The NFL regular season came to a close last week, and it took all 18 Weeks to decide on two division winners. The AFC South saw the 2022 last-place Texans win the division with a 23-19 win over the Colts, and the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South with a 9-0 win over the Panthers.
Records go out the door now that the playoffs are here. It doesn’t matter if a team dominated or limped in; all that matters is that they are in the tournament. Everyone gets a new start, and the rules are simple: win or go home.
The remaining 14 teams all earned their spot to be there, and even if their odds by the sportsbooks are low to win Super Bowl LVIII, they all have a chance. The NFL has the AFC games as the first three games of the weekend, while the NFC finishes the six-game slate on Sunday and Monday.
There are some fantastic storylines in the first round of the playoffs. Tyreek Hill returns to Arrowhead to take on his former team. Coach Mike McCarthy hosts the Packers as he tries to win his second playoff game with Dallas. The Lions host their former 12-year starting QB Matthew Stafford, who was traded for QB Jared Goff and three draft picks.
The NFC No. 1 seed and odds favorite to win it all is the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have dominated most of their opponents but finished the season with the third-highest point differential of 193. At times, they looked like the clear best team in the NFL, but they only finished with a 5-3 record at home. The 49ers earned themselves a bye during the Super Wild Card Round and will be waiting for the lowest seed that advances.
NFC Playoff Bracket:
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 8, 2024
* #Packers @ #Cowboys
* #Rams @ #Lions
* #Eagles @ #Buccaneers
Who you got winning? pic.twitter.com/QRT1O3Ixxe
Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys – Sunday4:30 p.m. ET, Fox
Storyline
The storyline that the NFL talking heads are highlighting is that Mike McCarthy will be taking on his former team. McCarthy was the Packers head coach from 2006-2018, leading Green Bay to nine playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory in 2011. McCarthy took the 2019 season off and got the Cowboys head coaching job in 2020.
McCarthy has led the Cowboys to three straight 12-5 seasons and three straight playoffs. The Cowboys won their first playoff game under McCarthy last season when they beat Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, which would end up being Brady’s last game.
The Cowboys have been one of the most dominant teams this year, finishing with a point differential of 194, which is the second-highest in the league. They have been extra dominant at home with an 8-0 record, blowing out six of their opponents.
The Packers have beaten the Cowboys nine out of the last 10 times the teams have met. The Packers have won the last four games in Dallas, all with McCarthy as their coach. The last time the two teams played, Green Bay took down McCarthy and the Cowboys in overtime 31-28 on November 13, 2022.
Mike McCarthy facing his former team in the Wild Card round 🍿
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 8, 2024
Another Cowboys vs. Packers playoff matchup incoming 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XfKljJOYcZ
Quarterback
Cowboys
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is coming off the best season of his career and has been in the MVP talk for the second half of the season. Prescott threw for 4,516 yards and delivered 36 touchdown passes while cutting his interceptions down to nine. Prescott has been the best QB in the league when he plays at home. He completed 73.3% of his passes for 2,470 yards with 22 TDS and only 3 INTs.
Green Bay
Jordan Love, a big question mark entering the season, had a phenomenal first season as the starting QB for the Packers. He threw for 4,159 yards while compiling a 32-11 TD-interception ratio. He had his ups and downs, but overall, he got better each week and did enough to get his team to the playoffs, even with his No. 1 RB and WR injured for most of the year. Love and the Packers have nothing to lose as they are 7.5-point underdogs on Sunday. Love would get his first huge win of his young career, giving him and his team a ton of confidence for the rest of the playoffs and into next season.
Offense
Cowboys
The Cowboys' strength on offense is the offensive line, which is the reason they can do so much offensively. Dallas led the NFL with 36 TDs through the air and finished third with 57 total TDs. Prescott’s connection with Ceedee Lamb was special all year and was the main reason the Cowboys were so good offensively. Lamb broke the Cowboys' single-season reception and yards record with 135 catches for 1,749 yards.
Tony Pollard was a fantasy letdown but has been a solid runner, keeping teams honest. Jake Ferguson emerged as one of the best at tight ends in his second season, looking like the next Jason Witten. Brandin Cooks is a solid second or third option, and McCarthy is one of the best at calling plays to keep defenses on their heels.
