As we are set to enter the 2024 NFL playoffs, we begin with Super Wild Card Weekend that will consist of six matchups spread out over three days starting on Saturday.
There will be a total of 14 teams that make up the playoff contenders; however, two of them, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, the top seeds in the AFC and NFC, have earned a bye in the first week. There'll be seven returnees from last year's playoffs, meaning there will be seven newbies. The Kansas City Chiefs will be one of the returnees along with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, the circumstances will be different this year in that neither are receiving a first-round bye.
That could present quite the obstacle for those teams, especially the Eagles, who failed to win their division and will have to go on the road to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But what about the rest of the field? No team is exempt from challenges this time of year. So let's get into it.
Cleveland Browns at Texans
To open up Super Wild Card weekend, we have the Browns (11-6) traveling to Houston to face the Texans (10-7). Both of these teams are coming off as big surprises in the AFC this year. The Browns have suffered through a ton of injuries, including starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was later replaced by veteran Joe Flacco.
Flacco somehow found not only the fountain of youth but also an uncharacteristic spark that has ignited this Browns team and got them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Texans, with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback, were not supposed to be anywhere close to the playoffs. Yet, when the Jacksonville Jaguars fizzled out, losing their final game, the Texans' win over the Indianapolis Colts propelled them as AFC South division champs.
Biggest obstacles for Browns: The Browns just have to not be the Browns. Surprisingly, that hasn't been the case for them this season. That all goes back to Flacco and how this team has been surging since his arrival. Typically, when things start falling apart in Cleveland, they come in droves and dismantle seasons, like it was looking this season. But somehow this team has overcome those obstacles and been very un-Browns-like. The most unfortunate part for them is that they won't be hosting a game in Cleveland and could very likely not the entire way.
Biggest obstacles for the Texans: Remember, this team isn't supposed to be here. It's doubtful that first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans expected in his first season to be hosting a playoff game as division champions. The Texans were 10-game winners this season after having won only 11 over the past three seasons. It will be the youth of the Texans and their rookie quarterback in CJ Stroud against the veteran in the Browns and Flacco. Oh, and the Browns' NFL top-ranked total defense.
Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs
Battered, bruised, and downright beaten will be the Dolphins (11-6) when they roll into what is set to be a frigid game at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night. Two linebackers are gone for the season, Xavien Howard will be missing for a second straight week, and Raheem Mostert and Jayden Waddle are questionable against the Chiefs.
The Chiefs (11-6) haven't looked like their usual selves this year and are without the benefit of a bye. But they'll still have the advantage of homefield on Saturday.
Biggest obstacles for the Dolphins: Overcoming the element of cold temperatures. Teams like the Dolphins, who only have to brave the rain and the heat, can often struggle when coming into cold weather climates. In fact, Miami is 0-10 in its last 10 games when the temperature is below 40 degrees, according to CBSSports. It is set to be below zero on Saturday. But also, the Dolphins have to prove they can beat good teams with winning records, to which they were 1-5 against this season, with the Chiefs being one of those losses. Finally, how will Tyreek Hill play in his first game back in Kansas City?
Biggest obstacles for the Chiefs: In non-Chiefs fashion, they finished the last month of the season going .500 (3-3). It was clear early on this season that this wasn't the same group that had won last year's Super Bowl. The offense has been severely stifled this season, thanks mostly to a very subpar wide receiver that has more than frustrated Patrick Mahomes and leads the league in drops with 44. But again, the story will be the freezing cold temperatures that are sure to frustrate both offenses, where catching footballs that feel like rocks won't be the best of scenarios.
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
The Packers (9-8) maneuvered themselves into the NFL Playoffs but just barely in a transition season post-Aaron Rodgers. That, of course, has put Jordan Love as the full-time starter this season, that started way down but rose up toward the end.
It's always hard to believe in the Cowboys (12-5) in the postseason because they've always found ways to lose. But they came out of the regular season NFC East champs and will be hosting the Packers on Sunday evening.
