The first round of the NFL playoffs start January 11th and the playoff bracket is set. 8 teams are set to compete to play in the Super Bowl in February. The games will be played on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night. The best teams in each conference, the 15-2 Detroit Lions and the 15-2 Kansas City Chiefs, get this weekend off because they get a bye. What are the other matchups? Who are their players? 

For the Saturday slate of games, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Houston to play the Houston Texans at 2:30 pm. The Chargers are highlighted by quarterback Justin Herbert, linebacker Joey Bosa, and linebacker Khalil Mack. They finished the regular season with 11 wins and 6 losses, with wins against the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans are highlighted by quarterback CJ Stroud, wide receiver Nico Collins, and linebacker Danielle Hunter. They have key wins against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. For the second game on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers go on the road to Baltimore to play the Baltimore Ravens at 6:00 pm. The Steelers finished the regular season with 10 wins and 7 losses, with wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Commanders. They are highlighted by quarterback Russel Wilson, linebacker TJ Watt, and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. On the other side, the Baltimore Ravens finished the regular season with 12 wins and 5 losses, with wins against the Houston Texans and the Denver Broncos. They are highlighted by quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry, and linebacker Roquan Smith. 

For the Sunday slate of games, the Denver Broncos go to Buffalo to play the Buffalo Bills at 11 am. The Broncos are highlighted by first year quarterback Bo Nix, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II. They finished the season with 10 wins and 7 losses, with wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are highlighted with quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook, and linebacker Von Miller. They finished their year with 12 wins and 5 losses, with key wins coming against the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs. The next game on the schedule at 2:30 pm is the Green Bay Packers playing the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. The Packers are highlighted by quarterback Jordan Love, running back Josh Jacobs, and safety Xavier McKinney. They finished the year with 11 wins and 6 losses, with wins against the Houston Texans and the Seattle Seahawks. On the other sideline, the Eagles are highlighted by quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, and defensive tackle Jalen Carter. They finished the season with 14 wins and 3 losses. They have good wins against the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the last game, the Washington Commanders go to Tampa Bay to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 6:00 pm. The Commanders finished the year with 12 wins and 5 losses, with key wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals. They are highlighted by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The Buccaneers finished the season with 10 wins and 7 losses, highlighted with wins against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Philadelphia Eagles. They are highlighted by quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, and linebacker Lavonte David. 

For the Monday night game at 6 pm, the Minnesota Vikings are up against the Los Angeles Rams. They will play the game in Arizona due to the wildfires in the area. The Vikings finished the season with 14 wins and 3 losses. They had key wins against the Green Bay Packers and Houston Texans. They are highlighted by quarterback Sam Darnold, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and tight end TJ Hockenson. On the other side, the Rams finished the season with 10 wins and 7 losses. They had key wins against the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. They are highlighted by quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Puka Nacua, and rookie linebacker Jared Verse. 

In the first round of the NFL playoffs, there are good matchups this weekend and it will be a very entertaining first round. Every team has good players and will attempt to make it all the way to the Super Bowl in February. The Broncos are looking to make their first Super Bowl in the last 9 years, and their division rival Chiefs are looking to be the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row. There is no doubt it will be a good postseason to watch.

Cites – https://www.espn.com/