With 12 seconds on the clock and the Steelers clinging to a two-point lead, Ravens kicker Tyler Loop lined up for a 44-yard field goal that would send Baltimore to the playoffs and Pittsburgh home for the winter. The kick sailed wide right, and in that moment, the most chaotic regular season in recent memory came to a fitting conclusion. The Steelers won the AFC North on the final play of the final week, the Ravens’ season ended in heartbreak, and the stage was set for a Wild Card Weekend unlike any we’ve seen.
The 2025 NFL season delivered the unexpected at every turn, and the playoff field reflects that unpredictability. Six teams that missed the postseason entirely last year will compete for a Super Bowl LX berth in Santa Clara. For the first time since Patrick Mahomes became a starter, the Kansas City Chiefs are watching from home after finishing 8-9. The conference landscapes have shifted dramatically, and this weekend’s action promises to deliver the kind of drama that only January football can provide.
Every matchup carries genuine upset potential because there are no clear favorites. The top seeds in both conferences earned their byes through excellent regular seasons, but neither the Denver Broncos nor the Seattle Seahawks have been tested in the crucible of playoff pressure with their current rosters. The teams fighting through Wild Card Weekend have the opportunity to announce themselves as legitimate contenders, and at least one of them will likely make a deep run through the bracket.
Saturday’s Doubleheader: NFC Rivalry Games
The weekend begins Saturday afternoon with the Los Angeles Rams visiting the Carolina Panthers in a matchup few would have predicted before the season. Both franchises completed remarkable turnarounds from disappointing 2024 campaigns, and both enter the playoffs with something to prove. The Rams, seeded fifth, finished 11-6 despite significant injuries to their offensive line, relying on Matthew Stafford’s veteran savvy and a defense that ranked eighth in points allowed. The Panthers, seeded fourth as NFC South champions, won their first division title since 2015 behind a rebuilt roster that exceeded every preseason expectation.
Carolina’s home-field advantage at Bank of America Stadium could prove decisive in what projects as a low-scoring affair. The Panthers allowed just 19.8 points per game this season, and their ability to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball makes them a nightmare matchup for teams that can’t impose their will physically. The Rams have the more experienced quarterback and the better receiving corps, but they’ll need to protect Stafford against a Carolina pass rush that recorded 48 sacks during the regular season. Expect a game that comes down to the final possession, with whichever team commits fewer mistakes advancing.
Saturday night delivers one of the NFL’s oldest rivalries under playoff lights when the Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago to face the Bears. These franchises have met 208 times in the regular season, but this will be just their fifth postseason meeting. The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since 2010, a drought that weighs heavily on a fanbase desperate for January success. The Packers bring playoff experience that Chicago lacks, but they’ll face a hostile environment at Soldier Field where the Bears went 7-2 this season.
Chicago’s emergence as a playoff contender has been one of the season’s best stories. Their defense, rebuilt through smart free agency signings and excellent drafting, ranks fourth in total defense and second in takeaways. The Packers counter with a balanced offense that can attack both through the air and on the ground, but they’ve struggled on the road against quality opponents. Green Bay’s 4-5 road record includes losses to every playoff team they faced away from Lambeau. If the Bears can force turnovers and control the clock with their running game, they have a real chance to end their postseason drought.
Sunday’s Main Events: Championship Rematches and Quarterback Showdowns
Sunday’s slate features four compelling matchups that could produce the weekend’s most memorable moments. The afternoon begins with the Buffalo Bills traveling to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in a game that features two of the AFC’s most talented rosters playing their best football at the right time. Buffalo enters as the sixth seed despite winning their final four games, a surge that has some analysts questioning whether they’re the most dangerous team in the conference.
Josh Allen has been magnificent down the stretch, throwing 14 touchdowns against just one interception over the final month of the season. The Bills’ defense, which struggled early, found its footing in December and held opponents to 17.3 points per game during their winning streak. Jacksonville counters with Trevor Lawrence, who has finally lived up to his generational billing with a breakout season featuring 4,412 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. The Jaguars’ new coaching staff transformed Lawrence from a player who looked lost in 2024 into someone who controls games with his decision-making and arm talent.
The afternoon’s marquee matchup sends the San Francisco 49ers to Philadelphia for a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship Game, which the Eagles won 31-7 on their way to Super Bowl victory. San Francisco has spent the entire offseason and regular season thinking about that humiliation. The 49ers retooled their roster, addressed defensive weaknesses that Philadelphia exploited, and enter the playoffs with revenge on their minds.
The Eagles, seeking to become the first NFC team since the 1993-94 Dallas Cowboys to repeat as Super Bowl champions, present a more complete picture than last year’s team. Their offensive line remains the best in football, allowing just 18 sacks all season. Their running game, led by a healthy backfield, averaged 4.9 yards per carry. And their defense, which was good last year, has been great this year, ranking third in scoring defense. The 49ers have the talent to pull the upset, but they’ll need to play a near-perfect game against a team that knows exactly how to win in January.
