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The NFL playoffs have been so much fun for NFL fans. Multiple games have come down to a fourth-quarter drive. It was one of the best opening rounds of wildcard football I’ve ever seen, and here’s hoping that it continues in the divisional round.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the second round matchups.

(5) Los Angeles Rams at (2) Chicago Bears

The Los Angeles Rams, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, kicked off the fun in wildcard weekend with a thrilling victory over the Carolina Panthers. He drove his team down the field in the closing moments and found the end zone with little time remaining on the clock. The MVP candidate finished his day going 24-for-42 with 304 yards and three touchdowns on the day. Wide receiver Puka Nacua put on a clinic, registering 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. The 7-play 71-yard drive to end the game was magical, and it kicked off what was to come for the following games of the afternoon. Los Angeles took care of business on the road in a tough environment.

Another instant classic was between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. It seemed like all hope was lost until quarterback Justin Fields went nuclear in the fourth quarter. Williams rallied the Bears from down 18 points for a 25-point fourth quarter performance, securing the victory in Chicago and exorcising some playoff demons along the way. Chicago’s defense left much to be desired, allowing the Packers to score 27 points and quarterback Jordan Love to put on an elite performance, going 24-for-46 for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

Chicago’s defense will be the reason that they lose the game with our latest prediction. Stafford and company walk into Chicago and pull off the upset, thanks in part to another dominant performance between him and Nacua. Chicago will fight late in the contest, just like in the Packers matchup, but fall just short. The Rams will be taking on the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, according to the prediction.

Final Score Prediction: Rams 32, Bears 28
Betting Odds: LAR -3.5, O/U 50.5
ESPN Predictor: 62% Los Angeles, 38% Chicago

(6) San Francisco 49ers at (1) Seattle Seahawks

San Francisco, despite being battered and bruised, defeated the reigning Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday. Quarterback Brock Purdy did enough damage, going 18-for-31 with 262 yards and two touchdowns. Some trickery helped San Francisco in the game as wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. However, the MVP of this game was none other than running back Christian McCaffrey. The superstar running back had another 100+ yard performance and found the end zone twice as a receiver. He recorded his fifth consecutive playoff game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage and at least one touchdown, becoming just the fourth player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat.

They’ll head to Seattle to take on a familiar foe in the Seahawks. Seattle is the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and for good reason. While quarterback Sam Darnold has had an up-and-down season, the defense has not. It came down to the final week of the NFL season, but Seattle escaped with the coveted bye week and now gets San Francisco for their first playoff matchup. The two teams met in Week 18 with the Seahawks walking away with a 13-3 victory. McCaffrey was held to just 23 yards with the Seahawks defense proving that they can step up and contribute in some big moments.

For this matchup, we have Seattle squeaking away with a victory once again. It’ll be a much higher-scoring affair, with Sam Darnold getting back to his early-season ways and helping carry the team to victory. San Francisco’s injuries are just too much to overcome as Seattle advances in our latest prediction.

Final Score Prediction: Seahawks 27, 49ers 24
Betting Odds: SEA -7, O/U 45.5
ESPN Predictor: 41.2% San Francisco, 58.8% Seattle

(6) Buffalo Bills at (1) Denver Broncos

The Buffalo Bills took care of business in Jacksonville, with quarterback Josh Allen putting on his Superman cape and willing his team to victory. There were four fourth-quarter lead changes, but ultimately, a tush push in the closing moments of the fourth quarter sealed the deal for Buffalo. It was their first road playoff win since 1992, and Allen’s first-ever road playoff victory. Jacksonville’s No. 1 rushing defense shut down running back James Cook, forcing Allen to put the team on his back once more. He finished the day with three total touchdowns and no interceptions with a monster performance that once again reminded the NFL that he’s one of the very best quarterbacks in the entire league.

Denver has been sitting at home waiting for their next opponent to be named, and now it knows. On Saturday, Buffalo will travel to Denver to take on the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Broncos, who have had a stellar season worthy of the No. 1 overall seed in the division. Quarterback Bo Nix has shone in his second year, pulling off some impressive fourth quarter comebacks of his own throughout the season. It’s Denver’s defense that’s truly front and center; it’s a dominant unit top to bottom that’s going to make life difficult for Allen and the offense. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have been a revelation, bringing down opposing quarterbacks in bunches with the pressure applied by the front four and them coming off the edge. Pat Surtain is the defending Defensive Player of the Year, and for good reason, Allen will need to keep an eye on the backfield as much as he does the pressure coming at him from the edges and up front.

If Buffalo wants to walk into Denver and pull out the victory, they’ll need to get running back James Cook more involved in the offense. While Denver has a stout defense, they’ve given up a bunch of yards to running backs over the season, and it’s a strength of Buffalo’s that they can utilize against Denver. In our prediction, both Cook and Allen put on another monster performance and shock the Broncos in Denver.

Final Score Prediction: Bills 32, Broncos 28
Betting Odds: DEN -1.5, O/U 46.5
ESPN Predictor: 48.7% Buffalo, 51.3% Denver

(5) Houston Texans at (3) New England Patriots

The Houston Texans’ defense is just plain nasty. Oh my goodness, did they take care of business in Pittsburgh. The suffocating defensive front, paired with exceptional help in the backfield, was just too much for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and company. Houston made a statement in the victory, easily taking care of business in Pittsburgh, ending their season and perhaps even Rodgers’ career. The defense had four sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, 12 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles, one fumble return for a touchdown, and one interception return for a touchdown. While C.J. Stroud left much to be desired with the passing attack, the defense can carry them to some wins, as was proven in their performance against Pittsburgh.

New England easily took care of business against the Los Angeles Chargers. Drake Maye and the offense did struggle at times as the MVP candidate finished his day going 17-for-28 with 268 yards and the only touchdown of the contest, which came in the fourth quarter on a pass to tight end Hunter Henry. New England won the turnover battle and time of possession, doing damage to the weak offensive line quarterback Justin Herbert had at his disposal. The Patriots’ defense limited Herbert to only 159 yards passing and eliminated the top rushing attack for Los Angeles, with Herbert being the lead carrier with 10 carries for 57 yards on the day.

In our prediction, Houston walks into New England and gets the victory. This time, thanks in part to Stroud’s electric performance inthe playoffs. Though the main storyline coming from this game will be how Houston’s defense didn’t allow Maye and the offense to get going at all.

Final Score Prediction: Texans 27, Patriots 21
Betting Odds: NE -3, O/U 40.5
ESPN Predictor: 47.9% Houston, 52.1% New England

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Playoff Preview: A huge slate of matchups | A to Z Sports All-NFL newsletter

Our All-NFL newsletter from January 7, 2025.

Adam Zientek