Biggest obstacles for the Packers: The Packers are going to have to keep pace with the Cowboys' scoring, who have the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 29.9 points per game. That's also because the heavily criticized Joe Brady Packers defense has let teams get back in games and even let a paltry Carolina Panthers offense score the most points they had all season (30). The good thing is, Love is playing his best football at the right time.
Biggest obstacles for the Cowboys: The pressure is actually on the Cowboys in this game. In fact, the pressure has been on them all year and will continue to be as long as that star is on their helmet. This team finally feels like it has most of the pieces to make a deep run in the playoffs, but they've got a lot to prove still. At least they're at home, where they didn't lose a game this season. However, the Packers have owned the Cowboys, beating them four straight and winning nine out of the last 10, which includes two playoff victories in 2014 and 2016 that Dallas fans would like to forget.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
The Steelers (10-7) are another team that needed a lot to happen to find themselves in the playoffs, but here they are, as Mike Tomlin once again has a winning season under his belt. But they'll be there without one of their best players in TJ Watt and are very suspect at the quarterback position with Kenny Pickett.
The Bills (11-6) were 6-6 to start the month of December with their playoff hopes looking dim. But then they rattled off four straight and stole the division right from the Dolphins in their own house in the final regular-season game. This will likely be a very cold and snowy game in Buffalo for Super Wild Card Weekend.
Biggest obstacles for the Steelers: The Steelers had to win their last two games of the season, plus some help, just to get back into the postseason. This team is a roster of good players, yet its most important piece they don't have—quarterback—and their best player—TJ Watt—is out. The weather will likely play a factor in this, where maybe Josh Allen could be slowed down. But the weather works against both teams.
Biggest obstacles for the Bills: The Bills could have the easiest of the matchups during Super Wild Card Weekend. But they have to make sure not to have an early exit, looking past their opponent. They have been eliminated far too early over the last couple of seasons, failing to make the AFC title game, but they haven't lost a Wild Card game since 2019.
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions
After winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago, then missing last season, the Rams (10-7) are back into the playoffs. It seemed like this team was set for a rebuild of sorts and well out of playoff contention back in Week 9 when they were 3-6. But then went 7-1 after and could be a team to watch out for, especially facing someone of familiarity.
That, of course, would be Jared Goff, who seems reinvigorated since coming to Detroit. The Lions (12-5) have had a magical season, thanks in part to Goff and others while bringing a division title back to Detroit for the first time since 1993. Being the 3-seed, they will host on Sunday night, which could make for an electric atmosphere.
Biggest obstacles for the Rams: As well as the Rams are playing right now, their biggest obstacle simply could be the Detroit crowd at Ford Field on Sunday night. Lions fans have been seething for this type of moment for decades and will hope to throw the Rams off by any means necessary. It should be a raucous crowd.
Biggest obstacles for the Lions: Goff has to avoid folding late. This will be the highest pressure situation for him since probably Super Bowl 53 when the Rams lost to the Patriots, and what ultimately may have been the ending of his time in Los Angeles. Detroit will never forgive him if he gives this game away to his former team.
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Eagles (11-6) lost their last five out of six games and have basically been treading water for the last month and a half. They lost their division title in the process to the Cowboys which stings even worse. Now they have to go on the road against a team with a worse record than them.
The Buccaneers (9-8) were conference privileged, residing in the NFC South, yet they still almost lost the title in the end, barely beating the Panthers. Like the rest of the division, the Buccaneers have been wildly inconsistent, even with Baker Mayfield having a resurgent season, along with the help of Mike Evans.
Biggest obstacles for the Eagles: Can the Eagles get past themselves? This team has looked nothing like the dominating NFC team they were last year that got to the Super Bowl and came close to winning it. It feels like there are so many outside circumstances going on beyond the field and in the locker room, particularly with head coach Nick Sirianni, that being focused enough for a playoff game seems doubtful. In fact, some like ESPN's Dan Graziano believe Sirriani could be fired if the Eagles lose, per Bleacher Report.
Biggest obstacles for the Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have to find their offense again, which has somehow been lost over the last two weeks. They've only managed to score 22 points in the last two games, going 1-1 and came close to losing the division in the process. Buccaneers fans are hoping for more of the Mayfield-Evans combo they grew to love over this season on Monday night.
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