The 2024 NFL Wild Card round provided some unexpected and entertaining games. There were some intriguing and entertaining storylines from Matthew Stafford’s return to Detroit, the Cowboys’ and Eagles’ collapse against the Packers and the Buccaneers, and Tyreek Hill’s return to Arrowhead. With the top seed from each conference back from their bye week, here are the NFL Divisional Round predictions.
Texans vs. Ravens
The Texans are coming off of a dominant home win against the Cleveland Browns, who had the number one defense in the regular season. The Ravens finished as the first seed in the AFC and received a first round bye last week. In this game, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will continue his stellar season by throwing for 250 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Baltimore Ravens will continue to show why they were the best team in football this year as the projected MVP, Lamar Jackson, will score three touchdowns and the defense will create a turnover in the ball game. Ravens win 31-17.
Packers vs. 49ers
The Packers surprised the football world with a dominant, upset win over the Cowboys the week before. Jordan Love continued to impress in his first year as the starting quarterback. The 49ers are coming off the bye week as the first seed of the NFC. In this game, star running back Christian McCaffrey will continue his remarkable season by going for over 110 scrimmage yards and quarterback Brock Purdy will throw for two touchdowns. The 49ers defense will put an end to Love’s season by forcing two takeaways and hold Love to under 250 passing yards. 49ers win 34-21.
Buccaneers vs Lions
The Buccaneers are coming off a surprising win against the Eagles as the Baker Mayfield redemption tour continues. The Detroit Lions are coming off of a narrow victory against the Los Angeles Rams as they won their first playoff game in 31 years. In this matchup, both offenses are going to look unstoppable and the defenses are going to find no answers in stopping each other. Baker Mayfield will throw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and Rachaad White is going to rush for 70 yards and a touchdown. Jared Goff is going to throw for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Amon-Ra St. Brown is going to show why he’s one of the best up-and-coming wide receivers. In this closely-knit battle, the Lions win 28-24.
Chiefs vs. Bills
The Chiefs welcomed Tyreek Hill back to Arrowhead and had a dominant win against the Dolphins. The Bills cruised to a win against the Steelers in the snow as Josh Allen continues to show why he’s a top three quarterback in the league. In this rivalry matchup, the Chiefs are visiting Buffalo for the first time in the playoffs. Both offenses are going to be stalled as conditions are going to be in the sub-zero temperatures and high wind. It will be a matchup between who has the better run game and who has the better defense. The Bills will have the better offense with Josh Allen going for 200 passing yards, 80 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Running back James Cook will rush for 80 yards and Gabe Davis will haul in 90 receiving yards. On the other side, Patrick Mahomes will throw for 250 yards and two touchdown passes while Isaiah Pacheo will run for 75 yards. In the end, the Bills will have the edge and win 21-17.
