Overreactions from five wild-card games: Possess the Pats level-headed now not beat a honest team?

The NFL playoffs are officially underway. The Rams narrowly edged the Panthers, and the Bears took down the NFC North-rival Packers in a wild comeback. On Sunday, the Bills held off the Jaguars, the 49ers took down the defending champion Eagles and the Patriots won a low-scoring affair over the Chargers.

What are the main classes and takeaways from each and each wild-card matchup, and what’s subsequent for these groups? We requested nationwide NFL reporter Dan Graziano and NFL analyst Ben Solak to serve dimension up every matchup from the outlet spherical and survey forward from all angles. For every and each wild-card game, Solak is answering one monumental final question and Graziano is judging the legitimacy of 1 seemingly overreaction.

Let’s soar in, making sense of seemingly offensive adjustments for the Chargers and Eagles, the Bills’ Big Bowl window, the Jaguars’ dashing assault, Caleb Williams‘ enhance and Bryce Young‘s future. And take a look at serve all weekend for extra snap reactions as games happen.

Soar to:

LAC-NE | SF-PHI | BUF-JAX

GB-CHI | LAR-CAR

Patriots 16, Chargers 3

‘The Patriots STILL haven’t beaten somebody vivid!’ Overreaction?

No, now not an overreaction. Oh certain, they won. Which is all that issues at this point. But their efficiency didn’t sob “No. 2 seed/Super Bowl contender,” and it did shrimp to tamp down the concept of them being an untested team that might perchance well warfare towards better competition. The Chargers are in actuality only the third team the Patriots have beaten this season that made the playoffs. Undoubtedly among the different two changed into the Panthers, who carried out their season 8-10 after losing to the Rams on Saturday. And the ultimate one changed into the Bills, to whom they also lost to later in the season.

The Patriots made some performs after that they needed to towards the Chargers. They made their discipline purpose attempts, which the truth is issues in games which will be landing-free until the ultimate 10 minutes. But they had been also sloppy with the ball and didn’t generate worthy of their standard thrilling, explosive offense. The Chargers’ defense changed into indisputably among the ultimate at limiting explosive performs this season, in declare that might perchance were a allotment of it. But it would were arduous to discover this game and never think a team with a purposeful offense might perchance have knocked out Current England in the first spherical.

So what occurs now? Did quarterback Drake Maye & Co. salvage their stinker out of the means early and live to stammer the tale it? Impact they learn from this and play better subsequent week towards the Steelers or Texans? Or does this developed stage of competition attain them in, the means their critics feared all season that it could perchance possibly perchance well?

We are going to must wait a week for the answers. Coach Mike Vrabel has pressed every proper button in his first season as the Patriots’ coach, and MVP contender Maye has now not let the leisure bother him. They’ll salvage both the Steelers and a possibility to avenge a Week 3 loss whereby they grew to vary into the ball over five times, or a Texans team that might perchance well be coming in on a 10-game safe walk and facets a shiny more challenging defense than the Chargers.

Right here’s the live to stammer the tale-and-plan time of the 365 days, and the indisputable fact that the Patriots won grotesque would now not disqualify them from a success it all. It excellent adds a bit little bit of energy to the arguments of these that proceed to deem this team is enjoying over its head. — Graziano

Why haven’t the Justin Herbert-led Chargers won a playoff game?

Herbert has officially long gone 0-3 in his first three postseason begins. He’s only the fourth quarterback this century to drag winless in his first three postseason begins, joining Andy Dalton, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford.

The classic NFL exciting public in all equity suspicious of Herbert among the popular quarterbacking elites, as he would now not have the wins that Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen have, let on my own QBs neutral like Jalen Hurts or Brock Purdy. Though Herbert didn’t play a monumental game Sunday, or now not it’s arduous to compose an argument that he lost the game for the Chargers.

The Chargers clearly need unique interior offensive linemen. Though the accidents at kind out submarined the general line, all three starters on the inner had been the expected ones preseason: Bradley Bozeman at heart, Zion Johnson at left guard and Mekhi Becton at excellent guard. Bozeman and Johnson haven’t been beginning-caliber gamers for years, and Becton is purely a median-stage starter.

