the past 46 seasons (1977-2023, excluding 1982 when divisional play did not occur), at least one team has won its division the season after missing the playoffs.
In 20 of the past 21 seasons (2003-23), at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs.
WORST TO FIRST: The Texans completed a worst-to-first turnaround by winning the AFC South the year after finishing in last place. In 19 of the past 21 seasons (2003-23), at least one team finished in first place the season after finishing in last or tied for last place.
LAST PLACE TO PLAYOFFS: In 25 of the past 28 seasons (1996-2023), at least one team has made the playoffs the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. Both Cleveland and Houston qualified for the postseason after finishing in last place in their division last season.
The AFC North – with Baltimore (13-4), Cleveland (11-6), Pittsburgh (10-7) and Cincinnati (9-8) – became the first division with all teams finishing with a winning record since the 1935 West division.
AFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: Baltimore won the AFC North for the first time since 2019 and finished as the AFC’s number 1 seed. The Ravens will have a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Buffalo visited Miami last Sunday nighti in the Sunshine State with the Bills prevailing, taking a win out of Hard Rock Stadium. That means the Bills will host seven-seeded Pittsburgh, while the Dolphins travel to Arrowhead to face Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Kansas City.
Kansas City, who won the AFC West for the seventh-consecutive season, finished as the AFC’s number 3 seed and will host sixth-seeded Miami on Super Wild Card Weekend.
Houston, who won the AFC South for the first time since 2019, finished as the AFC’s numner 4 seed and will host Cleveland, the number 5 seed on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Browns qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2020.
NFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: San Francisco won the NFC West for the second-consecutive season and finished as the NFC’s number 1 seed, will have a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Dallas, who clinched the NFC East for the first time since 2021, finished as the NFC’s second seed and will host seventh-seede Green Bay on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Packers clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
There has not been a repeat NFC East division winner since 2004, the longest active streak among divisions in the NFL and the longest such streak in league history.
Detroit, who won its first division title since 1993, finished as the NFC’s number 3 seed and will host the Los Angeles Rams, seeded sixth, on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Rams qualified for the postseason for the third time in the past four seasons.
Tampa Bay, who won their third-consecutive NFC South division title, finished as the NFC’s number 4 seed and will host fifth-seeded Philadelphia on Monday night of Super Wild Card Weekend. The Eagles qualified for the postseason for the third-consecutive season.
Detroit tied a franchise record with their 12th win of the season as Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown each recorded a touchdown in the team’s 30-20 win over Minnesota in Week 18.
The Lions – with Gibbs (11 scrimmage touchdowns), LaPorta (10), Montgomery (13) and St. Brown (10) – are the second team in NFL history with four players with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in a season, joining Denver (2013, five players – Erick Decker, Knownson Moreno, Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker). Gibbs (11 scrimmage touchdowns) and LaPorta (10 scrimmage touchdowns) are the first pair of rookie teammates each with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in NFL history. LaPorta had 86 receptions this season and surpassed Keith Jackson (81 receptions in 1988) for the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
LaPorta had 10 touchdown receptions this season, becoming the third rookie tight end in NFL history to record at least 10 touchdown receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (12 touchdown receptions in 1961) and Rob Gronkowski (10 in 2010).
LaPorta is the second rookie in NFL history with at least 85 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions, joining Odell Beckham, Jr. (2014).
LaPorta had 889 receiving yards this season, surpassing Keith Jackson (869 receiving yards in 1988) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961), Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) and Jeremy Shockey (894 in 2002) had more.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed 31 of 36 attempts (86.1 percent) for 279 yards and four touchdowns with one interception for a 124.4 rating while wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had 13 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns and linebacker Micah Parsons had his career-high 14th sack of the season in the Cowboys’ 38-10 win over Washington.
Prescott is the first quarterback in NFL history with four games in a season with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher (minimum 30 attempts in each game).
Lamb had 135 receptions this season and became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 130 receptions in a season, joining Michael Thomas (149 receptions in 2019), Cooper Kupp (145 in 2021), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (143 in 2002), Antonio Brown (136 in 2015) and Julio Jones (136 in 2015). Lamb had 135 receptions and 12 touchdown receptions this season and became the fourth player all-time with at least 125 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Antonio Brown (2014 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (2002) and Cooper Kupp (2021).
Lamb had seven games with at least 11 receptions this season, surpassing Michael Thomas (six games in 2019) for the most games with 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history. Lamb has 10 career games with at least 10 receptions and joined Michael Thomas (18 games) and Christian McCaffrey (10) as the only players with at least 10 such games in their first four seasons in NFL history.
Parsons has 40.5 career sacks and became the fifth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 40 sacks in his first three seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (52 sacks) and Derrick Thomas (43.5) as well as Aldon Smith (42) and Dwight Freeney (40).
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua recorded four receptions for 41 yards in Week 18. Nacua had 105 receptions this season and surpassed Jaylen Waddle (104 receptions in 2021) for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history and had 1,486 receiving yards this season and surpassed Bill Groman (1,473 receiving yards in 1960) for the most receiving yards by a rookie all-time.
Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson has 12 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown in Week 18. Jefferson had 1,074 receiving yards this season and is the fifth player in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons, joining Mike Evans, A.J. Green, Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss an Michael Thomas.
Jefferson has 11 career games with at least 150 receiving yards, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (10 games) for the most such games by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson has six career games with at least 175 receiving yards, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (five games) and Charlie Hennigan (five) for the second-most such games by a player in his first four seasons all-time. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (seven games) had more.
Jefferson has 29 career games with at least 100 receiving yards in four career seasons, surpassing Julio Jones (28 games) for the second-most by a player in his first five seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (30 games) has more.
