The first round of the NFL postseason kicks off Saturday, with five games taking place over the weekend and another on Monday night. With so few teams left in the hunt to be the next Super Bowl champions – and the Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers, and Raiders eliminated, it’s likely you don’t have a team left to root for.
Below we have outlined the lines for each game, as well as former Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, and Washington State players you can look for on the field if you decide to watch the games. For those Brent Musburger fans (“You are looking LIVE!”) interested in where and what field conditions the games are expected to be played, we have included that information as well.
Houston Texans vs LA Chargers
Saturday 1:30pm on CBS
Texans +3
Over/under 42.5
NRG Stadium – Retractable roof, likely will be closed with the temperature expected to be in the mid-40s
Playing indoors benefits both of these teams as they each play home games in domes that are built for speed and perfect conditions. Both teams can play physical brands of football, but they have plenty of fast players who love to race on the carpet inside during the winter. It’s possible this will be a low-scoring game with both teams fielding quality defenses, but don’t be surprised if it’s an offensive showcase, as they have the firepower to light up the scoreboard in a hurry. Fun fact – both teams have young QBs still looking for their first win in the postseason.
Chargers players to watch
Oregon Ducks
Justin Herbert QB
Troy Dye LB
Washington Huskies
Will Dissly TE
Washington State Cougars
Daiyan Henley LB
*Houston has no active players from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, or Washington State.
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Saturday 5pm on Amazon Prime
Baltimore -9.5
over/under 43.5
M&T Bank Stadium (outdoor, no roof)
Weather forecast – 36 degrees with potential snow
These teams are division rivals during the season and have already played twice, splitting the series 1-1. No matter what the point spread says, these are two of the most successful franchises in the last twenty years, and it is rare for either side to beat up the other – they play a lot of close games decided by a single score. Both teams are no strangers to cold weather or snow, so don’t let the forecast impact what you expect to see. They both play physical, smash-mouth football, but they also have great athletes who can make amazing plays and rack up yards and points just as well as any offense in the league. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had an MVP season and will be seeking just his 3rd playoff victory in his career. Steelers QB Russell Wilson has piled up a lot of postseason wins and had a great comeback season after a couple of down years. He will be looking for his first postseason win for the Steelers and his first playoff victory since 2019 when he was a member of the Seahawks.
Ravens players to watch
Washington Huskies
Roger Rosengarten Tackle
Steelers players to watch
Oregon State Beavers
Isaac Seumalo Guard
Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos
Sunday 10am on CBS
Buffalo -8
over/under 47.5
Highmark Stadium (outdoor/no roof)
Weather forecast – 31 degrees with snow
A lot of people probably expect this to be a one-sided game, but don’t overlook this fun matchup between two teams built to play in the winter. Buffalo has one of the trickiest offenses to defend and an underrated defense that can hold back the top offenses just enough for the home team to outscore them. Denver has a very balanced offense and one of the best defenses in the league – and they travel well. This will likely be a lower-scoring game than the spread would indicate, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Bills have to fight their way to a win, and a Denver upset is not out of the realm of possibility. It’s unrealistic to expect a rookie QB to win a road playoff game against an elite team, but Bo Nix is no ordinary rookie, and Sean Payton is one of the best playcallers in modern history. Still, an eight-point home favorite is not a good sign if you are on the road team, even if the weather favors your brand of football.
Bills players to watch
Washington Huskies
Taylor Rapp Safety
Edefuan Ulofoshio LB
Broncos players to watch
Oregon Ducks
Bo Nix QB
Alex Forsyth Center
Troy Franklin receiver
Washington Huskies
Luke Wattenberg Center
Philadelphia Eagles vs Green Bay Packers
Sunday 1:30pm on FOX
Eagles -4.5
over/under 45.5
Lincoln Financial Field (outdoor/no roof)
Weather forecast – 39 degrees and clear
This might be the toughest game to predict, as both teams have major question marks at key positions. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has not played in three weeks after suffering a concussion, and he has not cleared concussion protocol as of Thursday evening. Hurts is practicing, which is a great sign for his chances to play this week. Packers QB Jordan Love hurt his throwing arm a week ago, but he also returned to practice and is trending in the right direction. Both teams have one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league, great offensive lines, and bend, but they don’t break defenses with a lot of stars, and they have a lot of questionable play at times. Both teams have great play callers on both sides of the ball and use a lot of explosive plays, but they can also beat up their opponent with methodical drives that kill a lot of clock. When these two teams met in Brazil in week one, it felt like a playoff game, and it could be the best game of the weekend if both QBs were healthy and played good games. The Eagles are the better team on paper, but this wouldn’t be the first time they have lost a game they should have won. No one can figure out which version of the Packers will appear from week to week, so don’t assume they will show up automatically, either. Might have to just clear your Sunday schedule and watch to find out. There are worse ways to spend a January afternoon.