On 12 of Herbert’s 18 begins in 2025, the Chargers gave up a short stress rate (pressures in below 2.5 seconds) better than 15%. The league average for rapid stress rate this season changed into 13.8%. The Chargers have also been consistently outschemed below coordinator Greg Roman. His utilization of wonky personnel and diverse running schemes is precious, however the Chargers haven’t delivered towards playoff-caliber defenses. Though the offensive line changed into terrible, few if any efforts had been made to alternate the game around the offensive line. No screens, rollouts, trick performs. When changed into the ultimate time the Chargers in actuality outschemed their opponent?

Clearly, that would now not point to away the four-interception game towards the Texans in the 2024 postseason, nor the give draw towards the Jaguars in the 2022 postseason. Taking the collective weight of these three losses and calling Herbert a postseason disappointment is an efficient overview. But of the three quarterbacks he has joined (and, now not for nothing, Peyton Manning would also qualify if we included the 1999 season), he’s clearly extra of a Stafford personality than a Dalton one.

Postseason success will simply about Herbert when he performs for a extra successfully-rounded team. As unsatisfying because it’s miles to speak, or now not it’s the truth. — Solak

49ers 23, Eagles 19

‘The 49ers can put a legit Big Bowl stride.’ Overreaction?

Yes, overreaction. The 49ers are a straightforward team to love and appreciate. They are TOUGH tricky. They were without their two handiest gamers on defense (linebacker Fred Warner and defensive cease Reduce Bosa) for months. They conducted extra than a month without quarterback Brock Purdy. Tight cease George Kittle changed into inner and outside of the lineup all season — and he’s now out for on the choice hand long their season continues after tearing his Achilles in Philadelphia. It’s far a miracle that they are indisputably among the eight divisional-spherical groups, and so that they deserve admiration for the extent to which they’ve usual chicken salad out of … successfully, the entirety that has came about to them this 365 days.

However the 49ers must drag play in Seattle, and we excellent saw that game ultimate weekend. Playing the Seahawks at home with the division title and the NFC’s top seed on the motorway, the Niners build up a meager 173 yards of total offense in a 13-3 loss. Now, the Seahawks will seemingly be at home and coming off a bye, while the Niners will limp in after a physically brutal safe over the defending Big Bowl champs.

Will it serve that left kind out Trent Williams, who didn’t play in Week 18, is anticipated to play subsequent week? Particular. However the 49ers level-headed is now not going to have Kittle, and their stride game is rarely the truth is very vivid without him. Running serve Christian McCaffrey remains a playmaker for Purdy in the passing game, however they averaged 3.5 yards per stride strive in Sunday’s safe. That’s now not out of personality for the Niners, as they averaged 3.8 in the usual season (thirtieth in the NFL). They’re minute in what they are able to attain on offense, and the Seahawks have the originate of defense that might perchance take merit of that.

There changed into a degree in the fourth quarter when I concept, “Whoever wins this game is getting smoked in the next round,” and I originate of stand by it. The 49ers are excellent about out of gamers, and the Eagles couldn’t attain the leisure towards a team that changed into excellent about out of gamers.

It changed into a fitting cease for a 2025 Eagles team that changed into never as many believed it to be. Even as they marched down for the drag-ahead fetch, it never felt like they would salvage it. A little bit of 1 born throughout the third quarter of this game might perchance have learned the Eagles had been going to Dallas Goedert on the ultimate play, and so that they did despite him being triple-covered. It changed into peak 2025 Eagles — no creativity, no juice. They weren’t a monumental team; they excellent won a dreadful division. Meanwhile, the Seahawks won the one division in NFL history whereby three groups won no much less than 12 games. Kudos to Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh and Co. for getting to this point as they got with their roster crumbling around them. But or now not it’s only getting more challenging from right here. — Graziano

The lingering question: Is the Eagles’ offensive breakup inevitable?

There is no worse-saved secret in the NFL than the frustration internally and externally with the Eagles’ offensive instructing this season. Coordinator Kevin Patullo, promoted to replace the outgoing Kellen Moore, has been a longtime assistant for coach Reduce Sirianni. But Patullo changed into evidently underqualified for his characteristic. Huge receiver A.J. Brown changed into visibly upset to varying levels all 365 days long. Running serve Saquon Barkley changed into now not nearly as productive as he changed into ultimate season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts persevered to warfare with throwing to the center of the discipline.