Additional notes from Week 18 include:
Houston rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 20 of 26 attempts (76.9 percent) for 264 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 134.1 rating in the Texans’ 23-19 win over Indianapolis on Saturday. Stroud finished with 4,108 passing yards this season, becoming the fifth rookie quarterback all-time with at least 4,000 passing yards, joining Andrew Luck (4,374 passing yards in 2012), Justin Hebert (4,336 in 2020), Cam Newton (4,051 in 2011) and Jameis Winston (4,042 in 2015).
Stroud recorded a 100.8 passer rating this season and became the fourth qualifying rookie quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, joining Dak Prescott (104.9 rating in 2016), Robert Griffin III (102.4 in 2012) and Russell Wilson (100.0 in 2012).
Stroud had nine games with at least 250 passing yards this season, surpassing Andrew Luck (eight games in 2012) for the second-most such games by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Only Justin Hebert (12 games in 2020) had more.
Tennessee running back Derrick Henry rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown in the Titans’ 28-20 win over Jacksonville in Week 18. Henry has 90 career rushing touchdowns and is the fourth player in NFL history with at least 90 rushing touchdowns in his first eight career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (126) and Emmitt Smith (112) as well as Shaun Alexander (100).
Henry had 12 rushing touchdowns this season and is the sixth player in NFL history with five career seasons of 12-or-more rushing touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (seven seasons), Emmitt Smith (six) and Jim Brown (five) as well as Shaun Alexander (five) and Adrian Peterson (five).
Henry has 13 career games with at least 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (13 games) and Emmitt Smith (13) as well as Adrian Peterson (13) for the fourth-most ever by a player in his first eight seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (18 games), LaDainian Tomlinson (16) and O.J. Simpson (15) have more.
Las Vegas wide receiver DaVante Adams had five catches for 46 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders’ Week 18 win. Adams had 103 receptions in 2023 and became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in four consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18), Stefon Diggs (four from 2020-23) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (four from 1999-2002).
Adams has 872 receptions since entering the NFL in 2014 and surpassed Torry Holt (869 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a player in his first 10 seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (927 receptions) and Brandon Marshall (882) had more.
San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel finished the 2023 season with 1,117 scrimmage yards (892 receiving, 225 rushing), his second-career 1,000-yard season. Samuel has 4,122 receiving yards and 1,007 rushing yards since entering the NFL in 2019 and is the second player in NFL history with at least 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards in their first five career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor.
Jacksonville tight end Evan Engram had 10 receptions for 79 yards and one touchdown in Week 18. Engram had 114 receptions this season, surpassing Travis Kelce (110 receptions in 2022) and Jason Witten (110 in 2012) for the second-most receptions by a tight end in a season in NFL history. Only Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018) had more.
Engram had four games with at least 10 receptions this season and joined Zach Ertz (five games in 2018) as the only tight ends with four games with 10-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. recorded a sack and forced fumble in the Buccaneers’ 9-0 win over Carolina in Week 18.
Winfield has six games with at least one sack this season and is the fourth defensive back since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with six such games in a season, joining Jamal Adams (eight games in 2020), Dave Duerson (six in 1986) and Roman Harper (six in 2011). Winfield is the first defensive back since 2000 with six sacks and six forced fumbles in a season.
Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt registered two sacks in the Steelers’ 17-10 win over Baltimore on Saturday. Watt has 22 career games with at least two sacks, tied with Jared Allen (22 games) for the fourth-most games with at least two sacks by a player in his first seven seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (30 games) and Richard Dent (23) as well as Simeon Rice (23) had more.
The 2023 NFL Playoffs get underway Saturday afternoon and concludes in Sin City February 11 with Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. With that in mind, every playoff game (including the Super Bowl) is going to be “DRILL WORTHY!” (For those of you that know what The Drill is, you are excused. Everyone else, pay attention. We don’t want any rookie mistakes here, k?) After you go to the 9:30 mass on Sunday (the 4:30 vigil mass on Saturday counts as a Sunday mass attended, people! Don’t make us send the nuns after you! If we do, it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OVER!), head to your favorite store (a trip to Wal Mart, Target, K-Mart or Costco counts) and get the vittles and the beverages (soda, beer, wine, coffee, et al… if you live in a state that allows the purchase of the items in question) and invite the co-workers, the neighbors (including that really cute kindergarden teacher that knows what to do with a cover-2 defense) and your cousin Connie (remember her? She’s the one that’s been married twice that’s just turned 63 last June and dates a 47-year old ex-Marine, who’s now the principal at the high school in your town. She’s also the one that ate an entire Oreo cheesecake, two bags of Cool Ranch Doritos, two bacon cheeseburgers with blue cheese and chugged two 2-liter Cokes at your Super Bowl party last year and didn’t gain a pound. You look at her and say to yourself, “what the hell?”)
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Below are among the players that can set milestones on Super Wild Card Weekend:
Cleveland (Joe Flacco & Kareem Hunt)
Houston (C.J. Stroud)
Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce)
Miami (Tyreek Hill & Raheem Mostert)
Dallas (Dak Prescott & CeeDee Lamb)
Los Angeles Rams (Matthew Stafford & Cooper Kupp)
Detroit (Jared Goff)
Buffalo (Leonard Fournette)
Philadelphia (Jalen Hurts)
Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco will be making his 16th career postseason start when the Browns travel to face the Texans on Saturday. In his previous 15 playoff starts, all with Baltimore, Flacco compiled a 10-5 record with 25 touchdown passes. Seven of his 10 playoff wins have come on the road, while five have come in the Wild Card round.
With a victory on Saturday, Flacco would surpass Tom Brady (seven road playoff wins) for the most road playoff wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history. He would also surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Farve (five wins in the Wild Card round) for the most wins by a starting quarterback in the Wild Card round.
In each of his past eight playoff games, Flacco has recorded at least two touchdown passes. With two touchdown passes this weekend, he will tie Aaron Rodgers (nine consecutive playoff games) for the longest streak of postseason games ever with multiple touchdown passes. Also this weekend, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes can become the sixth quarterback ever with at least two touchdown passes in seven-or-more consecutive postseason games.
