If you’re Roger Goodell, you’re probably throwing a party in your New York City mansion after the electrifying football we saw yesterday. Day one of the NFL Wild Card weekend was as resounding a success as you can have.
The Los Angeles Rams and potential MVP Matthew Stafford willed their way to a last-second victory over an incredibly gritty Carolina Panthers team, while Caleb Williams’ Bears somehow overcame a 15-point deficit to send Green Bay packing.
Quite literally, these two Saturday games could not have been more fun to watch.
Now, it is on the Sunday slate to keep the first-round momentum going, and the matchups certainly carry the potential to do just that.
Over the course of three games, two AFC and one NFC, we’ll be treated to six of the NFL’s premier teams overall from the 2025 season, and all of them are expected to be close until the clock hits zero.
Here, I’ll give you a quick preview of these three Sunday matchups so you can be prepared as the NFL Wild Card keeps rolling.
Buffalo Bills (12-5, 6 Seed) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4, 3 Seed)
12:00 PM CST Kick Off — BUF Favorites By 1.5 Points – 51.5 O/U
To start the day, we have what I anticipate to be one of the closest playoff games in recent memory. It is Josh Allen’s Bills heading south to Duval to take on the red-hot Jaguars.
In year one, Jacksonville’s rookie Head Coach, Liam Coen, has led them to the second seed in the AFC, a 13-4 record, and an impressive eight-game winning streak. Don’t let the “small market” tag fool you: this team could absolutely make a Super Bowl run.
Up in Buffalo, New York, they come into this game with a fantastic 12-5 record, but things just haven’t been “right.” The roster isn’t great, and they don’t pass the eye test of an elite team.
Nevertheless, with their long-standing playoff experience and a former MVP in Allen at the helm, the Bills are just barely the favorites to win this game. Ultimately, this will come down to just how much of a Superman act he can pull off despite the overall talent mismatch.
San Francisco 49ers (12-5, 6 Seed) @ Philadelphia Eagles (11-6, 3 Seed)
3:30 PM CST Kick Off — PHI Favorites By 6.0 Points – 46.5 O/U
From an NFC perspective, you can’t ask for much more than a Packers-Bears matchup and a 49ers-Eagles showdown. This midday game has a history between the two teams, a top-line legacy for both organizations, and superstar players throughout.
In Philly, the reigning champions have had their ups and downs this year, but they won the NFC East resoundingly and come into this game as a pretty heavy favorite.
San Francisco, on the other hand, has battled through hell and back to somehow reach a 12-5 record. The injuries they have endured are, quite frankly, crazy, and yet they find themselves with a chance to get some redemption from their conference championship loss a few years ago.
I expect Philadelphia to win this game, but Brock Purdy & Co. have shown the ability to lock in and electrify on offense. If they do that again, watch out for San Fran.
Los Angeles Chargers (11-6, 7 Seed) @ New England Patriots (14-3, 2 Seed)
7:15 PM CST Kick Off – NE Favorites By 3.5 Points – 45.5 O/U
Traveling even further north, we have the night game between Drake Maye’s emergent New England Patriots and a Los Angeles Chargers team that has flown way too far under the radar.
The Pats, after just a few poor seasons, have returned to dominance with fire. Maye is either the MVP or the runner-up in year two, Mike Vrabel may be the Coach of the Year, and they have a big chance to return to the Super Bowl. That road starts tonight.
For Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, they are 11-6, the last seed in the AFC, and an underdog tonight. However, with Justin Herbert and a strong pass defense, they can’t be counted out to pull off the upset.
I believe they’ll do that in Foxborough, but only if Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter can keep Maye in check in the fourth quarter.
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