Sunday night features the Los Angeles Chargers visiting the New England Patriots in a game that pits two of the league’s brightest young quarterbacks against each other. Justin Herbert has transformed the Chargers into one of the AFC’s most dynamic offenses, while Drake Maye has exceeded every expectation in guiding New England back to the playoffs. The Patriots’ defensive transformation under their new coordinator has been remarkable, allowing just 18.2 points per game and creating 31 takeaways. This game could come down to which young quarterback handles playoff pressure better.
Monday Night Football: The Weekend’s Final Word
The weekend concludes Monday night when the Houston Texans visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup that promises to deliver drama under the primetime lights. Pittsburgh earned the right to host this game with their dramatic Week 18 victory over Baltimore, and the Terrible Towel-waving faithful will pack Acrisure Stadium expecting another memorable playoff moment. The Steelers’ defense, anchored by T.J. Watt’s league-leading 16.5 sacks, has been the backbone of their improbable division title. They’ll face a Houston offense that scored 39 total touchdowns this season and can attack from anywhere on the field.
The Texans arrive in Pittsburgh riding a wave of confidence from a strong second half of the season. Their young quarterback emerged as one of the game’s most exciting playmakers, and their receiving corps gives him weapons that can exploit any coverage. Houston’s challenge will be containing Watt and the Pittsburgh pass rush, which has disrupted every quarterback it’s faced this season. The Steelers have won six of their last seven games, and playing at home in January has historically been an advantage this franchise knows how to leverage.
This matchup carries particular intrigue because of how evenly matched these teams appear. Pittsburgh’s defensive strengths align perfectly against Houston’s offensive identity, creating a chess match between coordinators that should unfold throughout the four quarters. The winner advances to face either the Denver Broncos or the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, with a trip to the AFC Championship Game potentially on the line.
The Top Seeds Wait and Watch
While the Wild Card games unfold, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will be preparing for their Divisional Round opponents. Denver clinched the AFC’s top seed with a franchise-record-tying 14-3 record, their best season since winning Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 campaign. Head coach Sean Payton, who has now led two different franchises to the No. 1 seed, built a team that finished 11-2 in one-score games and led the league in defensive takeaways. The Broncos’ reward is a bye week to get healthy and a home game against the lowest remaining seed.
Seattle’s path to the top seed in the NFC has been equally impressive. The Seahawks finished 14-3 in head coach Mike Macdonald’s second season, winning seven consecutive games to close the regular season. Their defense, which ranks first in points allowed, has been the foundation of their success. Seattle now waits to see which NFC team emerges from Wild Card Weekend to challenge them at Lumen Field in the Divisional Round.
The wide-open nature of this playoff field means both top seeds face genuine uncertainty about their paths to Super Bowl LX. Unlike recent years when one or two clear favorites dominated the conversation, this postseason offers no such clarity. The Broncos and Seahawks earned their advantages through excellent regular seasons, but those advantages offer no guarantees against a field loaded with dangerous opponents.
What to Watch For This Weekend
Several storylines will define Wild Card Weekend beyond the games themselves. The quarterback performances will receive intense scrutiny, particularly from the league’s younger signal-callers facing playoff pressure for the first time or seeking to prove they can win in January. Players like Lawrence, Maye, and the Texans’ quarterback have produced excellent regular seasons, but playoff success requires a different level of execution. How they handle the moment will shape perceptions of their careers for years to come.
Coaching decisions will also take center stage. The difference between advancing and going home often comes down to fourth-down calls, timeout management, and halftime adjustments. Several coaches in this field have limited playoff experience, while others are seeking redemption for past postseason failures. The pressure of single-elimination football exposes every weakness, and the coaches who best prepare their teams for that pressure will see their squads advance.
The weather could play a significant role in several games, particularly the outdoor matchups in Chicago and Pittsburgh. January football in the Midwest and Northeast often features conditions that favor certain styles of play, and teams that can adapt to those conditions gain advantages that don’t show up in scouting reports. The Packers-Bears game, in particular, could be affected by whatever Mother Nature delivers Saturday night at Soldier Field.
The Bottom Line
Wild Card Weekend offers six games with six different potential champions waiting to announce themselves. The absence of the Chiefs has opened the AFC race in ways we haven’t seen in nearly a decade, and the NFC features a defending champion trying to make history alongside hungry challengers seeking their own moment. Every game matters, every play counts, and by Monday night, we’ll know which six teams are moving on to the Divisional Round.
The path to Super Bowl LX runs through some of the most storied franchises in football, from the historic rivalry between the Bears and Packers to the championship aspirations of the Eagles. The Broncos and Seahawks have positioned themselves well with first-round byes, but they’ll need to prove their regular-season success translates to January.
This is what makes the NFL playoffs the most exciting tournament in American sports. No margin for error. No second chances. Just fourteen teams competing for the right to lift the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara on February 8. Wild Card Weekend is where that journey truly begins, and this year’s field promises to deliver drama at every turn.