The players with at least two touchdown passes in the most consecutive postseason games in NFL history:Patrick Mahomes
PLAYER, TEAM(S) (CONSECUTIVE GAMES)
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay (9 from January 10, 2016 – January 24, 2021)
Joe Flacco, Baltimore (8 from January 15, 2012 – January 10, 2015)*
Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh (7 from December 30, 1978 – January 9, 1983)(HOF)
Drew Brees, New Orleans (7 from January 21, 2007 – January 14, 2012)
Joe Montana, San Francisco (7 from January 1, 1989 – January 12 – 1991)(HOF)
Tom Brady, New England and Tampa Bay (6 from January 14, 2017 – February 4, 2018)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City (6 from (January 16, 2022 – February 12, 2023)*
*Active streak
Since becoming Cleveland’s starting quarterback in Week 13, Flacco has totaled 1,616 passing yards (323.2 per game) and 13 touchdown passes over five games (Flacco did not play in Week 18). In each start, he recorded multiple touchdown passes and in each of his last four, totaled at least 300 passing yards.
With 300 passing yards on Saturday, Flacco – who will be 38 years and 362 days old on Saturday – will become the first player 38 years or older to record at least 300 passing yards in five consecutive games, including the playoffs, in NFL history.
After being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud recorded 4,108 passing yards and 23 touchdown passes with a 100.8 rating in his rookie season, the third-most passing yards and third-highest passer rating among qualified rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.
With 229 passing yards on Saturday against Cleveland, Stroud will surpass Justin Hebert (4,336 passing yards in 2020) for the second-most passing yards ever by a rookie, including postseason. Only Andrew Luck (4,662 in 2012) has more.
The rookies with the most passing yards in NFL history, including postseason:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – PASSING YARDS)
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis (2012 – 4,662)
Justin Hebert, Los Angeles Chargers (2020 – 4,336)
C.J. Stroud, Houston (2023 – 4,108)*
*Entering Saturday
Stroud tied for the league lead with 300 passing yards in six games this season, tied for the second-most 300-yard games ever by a rookie. With 300 passing yards on Saturday, Stroud can become the fifth rookie quarterback ever to record 300 passing yards in a postseason game, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy and Russell Wilson.
The rookie quarterbacks with at least 300 passing yards in a postseason game:
ROOKIE QB, TEAM: SEASON, ROUND and OPPONENT – FINAL SCORE (PASSING YARDS)
Russell Wilson, Seattle: 2012 NFC Divisional at ATLANTA – ATLANTA 30, Seattle 28 (385)
Sammy Baugh, Washington: 1937 NFL Championship at Chicago Bears – Washington 28, Chicago 21 (335)(HOF)
Brock Purdy, San Francisco: 2022 NFC Wild Card vs. Seattle – San Francisco 41, Seattle 23 (332)
Dak Prescott, Dallas: 2016 NFC Divisional vs. Green Bay – Green Bay 34, Dallas 31 (302)
With a win against Cleveland this weekend, Stroud can become the fourth rookie quarterback that was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft to win a postseason game in the common-draft era, joining Joe Flacco (2008), Ben Roethlisberger (2004) and Mark Sanchez (2009).
The first-round rookie quarterbacks to win a postseason game in the common-draft era:
ROOKIE QB, TEAM – SEASON; DRAFT PICK/PLAYOFF WINS
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets – 2009; 5/2
Joe Flacco, Baltimore – 2008; 18/2
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh – 2004; 11/1
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters the 2023 postseason as one of six quarterbacks all-time to win multiple Super Bowl MVPs (Super Bowls LIV and LVII). In 14 career playoff starts, Mahomes is 11-3 with 4,084 passing yards (291.7 per game) and 35 touchdown passes with a 107.4 passer rating, the highest postseason rating ever among qualified quarterbacks. Nine of his 11 wins have come at home in Kansas City.
With a win against Miami on Saturday night, Mahomes will tie Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (10 home playoff wins) and Joe Montana (10) for the second-most home playoff wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (21) has more.
The starting quarterbacks with the most home playoff wins in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM(S) – HOME PLAYOFF WINS
Tom Brady, New England and Tampa Bay – 21
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis and Denver – 10 (HOF)
Joe Montana, San Francisco and Kansas City – 10 (HOF)
John Elway, Denver – 9 (HOF)
Brett Favre, Green Bay and Minnesota – 9 (HOF)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City – 9*
*Entering Saturday
Mahomes’ top target throughout his postseason career has been tight end Travis Kelce, as the two have connected for 14 postseason touchdowns. With a touchdown between Mahomes and Kelce on Saturday night, they will tie Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (15 touchdowns) for the most postseason touchdowns between a quarterback-receiver pairing in NFL history.
The quarterback-receiver pairings with the most postseason touchdowns in NFL history:
QUARTERBACK and RECEIVER – TOUCHDOWNS
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski – 15
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – 14*
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice – 12 (HOF)
*Entering Saturday
Kelce enters Saturday ranked second all-time in postseason receptions (133), receiving yards (1,548) and touchdown receptions (16), trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in each category. Kelce has recorded at least five receptions in each of his past 10 playoff games, 50 receiving yards in each of his past nine and a touchdown reception in each of his past six.
With a touchdown reception on Saturday, Kelce will tie David Givens (seven consecutive playoff games) for the second-most consecutive postseason games with a touchdown reception in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer John Stallworth (eight) has a longer streak.
The players with a touchdown reception in the most consecutive postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (CONSECUTIVE GAMES)
John Stallworth, Pittsburgh (8 from Deccember 30, 1978 – January. 1, 1984)(HOF)
David Givens, New England (7 from January 18, 2004 – January 14, 2006)
Rob Gronkowski, New England (6 from January 10, 2015 – January 13, 2018)
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (6 from January 16, 2022 – February 12, 2023)*
*Active streak
Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill led the NFL with a franchise-record 1,799 receiving yards this season. In 14 career playoff games, he has totaled 91 receptions for 1,150 yards and five touchdowns. He played 13 of those 14 games with the Chiefs and he will be making his return to Kansas City as a visiting player this weekend.