Green Bay
The Packers have the youngest offense in the league. They have four receivers who contributed this year and are either in their second year or are rookies and have a rookie TE. Aaron Jones, the lone veteran skill player, had a down year because of injuries. Their top receiver, Christian Watson, has also been dealing with injuries all year and may miss the game due to a hamstring injury.
Green Bay’s offense is loaded with young talent that all seemed to get better as their QB got better this year. Speedy second-round pick Jayden Reed has emerged as a key piece to the offense, with Matt LaFleur finding ways to get the ball in his hands in space. The key for the Packers will be if they can control the game with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon on the ground and get some big plays from Reed and Romeo Doubs.
Defense
Cowboys
Superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons leads the Cowboys' defense. Parsons is once again in the talks for Defensive Player of the Year. Parsons’ versatility allows the Cowboys to move him around and give opposing offenses a ton of different looks. Parson has already finished second in DPOY voting in his first two seasons, and looks like he may be second or third again after compiling 14 sacks, 68 tackles, and 33 QB hits.
Cornerback DaRon Bland had a season for the ages with 9 interceptions and a record 5 that were returned for touchdowns. Linebacker Damone Clark led the team with 107 tackles. The Cowboys' defense had been devastating when they were playing with a lead and could give the Packers' young offense all sorts of trouble if they had an early lead.
Packers
The Packers' defense has been inconsistent all year, and DC Joe Barry has received some criticism for their play. The bright spot is that their defense has been good the last two weeks, holding the Vikings and Bears to 10 points or less. Linebacker Quay Walker has great instincts and led the team with 118 stops, while Rashan Gary had 9.0 sacks. CB Jaire Alexander is one of the best in the game and should be able to at least slow down Lamb a little in this game.
Prediction: Cowboys 27 - Packers 21
Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions – Sunday 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC
Storyline
This is the most exciting game of the first round. Two of the best offenses in the league are squaring off in a Sunday night game. These two storied franchises traded QBs a few years back, and now those two QBs get to square off in a win-or-go-home game. The Rams are the hottest team in the NFL heading into the playoffs, winning seven out of their last eight games.
The Lions haven't won a playoff game since 1991, which was Detroit's first playoff victory since 1957. The Lions dominated their division and are one of the more complete teams in the playoffs. The problem is they will be playing against Matthew Stafford, who is no stranger to Ford Field.
LIONS VS RAMS RAHHH pic.twitter.com/XiO3WijoVQ
— dope ™️ (@dopeisalive) January 10, 2024
Quarterback
Rams
Matthew Stafford looked washed up last season, but he turned it around this year to lead the Rams back to the playoffs. Stafford threw for 3,965 yards with 24 TDs and 11 INTs. The Rams have shifted their offense to a run-first approach behind Kyren Williams, which allows Stafford to thrive in the play-action game. Stafford proved again that he is one of the best to ever play the position and he is poised to help his team make a run this postseason.
Lions
Jared Goff finished the year with 4,575 passing yards, the second most in the league. He also threw 30 TDs to 11 INTs and completed over 67% of his passes. The Lions have some of the best offensive weapons in the league and one of the best offensive lines. The Lions finished with the third-best offense this year behind a strong rushing attack and solid play from Goff. Goff was the QB that the Rams gave up on and traded away after he led them to a Super Bowl, and I am sure he wants to show his former organization they made the wrong choice.
Offense
Rams
The Rams' offense has been different since they inserted Kyren Williams as the starting RB. Williams is a great runner between the tackles and has proven week after week that he can handle a full workload. The offense runs through Williams, opening up passing lanes for Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and the other talented pass catchers. Nacua set the rookie receiving yards and catches records with 105 catches and 1,486 yards on the season. Sean McVay has the Rams' offense firing on all cylinders, and they are as tough as anyone right now.
Lions
The Lions also rely heavily on their run game. The difference is that the Lions have two backs in David Montgomery and rookie phenom Jahmyr Gibbs. The one-two punch of Montgomery and Gibbs has given a lot of opposing defenses more than they can handle. But teams cannot stack the box because the Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and many other weapons to stretch teams downfield. Goff is accurate and understands the offense very well, which is why the Lions scored the third most points this season.
