[Preview Wild Card] Drake Maye Premiere, Josh Allen Time?

That's it, we're in the playoffs! Now, all matches count, you don't have to miss anything. 6 matches this weekend: from the trip of Josh Allen's Bills to the Jaguars to the Eagles – 49ers clash, including the first appearance of Drake Maye's Patriots in the playoffs, the NFC North Bears – Packers derby, the trench warfare between the Texans and the Steelers, and the revenge of the Rams at Carolina, you should absolutely not miss anything.

Table of Contents

Will the Packers get a jump start?

Sunday January 11, 2026 – 2:00 a.m.
Chicago Bears (#2) – Green Bay Packers (#7)

You are missing only one being and everything is depopulated. Without Micah Parsons, the Packers arrived in the playoffs with 4 defeats in a row. Their defense went from 19 points conceded per game to 28 over the period. Without Jordan Love, their last meeting of the season against the Vikings, even without a challenge, looked like a farce. So, how can we give them a chance in the playoffs against the number 2 seed?

Already, Jordan Love will be back, and the offense should have a chance to express itself. But above all, it takes two teams to play a match. How will these Bears, dazzling this season after years of failure, react for their return to the playoffs? This is one of the questions of the meeting. This is all the more difficult to predict before a divisional clash.

Despite its weaknesses, this Packers team led 13-3 before the last quarter, in Chicago, during their week 16 meeting. It even took a successful onside kick for the Bears to snatch overtime and then the victory. So Packers, but it shows the unpredictable nature of these games. If Chicago and Caleb Williams manage to avoid mistakes at the start of the match and move forward, they will in any case need a great Jordan Love to keep up the pace. The 213th clash (league record) between the two teams is enticing.

Josh Allen, the way is clear, but the Jaguars keep it

Sunday January 11, 2026 – 7:00 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars (#3) – Buffalo Bills (#6)

No Patrick Mahomes, no Lamar Jackson, no Joe Burrow in sight… Josh Allen is the survivor of the favorite quarterbacks of this AFC. Given the pedigree, he is with Justin Herbert, and rather ahead of him in fact, the most accomplished and expected pitcher of these final phases, even if Drake Maye could also become MVP in a few weeks.

So, this year or never for Buffalo? Unfortunately, for Josh Allen, the Bills around him appear less strong than in other years. And the competition has strengthened. So much so that they are not necessarily favorites for their trip to the Jaguars, which would have seemed unimaginable in other years. In Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence has the opportunity to definitively silence those who see him as an average player. And to bring his career and his franchise into another era. With 8 victories in a row, the Jaguars in any case have serious arguments.

Behind this arm struggle, however, it is in the legs that the match could be played out. Buffalo is the number 1 ground attack in the NFL, but also a porous ground defense, capable of being suffocated by any squad, even one as average as that of the Jaguars, allowing an average of 5.14 yards per carry this year. To make their pitchers shine, everyone will focus on giving them as many snaps as possible by building on the ground… and preventing opposing runners from confiscating the ball.

Forewarned Ram is forearmed?

Saturday January 10, 2026 – 10:30 p.m.
Carolina Panthers (#4) – Los Angeles Rams (#5)

Not many people would have bet on the Panthers winning Week 13 against the Rams. And yet, Carolina won against a team that remained in 6 matches in a row. The keys to success? A great success on the ground (164 yards at 4 yards per carry) and a Bryce Young (15/20, 206 yards, 2 TDs) much cleaner than a Matthew Stafford on a very small day (18/28, 243 yards, 2 TDs, 2 interceptions). Despite this, the Rams had the opportunity to win before Blake Corum's final fumble.

Suffice to say that the scenario seems difficult to repeat between the two teams. Especially since Davante Adams should be back. The poor performances of the Panthers in their last two matches against Seattle and the Buccaneers also point in this direction. Without any surprise, and with the playoff effect, the mountain appears twice as high to climb for Carolina. However, the Panthers are not the only ones to have displayed weaknesses. We wouldn't go so far as to say nothing is going well in Los Angeles, but Sean McVay's men have shown some flaws since their incredible defeat in Seattle.

Against the Falcons, they were stepped on by Bijan Robinson (195 yards at 8.9 yards per carry!), with 3 new interceptions from Stafford. Against the Cardinals, they were two speeds before flying away… For LA, it's about winning, obviously, at Carolina. But being careful also seems essential, both to reassure yourself about your strengths internally and to send a message to the league. If ground defense will be very important, we also expect a lot from Stafford against a team incapable of putting the opposing pitcher under pressure (26.2% of defensive snaps, worst percentage in the league).

