Wild-card Sunday presents three distinct tests, each aimed at a different pressure point.
The second slate of games promises to bring some intriguing matchups with a few teams looking to exorcise their post-season demons.
Two top quarterback talents kick things off with pressure to help their teams take the next step. In the NFC matchup, a rivalry is renewed, and an emerging MVP candidate looks to show he’s ready for the big stage against a team that has a messy playoff history.
Here’s a look at Wild Card Sunday in the NFL.
No. 6 Buffalo Bills @ No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars | Sunday 1 p.m. ET
The Bills and Jaguars have a past history, and one that does not favour the team that has the expectation of reaching a Super Bowl title.
The all-time matchup sits at 10 wins apiece, including the playoffs, though the Jaguars hold a 2–0 edge in postseason meetings. Buffalo’s struggles in Jacksonville are well-documented, having dropped its last three games there, including a wild-card loss in 2017.
For the Bills, Sunday represents a chance to reverse both recent history and a familiar narrative of road playoff frustration.
They won’t have an easy time going up against a Jaguars team on an eight-game winning streak, the second-longest in team history, while posting an NFL-best +153 point differential since Week 11.
One key question for the Jaguars: Will they be able to contain the Bills rushing attack
Jacksonville’s post-season path may hinge on its ability to control the line of scrimmage against a Buffalo offence that has flexed its ability to run the football.
James Cook captured the rushing title, but is going against the NFL’s top-ranked defence against the run. Jacksonville allowed 85.6 yards per game on the ground and 68.0 yards per game to running backs.
The Bills also rely on Josh Allen to try and get them big plays on the ground, especially with some question marks with their receivers.
Jacksonville’s mission should be quite clear: they need to force the Bills to go to the passing game and keep Allen from buying time in the pocket.
Buffalo’s passing attack is ranked in the middle of the pack by volume (yards), but it remains highly efficient and is supported by the league’s most dominant rushing game.
Allen will look to buy time to give his receivers and tight ends a chance to get open for a touchdown, which was quite effective considering they had 29 passing touchdowns, which was good for a top-10 spot in the league.
One key question for the Bills: Can Allen finally get the job done?
For all of Buffalo’s regular-season consistency, the post-season remains the unresolved chapter. Allen has delivered elite stretches and signature moments in January, but the Bills’ recent playoff exits have kept the focus on outcomes rather than performance.
This trip to Jacksonville arrives with familiar expectations and little margin for error.
The challenge for Allen is looking past his 0-4 record on the road in the playoffs. Granted, three of those losses were against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, and Allen surpassed 270 total yards of offence in all four of his career road playoff games, averaging 351.0 yards per game.
Allen’s matchup against the Jaguars is an intriguing one as they’ve allowed 270-plus total yards to seven different quarterbacks in 2025, according to NFL stats.
With Josh Palmer out with an ankle injury, the team will be relying on Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Keon Coleman, plus recent additions in Gabe Davis and Brandin Cooks, to try and produce a big day through the air.
Fortunately for Allen and the Bills, they won’t have to deal with Mahomes and the Chiefs this time around.
No. 6 San Francisco 49ers @ No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles | Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET
It is a familiar matchup in the final NFC showdown as the Eagles and 49ers renew their post-season rivalry.
The history between these teams looms large as the Eagles look for a similar result to their most recent playoff clash back in the 2022 NFC Championship Game. Philadelphia took a 31-7 victory over the 49ers, who were without Brock Purdy, who suffered a torn UCL early in the game.
Despite sliding to the sixth seed after an uncharacteristic Week 18 loss to Seattle, the 49ers managed to overcome key injuries to get back into the postseason. Under Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco has reached the NFC Championship Game in every postseason appearance and is 6-0 in Wild Card and Divisional Round games since 2019.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, remains a dangerous playoff opponent despite an underwhelming regular season. One thing going in their favour is that under head coach Nick Sirianni, the Eagles are unbeaten in playoff games at Lincoln Financial Field.
One key question for the 49ers: Can their offence win the physical battle?
There’s no question what makes Philadelphia’s defence a tough challenge for the 49ers.
This is a defence that allowed just 19.1 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the NFL, and they have playmakers at all three levels of the defence.