Both Hill and Kelce have recorded at least 50 receiving yards in each of their past nine postseason games and can become the fifth and sixth players ever to total at least 50 receiving yards in 10 consecutive playoff games, joining Julian Edelman (13 consecutive games), Gary Clark (10), Julio Jones (10) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (10). Jones, with Philadelphia, can extend his streak to 11 games on Monday night at Tampa Bay.
The players with at least 50 receiving yards in the most consecutive postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAMS (CONSECUTIVE GAMES)
Julian Edelman, New England (13 from January 11, 2014 – February 3, 2019)
Gary Clark, Washington (10 from January 10, 1988 – January 9, 1993)
Julio Jones, ATLANTA, Tennessee and Tampa Bay (10 from January 8, 2012 – January 16, 2023)*
Jerry Rice, San Francisco (10 from January 1, 1989 – January 17, 1993)(HOF)
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City, Miami (9 from January 19, 2020 – January 15, 2023)*
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (9 from January 17, 2021 – February 12, 2023)*
Wes Welker, New England (9 from January 12, 2008 – January. 20 – 2013)
*Active streak
Hill can also become the fifth player ever to record at least five receptions in 10 consecutive postseason games, while Kelce can join Julian Edelman (13 consecutive games) as the only players to accomplish the feat in 11-or-more consecutive playoff games.
The players with at least five receptions in the most consecutive postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAMS (CONSECUTIVE GAMES)
Julian Edelman, New England (13 from January 11, 2014 – February 3, 2019)
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (10 from February 2, 2020 – February 12, 2023)*
Jerry Rice, San Francisco (10 from January 1, 1989 – January 17, 1993)(HOF)
Wes Welker, New England and Denver (10 from January 12, 2008 – January 12, 2014)
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City and Miami (9 from January 19, 2020 – January 15, 2023)*
*Active streak
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes this season while Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love ranked second with 32.
When the two meet on Sunday, it will mark the second Wild Card matchup ever between the league leaders in touchdown passes from the regular season. The other was between Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Dan Fouts in 1982 when Fouts’ Chargers defeated Bradshaw’s Steelers 31-28.
Sunday will mark Prescott’s seventh career postseason start. In four of those six starts, he has recorded both a touchdown pass and rushing touchdown. With a similar performance this weekend, Prescott will become the third player ever to record both a touchdown pass and rushing touchdown in five career postseason games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (seven games) and Tom Brady (five). Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes also has four such games and can join Young and Brady this weekend.
The players with the most postseason games with both a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAMS (GAMES)
Steve Young, San Francisco (7)(HOF)
Tom Brady, New England and Tampa Bay (5)
John Elway, Denver (4)(HOF)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City (4)*
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia (4)
Dak Prescott, Dallas (4)*
*Active in 2023 postseason
Prescott’s top target this season has been wide receiver CEEDEE LAMB, who set single-season Cowboys records with 135 receptions and 1,749 receiving yards. Lamb finished the season with 13 receptions in each of his final two games and can become the first player ever with 13 receptions in three consecutive games, including the postseason.
Lamb led the league with at least 10 receptions in seven games this season, three more games than any other player. With 10 receptions on Sunday, Lamb will join Michael Thomas (nine games in 2019) as the only players ever to total at least 10 receptions in eight-or-more games in a season, including the playoffs.
The players with the most games with at least 10 receptions in a season, including the playoffs, in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM (SEASON – GAMES)
Michael Thomas, New Orleans (2019 – 9)
Andre Johnson, Houston (2008 – 7)
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas (2023 – 7)*
Michael Thomas, New Orleans (2018 – 7)
Wes Welker, New England (2009 – 7)
*Entering Sunday
Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy has complied an 11-10 career postseason record, which includes leading Green Bay to a Super Bowl XLV championship following the 2010 season. With a victory on Sunday, McCarthy will become the first head coach in NFL history to win a playoff game against a team with which he won a Super Bowl as head coach.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was selected number 1 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by Detroit, while Detroit quarterback Jared Goff was selected number 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Rams. The two clubs swapped quarterbacks prior to the 2021 season and will be facing off on Sunday night.
The winning starting quarterback will become the first quarterback ever to win a playoff game against a team for which he previously started a playoff game.
In the 2021 playoffs, Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp set the record for most receptions in a single postseason (33) while totaling the second-most receiving yards (478) and tying for the second-most touchdown receptions (six). He recorded a touchdown reception in each of the four games during that playoff run, including two touchdown receptions in both the NFC Championship and Super Bowl LVI, when he earned MVP honors following the Rams victory.
With two touchdown receptions on Sunday night, Kupp will become the third player in NFL history to record multiple touchdown receptions in three consecutive postseason games, joining Larry Fitzgerald (2008-09) and Ernest Givings (1989-91).
In six career postseason games, Kupp has totaled seven touchdown receptions. With a touchdown reception in Detroit, Kupp will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (eight touchdown receptions) for the third-most touchdown receptions ever by a player in his first seven career playoff games. Only Larry Fitzgerald (nine) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (nine) have more.
The players with the most touchdown receptions in their first seven career postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAM – RECEIVING TDs
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona – 9
Randy Moss, Minnesota – 9 (HOF)
Jerry Rice, San Francisco – 8 (HOF)
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams – 7*
*In first six games
Several players have a chance to set historic postseason marks on the ground this weekend.
Cleveland running back Kareem Hunt has recorded a rushing touchdown in each of his first three career postseason games. With a rushing touchdown at Houston on Saturday, he will become the fourth player ever with a rushing touchdown in each of his first four playoff games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (first seven playoff games) and Curtis Martin (five) as well as Arian Foster (four).