There’ll nearly indisputably be a brand unique offensive coordinator in Philadelphia subsequent season — the fifth in five years. But per chance the most attention-grabbing question is that if the leisure will seemingly be unique in the Eagles’ offense? Brown, who went over 20 minutes of game clock in the 2nd half of without a target and changed into viewed arguing with Sirianni on the sideline, changed into a rumored target for plenty of groups on the replace closing date. His contract represents a mighty insensible cap ($66.9 million) if he’s traded, and he would seemingly must collaborate with the Eagles’ front region of enterprise and finagle the funds if he demands a replace.

Except for Brown, tight cease (and key crimson zone option) Dallas Goedert will seemingly be a free agent. At 31, he’ll must make the most of what presumably will seemingly be his ultimate vivid years, and the Eagles manufacture now not have a ton of cap speak to pay him. But they also manufacture now not have a honest TE2 ready in the wings. Upright kind out Lane Johnson, a franchise mainstay for extra than a decade, neglected the cease of the season thanks to a foot wound and ought to level-headed flip 36 this spring. How worthy longer does he must play — and how efficient would he be? It appears to be like to be like an even bigger alternate than a mere coordinator switch is on the horizon for Philadelphia’s offense as the Eagles survey to salvage serve on top of the NFC. — Solak

Bills 27, Jaguars 24

‘This the truth is is Josh Allen‘s handiest probability to safe the Big Bowl.’ Overreaction?

No, now not an overreaction. This has been the #sage for the reason that preseason. The Bills had been location up with indisputably among the top-taking a survey schedules. They’ve conducted one game all season outside of their home time zone. Patrick Mahomes neglected the playoffs. Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson neglected the playoffs. Allen and the Bills, the speculation went, had the avenue cleared for them and had been in line to in some draw salvage over that postseason shuffle.

But a amusing thing came about on the means to the coronation. This season’s Bills grew to vary into out to be … now not as vivid as standard. The defense never the truth is got it collectively and level-headed appears to be like very inclined. Jacksonville ran for over 100 yards outside the tackles in Sunday’s game, the first time a Jaguars team has done that in extra than three years. Buffalo is extremely banged-up and short-handed on all facets of the ball. It did not have an reply for Trevor Lawrence until the gorgeous tipped-ball interception that locked down Sunday’s safe. The Bills is regularly a avenue underdog subsequent weekend.

But what the Bills attain have is guts and expertise — and Allen, who performs with a couple of simultaneous accidents and would now not have a fundamental particular person WR1 however in a draw finds one draw to attain whatever it takes. Yes, even though that’s a 10-yard tush push on fourth-and-1 on the opponent’s 11-yard line with a minute left in a playoff game. The Bills have a a success culture, build in region by coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane, who both salvage a host of effort for now not getting over the shuffle. But they have got constructed a postseason mainstay out of a team that — their critics might perchance well neglect — had neglected the playoffs 17 years in a row sooner than it got there.

Jacksonville had the simpler team this season. Honestly, it seemed very worthy as if it had the simpler team Sunday. But Allen and the Bills willed their means to a safe, and so that they’re level-headed going. There is level-headed no Mahomes dragon to homicide. There is no team left in the discipline with wherever cessation to Buffalo’s postseason expertise. Right here’s the 365 days without the dominant team. Right here’s the NFL playoffs, the put no person is aware of who’s supposed to safe; the put every person’s favorite team is an NFC 5-seed that generally beat a sub-.500 team in the first spherical. There is no means we are able to rule out a Josh Allen Big Bowl stride, even though this is a lot from the ultimate team he has ever dropped on the playoffs. Any individual has to safe this thing.

In discovering me a team that has been thru extra than the Bills. In discovering me a team that’s hungrier. In discovering me a team that’s extra optimistic it could perchance possibly possibly attain what it takes to safe games this time of 365 days. In discovering me yet any other team with Josh Allen. — Graziano

The lingering question: Why didn’t the Jaguars stride it extra?

About halfway thru the third quarter, you, me and each armchair coach in The United States had been questioning the same thing: Why weren’t the Jaguars counting on the running game? Jacksonville changed into gaining nearly 10 yards per lift thru their first seven drives, and the deficit changed into never better than one fetch. Lawrence changed into now not injurious, however he changed into indisputably erratic, and it felt just like the Jaguars’ passing game might perchance well be one monumental mistake far flung from distress.