Their final regular-season game didn’t provide a lot of confidence after putting up just 53 yards rushing and three points against an equally physical Seattle Seahawks defence.
Prior to that game, however, the 49ers’ offence was firing on all cylinders. From Week 11 to 17, San Francisco ranked third in total touchdowns with 19 and had a 105.6 passer rating.
San Francisco’s chances could come down to how effective Christian McCaffrey, their most important offensive weapon, is against the Eagles’ defensive front.
Vic Fangio’s unit has struggled at times against the run, allowing 124.4 rush yards per game, 22nd in the NFL. However, the 49ers had struggled to run an efficient run game with just 106.9 yards per which was 24th in the league.
One key question for the Eagles: Are offensive struggles behind them?
Philadelphia’s offence has been effective without being explosive for much of the season, leaning on efficiency rather than fireworks. That approach has kept the Eagles competitive, but it has also raised questions about whether they can find their championship form.
The Eagles had their worst season under Nick Sirianni, putting up just 22.3 points per game in 2025, which was 19th in the NFL. They also averaged just 311.2 total yards per game, which was the third-fewest of any playoff team, according to NFL stats.
What could be working in Philly’s favour is that San Francisco’s defence ranks last in the NFL with 20 sacks and forced just six interceptions.
Their inability to put pressure on the quarterback has put a lot of pressure on the secondary. Since Week 5, San Francisco has allowed 358.6 yards per game, seventh-most in the NFL, and 253.2 passing yards per game, third-most, according to NFL stats.
No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers @ No. 2 New England Patriots | Sunday 8:15 p.m. ET
The final game of Wild-card Sunday brings together two franchises at transitional moments, as the Chargers visit the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night.
Head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel are meeting for the first time in the postseason — two former NFL players navigating successful second stints on the sideline.
For Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert, Sunday represents an opportunity to rewrite a painful playoff narrative. Herbert enters this game carrying the weight of consecutive playoff disappointments, including last year’s blowout loss to Houston and a collapse against Jacksonville in which the Chargers squandered a 27–0 lead.
On the other sideline, quarterback Drake Maye makes his playoff debut after a breakout season that has placed him squarely in the MVP conversation.
One key question for the Patriots: Is Maye ready for the big stage?
Sunday night marks a defining moment for Drake Maye as he gets set for his playoff debut in the spotlight of prime time at Gillette Stadium.
Maye’s regular season signals a quarterback ready to take over the mantle in New England, but playoff football magnifies mistakes in ways no regular-season start can replicate.
Vrabel has added to those stakes by making it clear that just making the playoffs is not enough for his team.
“We’re not here just to get here,” Vrabel told reporters. “We have to be able to host games and compete for championships. There’s not going to be any consolation prize for anybody. We understand what we have to do.”
Fortunately for Maye, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is no stranger to the challenges that come in the playoffs and will have his quarterback ready.
Maye was able to limit turnovers this season with just 11 allowed all season, and he has no shortage of options to rely on, especially a strong running back duo in Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
The Chargers won’t make it easy to score in the endzone, recording more interceptions than passing touchdowns allowed.
One key question for the Chargers: Will playoff past continue to haunt them?
The Chargers enter the post-season with a well-documented history of disappointment, with their last playoff win dating back to the 2018 season.
No one on the Chargers carries the weight of the team’s inability to find post-season success than quarterback Justin Herbert, who is 0-2 in the playoffs through his first five seasons.
The Patriots will want to keep Herbert operating in the pocket and pressured to throw the ball quickly. Herbert led the league in outside-the-pocket touchdown passes this year with nine, according to Sports Info Solutions. He’s also proven to be among the top rushing quarterbacks, finishing second in rushing yards with 498 while averaging fourth with 6.0 yards per carry, fourth among quarterbacks with at least 25 carries.
The tough assignment for the Chargers is their offensive line against the Patriots. According to PFF, Los Angeles’ pass blocking and run blocking grades ranked at the bottom. Herbert was sacked 54 times in 2025, which was third-most in the NFL, so it won’t be an easy assignment for the Chargers quarterback.
If the Chargers offence struggles early on, their defence will have to step up like it did during the regular season, finishing in the top 10 in sacks and is PFF’s seventh-ranked secondary.