The players with a rushing touchdown in the most consecutive games to begin a postseason career in NFL history:
PLAYER – TEAMS (GAMES)
Terrell Davis, Denver – (7 from January 4, 1997 – January 17, 1999)(HOF)
Curtis Martin, New England and New York Jets (5 from Jan. 5, 1997 – Jan. 17, 1999)(HOF)
Arian Foster, Houston (4 from January 7, 2012 – January 13, 2013)
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City and Cleveland (3 from January 6, 2018 – January 17, 2021)*
*Active streak
Miami running backRaheem Mostert led the league with a franchise-record 18 rushing touchdowns this season and has recorded a rushing touchdown in four of his past five games. In three career postseason games, all with San Francisco, Mostert has totaled five rushing touchdowns.
With a rushing touchdown at Kansas City on Saturday night, Mostert will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (six rushing touchdowns), Sony Michel (six) and Ricky Watters (six) for the third-most rushing touchdowns ever by a player in his first four career playoff games. Only LeGarrette Blount (seven) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin (seven) have more.
The players with the most rushing touchdowns in their first four career postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAMS – RUSHING TDS
LeGarrette Blount, New England – 7
Curtis Martin, New England and New York Jets – 7 (HOF)
Terrell Davis, Denver – 6 (HOF)
Sony Michel, New England – 6
Ricky Watters, San Francisco – 6
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco – 5*
*In first three games
Buffalo running back Leonard Fournette has totaled nine rushing touchdowns in nine career playoff games. With a rushing touchdown against Pittsburgh on Sunday, he will become the fifth player all-time with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in his first 10 career postseason games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (12 rushing touchdowns), John Riggins (12) and Emmitt Smith (10) as well as and LeGarrette Blount (10).
The players with the most rushing touchdowns in their first 10 career postseason games in NFL history:
PLAYER, TEAMS – RUSHING TDs
Terrell Davis, Denver – 12 (HOF)
John Riggins, Washington – 12 (HOF)
LeGarrette Blount, New England and Philadelphia – 10
Emmitt Smith, Dallas – 10 (HOF)
Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay – 9*
Marshawn Lynch, Seattle – 9
*In first nine games
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts tied a Super Bowl record by rushing for three touchdowns in Super Bowl LVII last year, his third consecutive playoff game with a rushing touchdown.
With a rushing touchdown at Tampa Bay on Monday night, Hurts – who tied the single-season record by a quarterback with 15 rushing touchdowns this season – will become the second quarterback ever with a rushing touchdown in four consecutive games, joining Dak Prescott (2018-22).
There’s a LOT on the line. The winners? They get to keep playing for at the very least another week. The losers? Done. Kaput. They’ll be clearing out their lockers the next day and prepping for the Draft in Detroit.
AFC: (5) Cleveland (11-6) at (4) Houston (10-7), 4:30 p.m. Saturday on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo. Wild Card weekend gets underway in the Lone Star State’s largest city as the Houston Texans, winners of the AFC South, host the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium.
The Browns come into the playoff round after their 31-14 loss at Cincinnati last Sunday at Paycor Stadium. The Bengals scored their 31 points unchallenged against the Browns, who managed to dent the scoreboard in the final 15 minutes of play, using a pair of Jeff Driskel TD passes to David Bell for their points. Cleveland, who rested their starters (including Joe Flacco), trailed 24-0 at the intermission as Bengals RB Joe Mixon put Cincinnati on the scoreboard on a 1-yard TD run and a 6-yard TD pass from Jake Browning to open the scoring in the contest along the shores of the Ohio River and the Bengals never looked back.
Mixon led all rushers with 111 yards and the first-quarter TD as the Bengals outrushed Cleveland 183-104 (Cleveland was led by Pierre Strong’s 65 yards). Browning (two sacks, interception) threw for 156 yards and a pair of TDs (one to Mixon, the other to WR Andrei Iosivas), while Driskel (three sacks, two interceptions) threw for 166 yards and the two TDs to David Bell in the final quarter (Bell led all receivers with 68 yards). Both clubs struggled on third down tries in the season finale; Cleveland was 2 of 11 (the Browns were perfect in the only fourth down try of the contest), Cincinnati went 3 of 12 and time was on the side of the Bengals, who kept the ball for 35:46 to Cleveland’s 24:14.
The Texans broke a 17-17 tie against Indianapolis late in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard run by David Singletary, then held off a late Colts rally to take a 23-19 last Saturday night, then waited for Tennessee to knock off Jacksonville to take the AFC South title. Houston led 14-6 at the break, then held the Colts at bay before K Matt Gay connected on a 35-yard field early in the final quarter before Montgomery and the Texans went on 12-play, 73-yard drive that would use 7:13 of clock to reclaim the lead for keeps.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor led all rushers with 188 yards and a rushing TD as Indy outruhed Houston 227-60 (Singletary led the Texans with 63 yards and the fourth quarter TD). Stroud (two sacks) threw for 264 yards with a pair of TDs (one to Nico Collins, the other to Andrew Beck), while Garner Minshew (sack) threw for 141 yards. Houston on third down went 5 of 13, the Colts on third down were 1 of 11, both clubs were 0 of 1 on fourth down and the Colts ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 30:42 to Houston’s 29:18.
Cleveland and Houston met in week 16 in Houston and the Browns prevailed 37-20. The Browns did damage to Houston’s playoff hopes, taking a 22-7 lead at the break against the Texans at NRG Stadium and leaving the Lone Star State 36-22 winners last Sunday. The Browns used TD passes from Flacco to Jerome Ford and Amari Cooper to score the first points of the contest before Texas KR Dameon Price ended Cleveland’s bid for a shutout, returning the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a TD to trail by seven at the intermission.