Effectively, the Jags rolled down the discipline on their subsequent two drives, scoring touchdowns on 11- and 10-play sequences that collectively took up 11 minutes of clock. The running game changed into sprinkled in, however it indisputably changed into Lawrence ripping throws with accuracy and aggression that created the scoring alternatives. For the duration of the serve half of of the usual season, the Jaguars had been an especially one-dimensional offense, ranking fourth in success rate on dropbacks however 31st in success rate on designed runs. They had been third in EPA per play on dropbacks however thirtieth in EPA per play on designed runs. It’s arduous to cease dancing with the one who brought you, even when the Bills had been so willing to play with gentle bins and resign ground towards the stride.

Even despite his shaky accuracy and first-quarter interception, Lawrence had a forty eight.5% dropback success rate (Allen changed into 42.1%) on the day. The Jaguars indisputably might perchance have stride the ball extra in declare to shorten the game and scale back the number of 2nd-half of possessions Allen got. And I might perchance well put a strong wager that coach Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone will invest serious offseason resources into bolstering the offensive line to guarantee they have got the originate of running game that they are able to belief all season long.

At the cease of the day, the Jaguars lost a brutally cessation game to an vivid Bills team. As with every losing groups, there were plenty of shrimp issues they might perchance have done better. But somebody has to lose the ballgames, and Jacksonville — despite its in actuality vivid season and expert Yr 1 soar below Coen — drew the shorter straw Sunday. — Solak

Bears 31, Packers 27

‘Caleb Williams goes to safe the MVP award subsequent season.’ Overreaction?

No, now not an overreaction. The Bears fell in the serve of 21-3 at halftime. Williams carried out now not as a lot as 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions. And despite pouring it on in the 2nd half of, the Bears had been down 27-24 on the two-minute warning — at home as the No. 2 seed — to their oldest and most hated rival. It changed into all environment up for a huge Bears playoff letdown. Unless they won.

Williams hit DJ Moore for a 25-yard drag-ahead landing drag with 1:43 left to complete a enraged comeback, and for the seventh time this season, Chicago won a game it trailed in the ultimate two minutes of regulations. Williams can build you thru the fat spectrum of emotion on literally any snap. But you watched him fetch a fourth-and-8 and a third-and-10 on his means to the landing drag that decrease the lead to three and grew to vary into the Soldier Self-discipline crowd the general means as a lot as 11, and you presumably concept something along the traces of, “Yeah, there’s something magic about this kid.” You watched him salvage the ball serve after the Packers’ neglected a discipline purpose strive with 2:56 to drag and you concept, “Yeah, I kind of think he’s got this.”

Williams can put throws different quarterbacks can not put, and he appears to be like to be to be the originate of participant whose pulse chills the general means out in the moments that send the pulses of others thru the roof. That’s why even when or now not it’s now not going huge, you in actuality feel as if there is a honest probability it in some draw will. With Williams in his 2nd season as an NFL quarterback and Ben Johnson in his first 365 days as an NFL head coach, Chicago went 11-6, won a division out of which the different three groups made ultimate season’s playoffs and level-headed has a possibility to safe the general thing. The Bears have younger talent speak talent in every single region around Williams. They’ll exhaust their offseason beefing up the defense, too. Is there a compelling purpose to deem they’ll be worse subsequent season than they had been this season? Nope.

Williams ought to level-headed proceed making improvements to with this community around him and Johnson instructing him. If subsequent season’s Bears safe 12 or extra, and Williams wins 5 – 6 of these in the ultimate two minutes, he might perchance well be the darling of the MVP voting physique. There are a host of “ifs” there, certain, however this is rarely the truth is far-fetched. — Graziano

The lingering question: What’s atrocious — and excellent — with Ben Johnson’s fourth-down resolution-making?

The fourth-down haters had been out in fat power on the cease of the first half of, as Johnson’s Bears went 1-for-4 there, in conjunction with a failed fourth-and-5 at their 32-yard line. This changed into an extremely aggressive call. The NFL Subsequent Gen Stats model most well liked a punt, while the ESPN model very, very narrowly most well liked a “go.”

Must level-headed Johnson have long gone for all these early fourth downs? I’m now not certain. The defense felt as if it had no stops in it, however as evidenced by the 2nd half of, it did. It’s arduous to perceive from the outside what goes into every resolution.

What we are able to snarl confidently is that the Bears had been making huge, easy mistakes on fourth down. The interception concentrated on Luther Burden III on fourth-and-6 came since the rookie receiver changed into at a loss for words on the motorway. The 2nd-half of fourth-and-1 failure in the crimson zone changed into a outcomes of a blown drag protection. Even the fourth-and-5, means backed up, gave the impression of a giant Burden ranking-and-stride … until the ball changed into tipped on the motorway.

