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2024 NFL Divisional Round Preview

NFL
NFL logo | Image by Alena Veasey/Shutterstock

The NFL Playoffs have reached the Divisional Round.

Eight teams are remaining — four in the AFC and four in the NFC — and they will play for spots in the conference championship games on Saturday and Sunday.

Here is what you can look forward to this weekend:

SATURDAY

AFC: No.4 seed Houston Texans (10-7) at No.1 seed Baltimore Ravens (13-4), 3:30 p.m. CT, ABC/ESPN
Houston’s wild-card win over Cleveland was not a surprise, but the way the Texans completely controlled the game and gave the Browns almost no chance from the beginning was. No one expected them to get this far or even make the postseason, but head coach DeMeco Ryans has them firing on all cylinders.

Baltimore was clearly the best team in the AFC during the regular season as quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to his MVP form. The Ravens are well-balanced on both sides of the ball and will be tough for Houston to beat, especially with the extra rest from their first-round bye.

Houston will have to hope Baltimore comes out a little rusty and that CJ Stroud and the Texans’ offense can continue to roll against one of the league’s best defenses.

NFC: No.7 seed Green Bay Packers (9-8) at No.1 seed San Francisco 49ers (12-5), 7:15 p.m. CT, Fox
Green Bay’s upset in Dallas last week led the Packers to a matchup with first-place San Francisco. With the youngest roster in the league, Green Bay has shown tremendous growth late in the season, and quarterback Jordan Love, running back Aaron Jones, and wide receiver Romeo Doubs had one of their best outings against the Cowboys.

San Francisco has been one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl all season. Brock Purdy picked up where he left off last season, and the offense has continued to excel under his command while the defense remains a stout unit. On paper, San Francisco is the far superior team, but Green Bay is trending upward at the right time.

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SUNDAY
NFC: No.4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) at No.3 seed Detroit Lions (12-5), 2 p.m. CT, NBC
Detroit gets a second straight home playoff game after beating the Los Angeles Rams for its first playoff victory in 32 years and the Cowboys’ loss to Green Bay. The Lions will face the Buccaneers, their former NFC Central rivals who eliminated the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Tampa won the NFC South for the third consecutive season but lost to a shorthanded Detroit team back in Week 6. Facing the full-strength Lions with a huge home-field advantage will be a tough test, but Baker Mayfield and the Tampa passing game have been clicking, and Detroit is prone to struggles in pass defense.

AFC: No.3 seed Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) at No.2 seed Buffalo Bills (11-6), 5:30 p.m. CT, CBS
This weekend features another edition of the Bills and Chiefs rivalry that has blossomed in recent seasons. Buffalo has won the last two meetings, including a 20-17 win in Kansas City last month, but has lost the last two playoff meetings between the franchises.

Both teams found their footing late in the year, rallied to win in their divisions (which was easier for Kansas City), and made quick work of their wild-card opponents, setting up another intriguing battle. The last postseason meeting ended in heartbreak for Buffalo in overtime, but what will happen in the encore?

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