Packers players to watch
Oregon Ducks
Evan Willams Safety
Oregon State Beavers
Luke Musgrave TE
Kitan Oladapo Safety
*Philadelphia has no active players from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, or Washington State.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Washington Commanders
Sunday 5pm on NBC
Tampa -3
over/under 50.5
Raymond James Stadium (outdoor/no roof)
Weather forecast – 63 degrees and clear
Sunny skies in Florida? Might as well be a dome game. It is one of only two playoff games featuring a rookie at QB; no one can make sense of what to expect in this game. The Bucs got to the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, needing a last-minute drive to beat the Saints while getting help from the Panthers, who defeated the Falcons. Had the Falcons won and the Bucs lost, we would be previewing a very different contest as it would take place in Atlanta, and the Bucs would be watching from home. But that’s Tampa Bay in a nutshell with Baker Mayfield at QB, you can never count them out no matter how dire the circumstances appear. But with Jayden Daniels playing QB for the Commanders, you get veteran play from a guy who will be starting just his 18th NFL game on Sunday. Neither team has an offense that cannot be stopped, and they also don’t have an elite defense, but they have outstanding players on both sides of the ball. The most important matchup of the day may come down to Bucs WR Mike Evans vs Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore. When Lattimore was with the Saints, he was notorious for being one of the few defenders in the league who could contain Evans. With the entire season on the line, we will find out which QB and which side of the Evans/Lattimore battle simply wants it more.
Bucs players to watch
Oregon Ducks
Bucky Irving RB
Troy Hill CB
Washington Huskies
Greg Gaines DT
Jalen McMillan WR
Cade Otton TE
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka LB
Vita Vea DT
Commanders players to watch
Oregon Ducks
Marcus Mariota QB
Washington Huskies
Dominique Hampton CB
Washington State Cougars
Frankie Luvu LB
LA Rams vs Minnesota Vikings
Monday 5pm on ESPN
over/under 47.5
Rams +2.5
Relocated to State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to fires (retractable roof, may be open with temperatures expected in the 60s)
This is the first time the NFL has relocated a playoff game in the Super Bowl era. Given the dangers presented by the wildfires in southern California and the need to give both teams the chance to travel and rest if they do win, they needed to relocate immediately, so a delayed contest was out of the question. If relocating was the only solution, I would have preferred the game be moved to the Rams’ old venue in St. Louis, but that’s probably why no one called me to ask.
These teams played an amazing game that came down to the final possession earlier in the season, and a playoff rematch will be a lot of fun to watch. Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold are both overlooked and underrated QBs, and Kyren Williams and Aaron Jones are sneaky good RBs. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison won’t have to look far for competition as the best receiver tandem left in the playoffs, as Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are among the best in the business. The previous matchup felt like a playoff game and produced 50 points – and many more could have been produced if certain situations were slightly different. I would not be surprised if this game is something like the Rams-Vikings shootout from the 1999 playoffs, which was an offensive showcase with the Rams winning 49-37.
Lacking an elite defense, the Rams will likely need an offensive showing to win this one, but a late sack or turnover can be the best cure for those way-too-flexible defenses we see so often in the playoffs. The Vikings have one of the most explosive offenses and one of the most dangerous defenses in the league, but they tend to disappear at times, and no one can sort out where they go. If bad Darnold shows up, the Vikings could be toast early, but if good Sam plays a great game, this could be an instant classic, with the winner traveling to Detroit next week for a showdown with the Lions.
Vikings players to watch
Oregon State Beavers
Blake Brandel Guard
Washington Huskies
Byron Murphy Jr CB
Rams players to watch
Washington State Cougars
Brennan Jackson LB
