This years’ Super Wild Card Weekend saw lots of touchdowns scored, tons points scored, and even a few surprising upsets.  

Browns vs. Texans 

The 11-6 Cleveland Browns traveled to NRG Stadium to face the AFC South Champion Houston Texans. All eyes would be on the quarterbacks for this matchup. The Browns’ Joe Flacco had been on a dominant run since he became the starter late in the season after previously being at home for the majority of the season. The Texans’ Cj Stroud was the #2 overall pick in 2023 and is sure to be this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. This would be on full display on Saturday afternoon as Stroud threw for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns on his way to leading the Texans to a dominating 45-14 victory over Cleveland. Along with Stroud’s prolific passing, Joe Flacco threw 2 key interceptions that were both returned for a touchdown. Those interceptions came in back-to-back drives, and the Browns offense was never able to get back into rhythm after that. The Texans will travel to Baltimore to face the #1 seed Ravens on Saturday, January 20th at 1:30 p.m. PT on ABC and ESPN.  

Dolphins vs. Chiefs 

After losing a potential division-clinching game in week 18, the Miami Dolphins traveled to the freezing Arrowhead Stadium to face Patrick Mahomes and the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs. At kickoff, the weather was -4°F, with a windchill of -27°. This would prove to be a massive advantage for the Chiefs as the Dolphins are 0-10 in their last 10 games under 40°. It was so cold, in fact, that Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid’s mustache completely froze and a piece QB Patrick Mahomes’ helmet chipped off. The Dolphins struggled to get their run game going and were almost nonexistent in the passing game aside from a few big plays from wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs cruised to a 26-7 victory at home. Patrick Mahomes will play his first away playoff game of his career as the Chiefs will travel North to Buffalo and face the #2 seed Bills on Sunday, January 21st at 3:30 p.m. PT on CBS.  

Packers vs. Cowboys  

The 7-point favorite Dallas Cowboys hosted the #7 seeded Green Bay Packers in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys went a perfect 8-0 this year when they played in Jerry’s World, but 4-5 in away games. With the Packers being the youngest and most inexperienced team in the league, there was very little hope that Green Bay could pull off the upset. The game started about as bad as it could for the Cowboys, with them surrendering the first 27 points of the game to the Packers and went into halftime with a 27-7 deficit. Green Bay only continued to pile on the points as they were up 48-16 before they pulled their starters. The game ended 48-32 after a couple of garbage time touchdowns from the Cowboys. Packers quarterback Jordan Love had a near-perfect passer rating along with 272 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. Running back Aaron Jones had 3 touchdowns of his own on the ground. The narrative surrounding Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has always been that he turns the ball over in crucial games, and this one was no different. Dak threw 2 picks in this one, with one of them being taken back 64 yards for a touchdown. The Packers will head West and face the #1 seed San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, January 20th at 5:00 p.m. PT on Fox.  

Rams vs. Lions 

The Rams traveled over 2,000 miles East to take on the #3-seed and NFC North Champion Detroit Lions. The biggest story of this game would once again be the quarterback matchups. Rams QB Matt Stafford was drafted #1 overall by the Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft. Lions QB Jared Goff was drafted #1 overall to the Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft. They were traded for each other before the 2020 season began, and this would be the first time that Stafford was back in Detroit. He received the most boos out of anyone on the Lions, but that did not seem to faze him at all. He threw for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Rams really struggled in the Redzone, going 0-3 in their trips, while the Lions went 3-3 in red zone trips. This would be the deciding factor, as the Rams would fall to the Lions 24-23. With this win, the Lions secured their first playoff victory since 1991, ending the longest drought in NFL history. They will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, January 21st at 3:00 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.  

Steelers vs. Bills  

The #7-seed Pittsburgh Steelers took on the #2-seed Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. This game was originally scheduled for Saturday, January 13th, but was postponed by the New York government because of unsafe conditions for both players and fans caused by a blizzard. The Bills were heavily favored, and it was clear from the start that they were the better team. Buffalo QB Josh Allen had the best performance, throwing for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns, and rushing for a 52-yard touchdown as well. The Steelers simply could not get the run game going, and did not have a great passing attack all game either. Steelers QB Mason Rudolph threw an interception, and when you already are at a disadvantage because of the weather, any turnovers severely hurt your chances of winning. The Bills cruised to a 31-27 victory over the Steelers, and will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, January 21st at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.  

Eagles vs. Buccaneers 

The Philadelphia Eagles, who were the preseason favorite to hold the #1 seed in the NFC, faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Raymond James Stadium. The Eagles started off their season going 10-1 but finished 1-5 in their final 6 games. Even when they were winning, there were glaring issues that were sure to be exploited later in the season, which they eventually were. The 9-8 Buccaneers were the winners of the worst division in football, the NFC South. The deciding factor in the game would be how Baker Mayfield could play against the very weak and banged up Eagles secondary. Baker cooked all night long, going for 337 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Without his top target, Jalen Hurts struggled throughout the game. With Aj Brown out with a knee injury, Hurts relied mainly on wide receiver Devonta Smith. The Bucs knew this, and were able to take him away most of the night. The Eagles fell to the Bucs 32-9 after being 3-point favorites going into the game. The Buccaneers will travel to Detroit to play the Lions on Sunday, January 21st at 12:00 p.m. PT on NBC.