Neither club dented the 100-yard barrier in the contest but Houston somehow managed to outrush the Browns 72-54; Flacco (two interceptions) threw for 368 yards and three TDs (including the two to Cooper, who led all receivers with 265 yards on 11 catches), while Davis Mills threw for 149 yards with TD passes to Nico Collins and Andrew Beck after replacing Case Keenum (three sacks, two interceptions), who threw for 62 yards. Both clubs struggled on third down tries (Cleveland 6 of 16, Houston 5 of 15) but the two clubs did well on fourth down (the Browns 4 of 6, the Texans 1 of 3) and time was on the side of the Browns, who kept the ball for 33:34 to Houston’s 26:26.
For the Texans and the Browns, this is the first post-season meeting ever in the history of both franchises. Their last meeting was in the 2022 regular season at NRG Stadium in which the Browns left the Lone Star State 27-14 winners (Houston’s last win over Cleveland came in 2018 in the Lone Star State by a final of 29-13).
They met in week 13 in Houston and the Browns erased a 3-0 lead after Fairbairn opened the game’s scoring with a 44-yard field in the first quarter, took a 7-5 lead with them to the intermission with Peoples-Jones scoring on a 76-yard punt return late in the second quarter. Cleveland then proceeded to floor the gas in the second half, outscoring the Texans 20-9 9 in the final 30 minutes to take the win. Chubb, despite being tackled in the endzone for a Texans’ safety, led all rushers with 80 yards as Cleveland outrushed Houston 174-82 (Pierce led Houston with 73 yards); Watson (sack, interception) threw for 131 yards, while Allen (two interceptions) threw for 201 yards and a TD to Collins. Third down conversions were not much to talk about in the week 13 meeting; Cleveland was 4 of 13, Houston a somewhat dismal 1 of 12 (the Texans were 1 of 2 on fourth down) and time was the ally of Cleveland, who would keep the ball for 32:16 to Houston’s 27:44.
Cleveland, in the week 13 Lone Star State contest, was favored by 6 and the Browns won by 13, covering the spread. As for the 44 1/2 over/under? The two teams tallied 41 combined points, missing by 3 1/2. In the week 16 2023 contest, winning by 17 and the two clubs covered the 41 over/under, tallying 57 points. In this Wild Card matchup, the Browns are favored by 2 1/2 with a 44 over/under. Both teams are living dream seasons but for one, the dream comes to an end, their carriage turns back into a pumpkin and the coachmen turn back into mice. Houston, you have a problem. Browns move on to the Divisional Round with the win but expect things to be closer than the 2 1/2.
AFC: (6) Miami (11-6) at (3) Kansas City (11-6), 8 p.m. Saturday on Peacock. Wild Card Saturday concludes in the Show-Me State as Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions take on Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Stadium at Arrowhead. The Dolphins look to bounce back from their season-ending loss at home, while the Chiefs are coming, winning two in a row after a tough Christmas Day loss to Las Vegas.
Miami let a 14-7 lead at the intermission against AFC East rival Buffalo get away from them, as the Bills scored 14 fourth-quarter points unchallenged at Hard Rock Stadium to take the AFC East title and a 21-14 win out of the Sunshine State. Miami took that 7-point lead first by De’Von Achane with a 25-yard TD run. After Josh Allen and WR Trent Sherfield connected on a 6-yard TD pass to tie things up, Miami reclaimed the lead with 1:43 left before intermission when Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill connected on a 3-yard TD pass. The teams played a scoreless third quarter and then Buffalo took control of things in the final quarter, first tying things up on a 96-yard punt return by Deonte Harty, then taking the lead for keeps when Allen and TE Dawson Knox connected on a 5-yard TD pass with 7:16 left in regulation. Miami would have one final chance to either tie the contest up and send it into overtime or win the contest outright but Tagovailoa was picked off by Taylor Rapp, giving the Bills the win and the AFC East title.
Allen led all rushers with 67 yards as the Bills outrushed Miami 128-108 (Achane led the Dolphins with 56 yards and the first quarter TD). Tagovailoa (two interceptions) threw fore 173 yards and the Hill TD (Hill had 82 yards receiving on seven catches to lead Miami), while Allen (three sacks, two interceptions) threw for 359 yards with the TDs to Knox and Sherfield (Bills WR Khalil Shakir led all receivers with 105 yards on six catches. The Bills on third down were 9 of 15, on fourth down they went 1 of 3 and were rulers of the clock, holding the ball for 38:07, while Miami, keeping the ball for 21:53, went 4 of 10 on third down conversions in the Sunshine State.
The defending Super Bowl champs picked up a huge win against AFC West/AFL rival Los Angeles Chargers as Harrison Butker kicks a 41-yard field goal with 49 seconds left to take a 13-12 win at SoFi Stadium. Kansas City scored the only TD of the contest when S Mike Edwards picked up a Chargers’ fumble and returned it 96 yards for a TD. After that, the kickers took centre stage in the contest, as Butker made it a 10-0 contest with a 22-yard field goal. Chargers K Cameron Dicker would connect on the first of his four field goals to trail by 3 at the break. Dicker would kick three more field goals in the final 30 minutes of play, with his fourth from 20 yards out to give his team the lead.
The two clubs met in Frankfurt in week nine and the Chiefs held off a last ditch rally by the Dolphins as they held off Tagovailoa and the Dolphins 21-14 at Deutsche Bank Park. Mahomes and the Chiefs used TD passes to Jerick McKinnon and Rashee Rice and a fumble recovery by Brandon Cook to lead 21-0 at the intermission. Miami then responed in the third quarter, scoring their 14 points unchecked when Tagovailoa and Cedrick Wilson connected on a 31-yard TD toss and Raheem Mosert scored on a 13-yard TD run to pull themselves to within seven with 22 seconds left in the third. Miami had a chance to either tie things up late in the contest or win but the rally fell short, as the Dolphins got as close as Kansas City’s 31-yard when Tagovailoa fumbled on fourth down, ending the threat.