The sage of the Bears’ safe — and the Bears’ season — is rarely the truth is indisputably one of choices; or now not it’s indisputably one of execution. Chicago made a host of sloppy mistakes on offense to delivery the season and improved later in the schedule. In this main playoff game for a younger offense, the Bears made plenty of easy mistakes and improved as the game improved. These cardiac Bears live by the hair on their chinny chin chins, and its arduous to safe your complete playoff games that means. But they are doing exactly what a younger team desires to attain in the playoffs: settling down, combating serve and discovering out what it takes to safe January football. — Solak

Rams 34, Panthers 31

‘Bryce Young goes to salvage a top-10 QB contract this offseason.’ Overreaction?

Yes, overreaction. Discover, huge appreciate to Young and the Panthers right here. The Rams won, however Carolina made all of us who concept it could perchance possibly perchance well pull off an upset survey vivid. Young changed into plucky and relaxing and the entirety groups need their quarterbacks to be in monumental moments. He changed into 21-for-40 for 264 yards and a landing drag, and he also ran for a landing. He hit Jalen Coker for the drag-ahead TD with 2:39 to drag, only to discover his defense inexplicably drag into cease mode with means too worthy time left, as the Rams marched down the discipline for the a success fetch. But Young did the entirety he might perchance well to study out to take care of his season — whereby he threw for 3,011 yards, 23 landing passes and 11 interceptions for a division champion — alive. Yes, an 8-9 division champion, however level-headed.

All of that said, or now not it’s too quickly for the Panthers to commit. If Young desires to signal a Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield originate of deal, drag ahead and attain that, Carolina. Effectively worth it, given the promise Young showed this season and the investment the team has already made in him. But if he wants Tua Tagovailoa cash? Uh-uh.

Young is signed thru 2026, and the Panthers have an option for 2027, which I the truth is feel extremely confident they’ll fetch because there could be now not any purpose to now not attain so. They’ll in overall have him for $30 million over the next two years if they attain that. That’s a truly more cost-effective investment that might perchance well enable them to accumulate extra info and specialize in whether he’s the franchise guy they believed him to be after they traded as a lot as make a choice him first in 2023. The fifth-365 days option (and the franchise model, frankly, if they need to attain that in 2028) fetch the cash for the team the choice to place Young indicate it all as soon as more.

Young would now not seem just like the originate of guy who wants the affirmation that might perchance well near with the long-length of time deal. I’m certain he is aware of a ton of issues he can attain better and appears to be like to be forward to a possibility to work on them. Heck, he’s better off ready and having a shiny better 365 days in 2026 and negotiating off that. Sizable hat tip to Young and the Panthers, however it indisputably’s level-headed means early. — Graziano

The lingering question: What have the two games towards the Panthers taught us concerning the Rams?

There are plenty of monumental differences between the Panthers’ standard-season upset of the Rams and their attain postseason repeat. The connecting thread is how successfully the Panthers examined the Rams’ defensive backs in coverage. In the first matchup, it changed into with shot performs unhurried in drives to attain monumental touchdowns; in this game, the Panthers ripped off explosives to Tetairoa McMillan and Coker. The ball came out instant from Young, which helped neutralize the Rams’ drag stride, as Carolina wagered on its supersized receivers towards the Rams’ smaller defensive backs. It generally worked.

Nickelback Quentin Lake returned to the beginning lineup for the first time since Week 11, and the Panthers directly examined him, too. Lake changed into targeted 10 times and allowed 7 receptions for 83 yards, as the monumental slot Coker particularly gave him effort (5 catches on 5 targets for 62 yards). Because the Rams plan, I might perchance well ask extra groups to take a look at that secondary in 50-50 and contested instances, whether deep down the sideline or in the center of the discipline. It’s now not the truth is a monumental community, and physical receivers give it challenges accordingly.

Clearly, the Rams have struggled with turnovers towards Carolina, as successfully: three takeaways in the first game, then one (plus the blocked punt) in the 2nd game. In classic, the Panthers attain successfully discouraging the play-action drag and forcing Matthew Stafford to play extra patiently. And when he performs patiently, he’s forced to meander extra or take extra checkdowns — now not his most well-most well liked sort of play. — Solak