Wild Card weekend is in the books, with six NFL teams advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs and another six returning home for an early start to the 2025 offseason. Many of the remaining clubs register as worthy of the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t have questions to answer.
These are the most pressing questions we have for the teams still alive in the pursuit of NFL glory:
Lamar Jackson exorcised a demon from the AFC North this season by beating the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, an occasional kryptonite for his superstar ability, not once but twice, including in the wild card round. It’s MVP material. The next hurdle is bigger: overcoming Josh Allen (again) to reach the AFC title game.
Buffalo Bills: Can Allen carry the charge to the end?
Beating the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback at home was one thing. Beating Lamar Jackson and potentially Patrick Mahomes in back-to-back matchups will be a much tougher task for Josh Allen, even though he’s as capable of playing Superman as anyone. Leaning on James Cook is an underrated key.
Detroit Lions: Can anyone stop them on their home turf?
The Lions are a star power on offense and a high-performing group on defense. A loss in the NFC title game in 2023 didn’t break them; made them stronger. Which begs the question: Is there any enemy of the conference capable of taking over Ford Field? Jayden Daniels will be the next dynamic playmaker to try.
Houston Texans: How long can they rely on their ‘D’?
CJ Stroud was the magical centerpiece of their surprise playoff run a year ago. This time, DeMeco Ryans’ tenacious defense is the reason they keep turning around. Unless Stroud comes to life amidst a battle-weary supporting cast, they might struggle to outlast the rest of the field.
The Chiefs have mostly won by the margins in recent seasons, relying heavily on Patrick Mahomes’ theatrics in crucial moments, plus the timely suffocation of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, to claim trophies. However, Andy Reid’s attack finally showed strength in late 2024, with Marquise Brown integrated.
Believe it or not, this Rams team started 1-4. But that was in part because Matthew Stafford barely had a healthy receiving corps at his disposal and, somewhat miraculously, avoided his own injury. When they’re on, they’re on. But the streaks have been a problem. Will the firepower meet the renewed expectations?
The Eagles responded to outside noise about a slow stretch of passing action earlier this season by passing it on to the Steelers. They haven’t really lit a team on fire as a passing offense since then, with Jalen Hurts just returning from injury in the wild card round. Their running game and defense are legit, but to go far, they may need to utilize their elite perimeter targets more.
Jayden Daniels is a one-man band for Kliff Kingsbury, running a mediocre backfield with his smooth mobility and picking apart opposing defenses with his agile arm. Getting more help from Kingsbury’s ball carriers or the red zone playsheet could allow the Commanders to extend their surprisingly good run.