Mosert led all rushers with 85 yards and the TD as Miami outrushed Kansas City 117-93 (Isiah Pacheco led the Chiefs with 66 yards; Mahomes threw fore 185 yards with the McKinnon and Rice TDs but was sacked twice, while Tagovailoa threw for 193 yards with the Wilson TD and three sacks (neither threw an interception). Both clubs had problems on third down tries on the other side of the Atlantic (Miami was 3 of 12, Kansas City 3 of 10) and the clock was the actually ally of Miami (0 of 1 on fourth down), who kept the ball for 30:24, while the Chiefs held the ball for 29:36.
They met three times in the post-season and Miami has won all three meetings, outscoring the Chiefs 71-57. Their last meeting took place in the Sunshine State in the 1990 AFC Wild Card Playoffs with Miami coming away 27-17 winners. Vegas likes the Chiefs as 3 1/2-point favorites with a 43 1/2 over/under (in the week nine contest on the other side of the Atlantic, the Chiefs were favored by 2 1/2 and they covered, winning by 7 but the 50 1/2 over/under stayed in tact, as the two clubs merged to score 35 points.) The winner moves on to the divisional round, while the loser will be saying “what if.” The one other factor in this contest? The weather with temperatures at game time to be -3 with wind chills in the -10s. Granted, it’s not the 1967 Ice Bowl betweeen Dallas and Green Bay at Lambeau but it’s still cold. Mahomes and Kelce are well-rested and the Chiefs want to defend their title. Chiefs covers the 3 1/2 and take the win in the Show-Me State.
AFC: (7) Pittsburgh (10-7) at (2) Buffalo (11-6), 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS and Paramount+. Sunday Wild Card action gets underway in upstate New York as Pittsburgh travels to Highmark Stadium to face off against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Both clubs took huge road wins last week as they closed out the 2023 regular season.
Pittsburgh broke a 7-7 tie against Baltimore at the intermission, scoring 10 fourth quarter points unchecked and left a rainy, wet and cold M&T Bank Stadium 17-10 winners last Saturday. The Steelers took the lead in the first quarter when RB Najee Harris scored on a 6-yard TD run late in the first quarter. Baltimore tied the contest up late in the second quarter when TE Isaiah Likely and backup QB Tyler Huntley, taking over for Lamar Jackson (rest) connected on a 27-yard TD pass to close out the first half scoring. The two teams would play scoreless football in the third quarter, then Pittsburgh took over in the final 15 minutes of play, taking the lead for good when WR Dionate Johnson and QB Mason Rudolph connected on a 71-yard TD toss. Steelers K Chris Boswell would add a 25-yard field goal late in the quarter to give Pittsburgh a 10-point lead with 3:13 left when the Ravens would narrow the gap to 3 with 16 seconds left with a 36-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. Baltimore then tried an onside kick, which TE/FB Connor Heyward recovered to stop the threat.
Harris led all rushers with 112 yards and the first quarter TD at the Steelers, needing several teams to lose to get into the post-season party, outrushed Baltimore 155-106. Rudolph (three sacks) threw for 152 yards and the Johnson TD, while Huntley (four sacks) threw for 146 yards and the Likely TD. Third down tries were a problem for both clubs (Pittsburgh was 6 of 15, Baltimore was 4 of 13), the Ravens had the only successful fourth down try in the contest and time was the ally to Pittsburgh, who kept the ball for 34:54 to Baltimore’s 25:06.
Buffalo erased a 14-7 Miami lead at the intermission, scoring 14 fourth-quarter points unchallenged at Hard Rock Stadium to take the AFC East title and a 21-14 win out of the Sunshine State. Miami took that 7-point lead first by De’Von Achane with a 25-yard TD run. After Josh Allen and WR Trent Sherfield connected on a 6-yard TD pass to tie things up, Miami reclaimed the lead with 1:43 left before intermission when Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill connected on a 3-yard TD pass. The teams played a scoreless third quarter and then Buffalo took control of things in the final quarter, first tying things up on a 96-yard punt return by Deonte Harty, then taking the lead for keeps when Allen and TE Dawson Knox connected on a 5-yard TD pass with 7:16 left in regulation. Miami would have one final chance to either tie the contest up and send it into overtime or win the contest outright but Tagovailoa was picked off by Taylor Rapp, giving the Bills the win and the AFC East title.
Allen led all rushers with 67 yards as the Bills outrushed Miami 128-108 (Achane led the Dolphins with 56 yards and the first quarter TD). Tagovailoa (two interceptions) threw fore 173 yards and the Hill TD (Hill had 82 yards receiving on seven catches to lead Miami), while Allen (three sacks, two interceptions) threw for 359 yards with the TDs to Knox and Sherfield (Bills WR Khalil Shakir led all receivers with 105 yards on six catches. The Bills on third down were 9 of 15, on fourth down they went 1 of 3 and were rulers of the clock, holding the ball for 38:07, while Miami, keeping the ball for 21:53, went 4 of 10 on third down conversions in the Sunshine State.
This is the fourth post-season meeting between the two clubs and the Steelers hold a 2-1 lead over Buffalo and have outscored the Bills 75-59. Their last post-season meeting was in 1995 in the Steel City in the AFC Divisonal Playoff, which Pittsburgh came away 40-21 (Buffalo’s lone win came in 1992 in the Steel City by a final of 24-3). The boys and girls in Vegas like the Bills as a 9 1/2-point favorite in upstate New York with a 38 1/2 over/under. Pittsburgh has actually played some decent football of late but it’s all coming to an end in Orchard Park. CIRCLE THE WAGONS! Bills may not cover the 9 1/2 but they take the win along the shores of Lake Erie.
NFC: (7) Green Bay (9-8) at (2) Dallas (12-5), 4:30 p.m. Sunday on FOX and FOX Deportes. The second of the three Sunday games takes place at Jerry World (aka AT&T Stadium) as Green Bay and Jordan Love take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.
