We're down to the elite eight in the NFL and three weeks out from the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.
This weekend sees the return of the top seeds in the AFC and NFC, with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks fresh off a week's rest.
Bills and Broncos in box office blockbuster
What a way for the divisional round to get started when Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills make the visit to take on the Denver Broncos in the Mile High City (9.30pm, Saturday).
The Bills progressed as the sixth seed last weekend with a statement performance in Jacksonville against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. What was arguably most impressive was the way Allen handled himself under centre for the Bills.
Battered, bruised and challenged, Allen found a way to bring the Bills through an extreme test against a Jaguars team who were a dark horse for many entering the play-offs.
Allen’s performance shouldn’t be a surprise, though. In 14 play-off games, the Bills quarterback has the best touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history (26-4), ahead of the likes of Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
However, none of that really matters if you can’t get it done by the first week of February. The Bills passed their first test, but they will enter Denver without wide receiver Tyrell Shavers, who tore his ACL in Jacksonville. The Bills took another hit when Gabe Davis tore his left ACL in the contest, and wide receiver Joshua Palmer had already been placed on IR the previous week with an ankle problem.
It’s certainly the next-man-up mentality. How will that translate against a Broncos defence that led the NFL in sacks in the regular season with 68? If you presume that the Broncos will get to Allen at least once per quarter, what will the Bills plan be?
Enter James Cook at running back. He has rushed for over 100 yards nine times this season and will be a captivating threat to a Broncos run defence that has only allowed six touchdowns to running backs this season.
The biggest question mark is the Broncos offence. How will they play after a week off?
In Week 18, Bo Nix threw for under 40 yards in the opening half against the Los Angeles Chargers and was sacked by a backup defence four times. Nix needs to get going quickly against the Bills and show the league the form and consistency that he found in his rookie year.
If they win on Saturday they will be one game away from the Super Bowl.
NFC West battle
Three NFC West teams remain in the final eight and each one has been impressive.
The San Francisco 49ers have been cool under pressure and have found a way to win when the game is up against them.
Last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Niners lost star tight end George Kittle to a season-ending achilles injury and they still found a way to elevate their performance and knock out the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The prize for Kyle Shanahan and his team is a visit to the Seattle Seahawks in a marquee matchup against divisional rivals (1am, Sunday) and the prize couldn’t be greater.
With three weeks until Super Bowl LX, the Niners still have a shot at playing in their home stadium in Santa Clara.
While wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is listed as questionable, it’s likely he will play, but Fred Warner will have to wait another week for his return.
Brock Purdy (above) is getting it done and finding ways to make his offence gel at the key moments. Kyle Juszczyk stepped up when George Kittle went down last weekend and Purdy connected with Christian McCaffrey in the air more than on the ground. More of that will be needed to stop this Seahawks team.
Seattle enter as the number one seed in the NFC and are rested after a huge win at Levi’s Stadium in Week 18 to secure the bye week.
Well, not everybody is.
Sam Darnold will enter the game with a questionable status, but will almost certainly play. He suffered discomfort early in practice on Thursday, but will be good to go.
The Seahawks know what they have to do – more of the same is required on both sides of the ball. They ended the season first in both defence and DVOA (Defence-adjusted Value Over Average).
Mike MacDonald’s men earned the rare 'Double Crown' with a super-strong defence, stopping both passing and running attacks better than anyone, even though their offence was only decent (ranked 10th).
The last team to do that won the Super Bowl.
Let’s see what happens.
Maye magic or Houston problems
The Patriots are back in the big time and a home divisional game awaits Drake Maye and company (8pm, Sunday).
Last week, it was an edgy start in the Wild Card against a Los Angeles Chargers defence who came to play. For a while, it looked like they had a chance, but Vrabel and the Patriots found a way to exploit a poor offensive line for Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
Now, they will face a totally different challenge in the Houston Texans.
Fresh off potentially ending Aaron Rodgers career last Monday in Pittsburgh, the Texans need to improve in one crucial element of their game – the offence.
CJ Stroud (above) had five fumbles and missed a wide open Nico Collins against the Steelers in the first half alone. When the second half got under way, he had a pass intercepted.
The Texans can dominate defensively. They’ve been so dominant that no opposing team has had a successful passing game against them since the second week of the season – that's over four months of making every quarterback look terrible.
When you have Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson as defensive ends (with 27 sacks combined so far this season), you know trouble could be ahead. Just last week, Anderson had a half-sack and three quarterback hits, while Hunter had two quarterback hits and a sack against Aaron Rodgers.
Whisper it, but the Texans are ready to play as the season reaches its climax. It will be on Stroud and the offence to find another gear and that is the major key to this game, alongside what Maye will do if Anderson and company can get it going again.
Bears down or Rams tough?
Whether it’s divine intervention via help from Chicago Bears fan Pope Leo XIV or just pure hope from fans, the Bears are making a run when it really matters.
Their comeback performance over the Green Bay Packers during Wild Card Weekend was one for the ages from Caleb Williams and his team-mates.
Now, a different challenge enters Soldier Field (11.30pm, Sunday) – a Los Angeles Rams team who came scarily close to exiting the play-offs at the first hurdle against the Carolina Panthers last weekend.
Sean McVay’s Rams conceded 31 points and a late rally from Bryce Young exposed some inconsistencies on the Rams defence.
This quite simply needs to improve – and immediately.
Matthew Stafford (above) has been there and done it all. The Super Bowl LVI champion is looking to add another piece to a storied career and the 37-year-old is the frontrunner for the MVP award come the end of the season.
The weather is expected to be extremely cold, with snow in the Windy City during this week. Can the veteran Rams quarterback continue to push the ball down the field and utilise star wideout Puka Nacua, while having an effective run game, which could become crucial on Sunday night.
Kyren Williams and Blake Corum could be the difference in this game for Stafford. Play-off games are made and lost in the small, intricate moments and if the Rams can’t get a run game going against a stout Bears defence, it could be hard for them to progress.
The Bears are coming off a high and they will be buoyed by Williams' performance last week. He put Chicago on his back, coming back from 18 points down to win the game.
Can he now build on that performance and ensure that his superb late-game ability (seven passing touchdowns when trailing this season) can be matched throughout the game?
The Bears have the weapons and the Rams have allowed just over 28 points per game in the last seven weeks of the season.
This one is extremely hard to call and both teams will see themselves as worthy contenders for an NFC Championship spot.
Irish talent continues to prosper
A little non-NFL news to finish off this week. It’s been a superb week for Irish talent in college football.
Leader Kicking trio Paddy McAteer, Lorcan Quinn and Jack Cassidy have transferred to noteworthy colleges in the United States.
Mullaghbawn’s McAteer is off to Indiana, who face the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football National Championship early on Tuesday morning. Donaghmore man Lorcan Quinn has made a statement transfer also, as he will play for Alabama in 2026, while Jack Cassidy from Slaughtneil has transferred to West Virginia.
The future is certainly bright, folks.
Enjoy the action this weekend.