Defense
Rams
The Rams' defense is led by three-time DPOY winner Aaron Donald, who can still wreak havoc on any given play. But overall, they are young and lacking at all three levels. One bright spot was free safety Jordan Fuller, who had 93 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. The defense that can get takeaways will be the team that wins the game. The Rams rank near the bottom with their 15 takeaways this season.
Lions
The Lions have given up a lot of yards and points but have made some plays when the team needed them. Aidan Hutchenson is budding into a superstar, finishing the season with 11.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Free safety Kerby Joseph had 80 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. The Lions' defense forced 23 turnovers and came up big with the game on the line a few times this season.
Prediction: Rams 31 - Lions 30
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Storyline
The Eagles fell apart down the stretch, losing five out of their last six games, making them a wildcard team after a 10-1 start to the season. The Buccaneers won five out of their last six games and clinched their division with a win over the Panthers in Week 18. The two teams are trending in different directions, but the Eagles are still favored on the road. The two teams met in Week 3, and the Eagles won 25-11.
The Bucs' offense has been cooking in the second half of the season, while the Eagles' defense is struggling to slow down their opponents. The Eagles are the better team on paper, but with how they are playing, it’s hard to confidently think they will roll into Tampa Bay and take down the red-hot Bucs.
Quarterbacks
Eagles
Jalen Hurts was the early season MVP before the bottom fell out in Philadelphia. Now Hurts and the Eagles are limping into the playoffs. Still Hurts is one of the best at the position and can take over a game with his legs and his arm. Hurts (23 TD passes, 15 TD runs) may not be at his best, but he has the ability to bounce back and make plays when the game is on the line. Hurts has been dealing with small injuries all year, but he will need to play his best if he wants to get the Eagles back to the Super Bowl
Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield came into the season with his career in question but turned it on when his team needed it most. Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards and had a respectable 26-10 TD-interception ratio. Mayfield clinched the NFC South against the Panthers, the team who cut him a year earlier. Mayfield had the best season of his career and is set to have a big day against a weak Eagles secondary.
Offense
Eagles
The Eagles' offense is best run through D’Andre Swift, but at times, they seem to forget that. When the Eagles run the ball, they become tough to stop because they have two-star receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Hurts is always a threat to run and pick up first downs and is as consistent as they come regarding short yardage. The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines and all the firepower to march over any defense, but they have struggled to put it together on the field all year.
Buccaneers
The Bucs rely on Mayfield to carry them through the air, as they are last in rushing yards per game. Rashaad White struggled to get much going on the ground, but he still had a good season because he is one of the best at catching the ball out of the backfield. WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are big, fast, and run good routes. They will undoubtedly be tough for the Eagles to contain. The Bucs' offensive line struggles to open up running lanes, but they are decent keeping the pocket clean. They will need to play well to handle the Eagles' front seven, but if they do, then Mayfield should have a career day.
Defense
Eagles
The Eagles have given up 25 points per game, which is the second most. Their rushing defense has been good all year, but they get torched in the passing game. The Eagles have built leads but are not able to hang on to them once the opposing team starts slinging the ball downfield. The Commanders are the only team to have given up more passing yards this season. That being said, the Eagles have some good players on defense who can make critical plays and turn a game with a big hit or turnover. The Eagles -10 turnover differential ranks in the bottom ten of the league.
Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are a veteran team that understands how to play the game as a result of leadership from veteran linebacker Lavonte David and safety Antoine Winfield. David led the team in tackles with 133 stops and 17 tackles for loss and contributed 4.5 sacks. The Bucs have also severely struggled against the pass this season and have to win some shootouts because their defense can't make stops in the second half. The Bucs have a +10 turnover differential, which is a big reason they were able to win their division.
What will Lavonte David tell young teammates who’ve never been in #NFLPlayoffs?
— rock riley (@realrockriley) January 10, 2024
“Tell em my story. 8 years didn’t even sniff the playoffs. Now 4 years in a row.”#Bucs vs #Eagles pic.twitter.com/lYq4E1i3K7
Prediction: Eagles 31 - Bucs 25