Love and the Packers trailed 3-0 at the end of the first quarter at Lambeau Field, then erased that deficit by taking a 7-6 lead into the break and came away 17-9 winners over Chicago. The Packers took the lead for keeps in the second quarter when Love and WR Dontayvion Wicks connected on a 10-yard TD toss. Chicago K Cairo Santos made a one-point affair before the break with a 39-yard field goal but after the intermission, it was Wicks and Love connecting again, this time on a 12-yard TD toss to lead by eight. Santos would pull Da Bears to within five with 13:03 left in the contest before Packers K Anders Carlson iced the contest away for the home team with a 25-yard field goal.
Green Bay’s Aaron Jones led all rushers with 111 yards as the Packers outrushed Chicago 124-75. Love (sack) threw for 316 yards and the two TDs to Wicks, while Justin Fields (five sacks) threw for 148 yards (Green Bay’s Jayden Reed led all receivers with 112 yards). Green Bay on third down was 7 of 10 and the Packers ruled the clock, holding the ball for 31:24, while Da Bears, who kept the ball for 28:36, went 3 of 11 on third down, 1 of 1 on fourth down.
Erasiing a 7-7 tie in the second quarter, the Cowboys took a 21-10 lead into the intermission against Washington at FedEx Field, then proceeded to score 17 second half points unchecked to take a 38-10 win in Landover and the NFC East title. Cowboys RB Tony Pollard gave Dallas the lead for keeps with a 1-yard TD run, then Prescott went to work, throwing a pair of TD passes to Cee Dee Lamb and one to Brandon Cooks to all but ice the contest away.
Pollard led all rushers with 70 yards and the TD as Dallas outrushed Washington 131-50. Prescott (interception) thew for 279 yards and the four TDs in the contest (including the two to Lamb, who led all receivers with 98 yards on 13 catches), while Sam Howell (four sacks, two interceptions) threw for 153 yards and a TD to Brian Robinson (who led Washington with 25 rushing yard, Terry McLaurin led Washington receivers with 56 yards). Dalals on third down tries? 6 of 10 (they were perfect in their only fourth down conversion) and ruled the clock, keeping the ball for 33:55, while Washington kept the ball for 26:05, going 2 of 10 on third down, 3 of 4 on fourth down.
The two teams have met in post-season play eight times, each taking four wins. Green Bay’s last win in the post-season series with Dallas came in 2016 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers left Jerry World 34-31 winners (Dallas’ last win in the series came in the 1995 NFC Championship Game by a final of 38-27). Vegas likes Dallas as 7 1/2-point favorites with a 49 1/2 over/under. Both numbers make a lot of sense. For Dallas, it’s a chance to get a little closer to the Lombardi Trophy and for Mike McCarthy to get revenge on the team that fired him. For the Packers, it’s a chance to send the Cowboys packing. GO PACK GO! Green Bay may not cover the 7 1/2 but they do pull the upset in the Lone Star State.
NFC: (6) Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at (3) Detroit (12-5), 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC, Peacock and Universo. Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff. It’s the final Sunday Wild Card game as the Detroit Lions host the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field.
The Rams head to the Motor City after holding off a last San Francisco rally to beat the 49ers 21-20 last Sunday. San Francisco broke a 7-7 tie at the end of the first quarter, scoring 13 second quarter points of their own to lead 20-7 at the break before the Rams returned the favor in the second half, scoring 14 points of their own unchecked, then holding off the 49ers’ late rally to take the win.
Carson Wentz (two sacks, interception), taking over for Stafford (rest), led all rushers with 56 yards and rushing TD, threw for 163 yards and a pair of TDs (one to Puka Nacua, the other to Tyler Johnson, while Sam Darnold (three sacks), taking over for Brock Purdy (rest) threw for 189 yards and a TD to WR Ronnie Bell (49ers WR Chris Conley led all receivers with 69 yards). Both clubs did reasonably well on third down tries (the Rams 9 of 15, San Francisco 5 of 10) and on fourth down, the Rams, ruling the clock for 31 minutes, went 3 of 4 on fourth down, while the 49ers, holding the pigskin for 29 minutes, found success in their only fourth down drive.
Detroit held off NFC North rival Minnesota last Sunday in the Motor City, taking a 20-10 win at Ford Field. Detroit took a 13-6 lead with them to the intermission, then proceeded to floor the gas in the final 30 minutes of play, outscoring the Vikings 17-14 in the half.
Neither club touched the 100-yard rushing barrier in the contest but Minnesota did manage to outrush the Lions 89-70 with Vikings RB Ty Chandler leading all rushers with 69 yards, while Detroit was led by David Montgomery with 40 yards and a rushing TD. Goff (sack) threw for 320 yards a pair of TDs, one to Amon-Ra St. Brown (St. Brown led Detroit with 144 yards on seven catches) and Sam LaPorta, while Nick Mullens (four sacks, two interceptions) threw for 396 yards and a pair of TDs to Justin Jefferson (Jefferson led all recievers with 196 yards on 12 catches) and Jordan Addison.
Both teams had issues on third down tries in the Motor City (Detroit was 1 of 9, Minnesota 2 of 13) but the two clubs did reasonably well on fourth down (Detroit 2 of 2, Minnesota 2 of 3) and time favored the Vikings, who kept the ball for 34:59 to Detroit’s 25:01.
Detroit and the Rams have met once in post-season play and the Lions were 31-21 winners in the 1952 Conference Championship. Vegas likes the Lions as a 3-point favorite in the prime-time contest in the Motor City with a 51 1/2 over/under. The last time the Lions won an NFL championship was 1952, when Harry Truman was in the White House. The Lions are one of four NFL teams that have NEVER been to the Super Bowl and a win Sunday night would put them one step closer to that goal. ROAR, LIONS, ROAR! Detroit covers the 3 and takes the win in the Motor City.
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