NFL Playoffs Set to Begin Saturday

The 2024 NFL Playoffs are set to begin Saturday with the wild-card round. Two Florida teams, the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will face teams who competed in the 2023 Super Bowl. The Dolphins will travel to Kansas City to face the reigning champion Chiefs and the Buccaneers will host the Philadelphia Eagles.

Additionally, rookie quarterback CJ Stroud will look to get his first playoff win against the Cleveland Browns. Veteran Joe Flacco, the current quarterback for the Browns, could pull off one of the most impressive returns to the NFL after leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record under center.

Additionally, the Green Bay packers travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Detroit Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time since 1993, and Matthew Stafford will return to Detroit as the Lions face the Los Angeles Rams.

A Frigid Game Set to take Place in Kansas City

The Dolphins are on the road in the wild-card round for the second straight year. Last season, the team fell in Buffalo to the Bills. Saturday, they’ll face the Chiefs in Kansas City in freezing conditions. According to the National Weather Service, conditions will be “dangerously cold” Saturday night, with a wind chill expected of -23 degrees.

Kansas City will have “extremely dangerous” temps on Saturday night.

“Cover all extremities including your head and face,” the National Weather Service says.

Dolphins-Chiefs kickoff forecast is now -1 degree with a -23 wind chill.

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) January 12, 2024

Tyreek Hill will return to Kansas City for the first time since being traded to the Dolphins in 2022. Miami and the Chiefs matched up in the regular season, but the game was played in Frankfurt, Germany. The Chiefs came out on top 21-14, and both defenses did impressive jobs holding both teams’ No. 1 options to minimal output.

Hill was held to just 62 receiving yards, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce recorded just 14 receiving yards.

Miami will look for its first playoff win since 2000. The Chiefs have experienced a load of struggles throughout the season, but they were still able win the AFC West. They’ll look to get back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years.

Bucs Host Struggling Eagles

Tampa Bay will host a wild-card game for the third straight season, and they’ll host a Philadelphia Eagles team that lost five out of their last six regular season games. The Buccaneers won the NFC South in Week 18 after getting by the Carolina Panthers 9-0. Quarterback Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay in its final six regular season games, winning five of them.

The two teams matched up in Week 3 of the regular season, and Philadelphia dominated the Buccaneers 25-11. Though, after starting the season 10-1, the Eagles haven’t been the same team since being dominated by the San Francisco 49ers Dec. 3.

Additionally, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts injured his middle finger on his throwing hand in their Week 18 matchup with the Giants. Despite the injury, he said Thursday the situation is trending in the right direction.

Kickoff for the contest is at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

Other Storylines to Follow

The Dallas Cowboys host the Green Bay Packers Saturday where current Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will coach against his former team. McCarthy spent 13 seasons as head coach in Green Bay and won one Super Bowl.

With the Cowboys, McCarthy has made the playoffs for the third straight season but has failed to get past the divisional round. If McCarthy fails once again to push Dallas to the next level, McCarthy’s job security could come into question. Kickoff in Dallas is Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

Matthew Stafford will be playing in a familiar environment Sunday night. Stafford, the quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, was drafted by Detroit and played 12 seasons for the team before being traded to Los Angeles.

Stafford made the playoffs three times with the Lions, and he’ll go up against former Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Goff led Los Angeles to the 2018 Super Bowl. It’s the first matchup between the two former No. 1 overall picks.

Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger said Thursday he wouldn’t be surprised if Detroit pulled off the upset.

Kickoff in Detroit is at 8 p.m.