Saquon Barkley – Christian McCaffrey: the battle of the leaders

Sunday January 11, 2026 – 10:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Eagles (#3) – San Francisco 49ers (#6) – Follow live for free on W9

If other names are possible (Jonathan Taylor, Derick Henry), it is difficult to find a duel of runners more emblematic currently than Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. Apart from the high-sounding name, they will have a major role to play this weekend. For McCaffrey, it's obvious. With 1,202 rushing yards and 904 receiving yards this year, he is the driving force behind one of the most efficient attacks in the league at the end of the season. When he is stopped, like against Seattle, the entire attack purrs. Especially since the status of Ricky Pearsall is still uncertain. Additionally, the Eagles defense is exceptional at stopping the short passing game that Brock Purdy is so successful with. Fortunately, Trent Williams should be there.

For Barkley, it seems less certain. The Eagles have gone no less than 9 games without exceeding 100 yards this year. This is 9 times more than last year. For Philadelphia, salvation comes mainly through the air and through the trio AJ Brown – DeVonta Smith – Dallas Goedert. Except that San Francisco struggles against the running game, giving up 4.3 yards per carry and 10 runs of more than 20 yards, about the NFL average. Lane Johnson should also return to help the Philadelphia line. And above all, both are anything but incompatible.

With injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, Robert Saleh must constantly find solutions to plug holes. Faced with the talent of Philadelphia's receivers, and given the weaknesses of his line to put Jalen Hurts under pressure – not to mention the latter's ability to escape it – he could be tempted to play two safeties in coverage…. A difficult option to put in place if Saquon Barkley reigns terror on the ground. It's up to Philadelphia to puncture the 49ers' barrel enough times that there aren't enough fingers left to repair the damage.

The stat: 20 points and that's it

Tuesday January 13, 2026 – 02:00.
Pittsburgh Steelers (#4) – Houston Texans (#5)

11 – 0 against 1 – 5. It’s quite simple: if the Texans score 20 points in a game, they win (11 times out of 11). Otherwise, they lose (5 times out of 6). This is the paradox of a team supported all season by an extraordinary defense: everything risks coming down to attack for Houston. Because on the other hand, despite the talent of the running duo Jaylen Warren – Kenneth Gainwell, despite the return of DK Metcalf, it is difficult to imagine a world where Aaron Rodgers, limited as he is in his mobility, puts out a vintage performance to put 30 pawns in Houston (this prediction could obviously age very badly).

As for Houston's attack, and even if the defense could help by scoring a few points, we would be tempted to reverse the outlook once again. As favorites as they are, the Texans have an opponent in front of them, and the main question is which one? Because with Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Patrick Queen, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, and company, the Steelers' front seven was supposed to be the cornerstone of a new iron wall in Pennsylvania. With 356.9 yards (26th) conceded per game, this was not the case at all.

With just one field goal, the defense even almost gave up the victory and qualification alone against the Ravens, with a truly catastrophic secondary line. Except that there you have it, the talent, Pittsburgh has it on its line, which is precisely the weak point of the Texans. If the Steelers line up everything on D-Day, they can beat anyone, at home no less. They notably defeated New England by limiting the Patriots to 14 points. So yes, the Texans are favorites, but in Pittsburgh, anything is possible. In any case, the match, which will be won on the lines, is unmissable for fans of trench warfare.

Drake Maye, the fateful hour

Monday January 12, 2026 – 02:00.
New England Patriots (#2) – Los Angeles Chargers (#7)

Every franchise wants to win the Super Bowl, but for some the requirement is higher than others. The New England Patriots have been very spoiled in the 21st century with 6 titles. All this under the seal of their quarterback Tom Brady, and his unique ability to be good at the key moment. Brady had won in his second year, why not Drake Maye? When you are a quarterback for the Patriots and you play at the level of Maye, who dominates the league both in percentage of successful passes (72%) and in yards per attempt (8.9), when you are a contender for the MVP, you are expected to be at your best level at the best time.

For him, it's time, but also for an entire team. Because the AFC number 2 certainly had a brilliant season, but they only finally beat once a team having finished the year with more victories than defeats – the Bills, in the first leg – for a record of 1 and 2 defeats against such opponents (Bills and Steelers). This does not detract from their merit. However, against the Chargers, they go up a notch in difficulty. Los Angeles has some serious assets to disrupt New England. Maye is the league's best passer on throws of more than 10 yards, but the Chargers' secondary excels on long passes, accumulating 14 interceptions for 10 touchdowns in the exercise.

In attack, the Chargers can obviously count on Justin Herbert. Certainly, his line is mediocre, deprived of its two starting tackles. The Patriots' pass rush isn't that scary, though. Finally, if we subtract the sacks made from the sacks suffered, it is Los Angeles who wins (54 suffered, 45 made against 47 and 35). Facing Derwin James in the air, with Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh chasing him, and if Justin Herbert goes the other way, Drake Maye could have his work cut out for him.

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