The preliminary banter is over. For 18 NFL teams, the season has ended since last weekend and the vacation has begun, while for the 14 play-off participants it is just getting started. On Saturday, the financially strongest sports league in the world enters its “postseason” and thus into the home stretch towards the Super Bowl, which will take place on the night of February 9th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. This is the stadium in California where Austria’s national soccer team will start the World Cup against Jordan on June 16th. But back from round to egg-shaped leather.
The Seattle Seahawks (National Football Conference, NFC) and the Denver Broncos (American Football Conference, AFC) finished the regular season as the best team and can therefore put their feet up on the first play-off weekend. An overview of the games in the Wild Card Round:
Carolina Panthers – Los Angeles Rams (Saturday, 10:30 p.m.). Although the Panthers have home advantage in this duel, they are not considered favorites. The team from Charlotte only has a home advantage because they were number one in this year’s weak NFC South with just eight wins. The Rams, on the other hand, had to settle for second place in the NFC West with twelve wins behind the Seahawks and now – at least on paper – face the weakest team in the play-offs.
Matthew Stafford of the LA Rams
© IMAGO
Chicago Bears – Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 2 p.m.). It is the traditional duel par excellence in the NFL. Since 1921, the two teams in the NFC North have dueled every season except for two seasons. And yet it is only the third time in history that these two teams have met in the play-offs. The Bears are favorites not only because of their placement after the regular round, but also because of the recent results of the Packers, who are going into the play-offs with four defeats in a row.
Rivals: Bears and Packers
© AP
Jacksonville Jaguars – Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 7 p.m.). After five “titles” in a row in the AFC East, the Bills had to settle for second place this time behind the resurgent New England Patriots. And yet star quarterback Josh Allen shouldn’t be unhappy because: This time the nail in the coffin of previous years, Patrick Mahomes, is no longer in the running with the Kansas City Chiefs. Four of the last five playoff appearances for the Bills ended against the Chiefs. But be careful! The Jaguars with quarterback Trevor Lawrence are in top form and have won the last eight games.
Jaguars-Star Trevor Lawrence
© IMAGO
Philadelphia Eagles – San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 10:30 p.m.). It is one of the top duels of the first play-off round. As winners of the NFC East, the Eagles host the 49ers, who only came third in the NFC West, but still won twelve of their 17 regular season games – and therefore one game more than “Philly”. The bookmakers easily see the Eagles around quarterback Jalen Hurts as favorites.
Philadelphias Jalen Hurts
© AP
New England Patriots – Los Angeles Chargers (Monday, 2 p.m.). The Patriots are back. After two horror seasons with only four wins and 13 defeats each, the team from Foxboro has won 14 games this time and has thus taken first place in the AFC East. Also thanks to a strong Drake Maye, who threw the third-most touchdown passes this season after Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff.
Stark: Patriots-Quarterback Drake Maye
© IMAGO
Pittsburgh Steelers – Houston Texans (Tuesday, 2 p.m.). Who would have thought: old master Aaron Rodgers actually made it into a play-off again. The 42-year-old was signed by the Steelers before the start of the season. The team from Pennsylvania only secured their playoff ticket at the last second, but now anything seems possible for the star quarterback. But the Houston Texans have also filed claims. The Texans are the team of the moment in the NFL and have celebrated nine wins in a row. Along with the Jaguars, the Texans are one of four NFL teams that have never reached the Super Bowl.
Aaron Rodgers is looking forward to the play-offs
© AP
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