Viewer's guide: Ranking the Super Wild Card Weekend matchups, including Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit
Viewer’s guide: Ranking the Super Wild Card Weekend matchups, including Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit
Playoff football is upon us! After the regular season came to a close in Week 18, just 14 teams remain in the NFL, and most of them will be duking it out throughout the weekend in hopes of keeping their chances of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy alive. Reunions seem to be the theme of Super Wild Card Weekend with old friends clashing throughout this opening playoff slate. Matthew Stafford is heading back to Detroit, Tyreek Hill will visit Kansas City, and Mike McCarthy will host his former Packers squad.
Given all these fascinating side stories, we’ve decided to collect every game and rank them, along with giving you everything you need to know to watch them.
All NFL odds via SportsLine consensus odds.
6. Steelers at Bills
Date: Sunday, Jan. 14 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Bills -10, O/U 36
The Steelers are one of the biggest brands in football and the Bills have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, but this game just doesn’t do much for me. That’s largely because I don’t believe it’ll be all that competitive. It is the biggest spread of the playoff slate with Buffalo sitting as a double-digit favorite, and it’s routinely blown teams out at home, owning a 14.8 average margin of victory at Highmark Stadium (second-best in the NFL). T.J. Watt won’t be playing for the Steelers in this game due to an MCL sprain, and Pittsburgh is just 1-10 in the 11 games it’s been without its star pass rusher.
5. Eagles at Buccaneers
Date: Monday, Jan. 15 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
TV: ABC/ESPN | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Eagles -3, O/U 44
I debated putting this game in the No. 6 slot, but I slotted it at No. 5 because we truly could have an upset in this game. The Eagles are a three-point road favorite but have looked lifeless down the stretch. The defending NFC champions limped to a 1-5 record over their final six games, which found them fall out of the No. 1 seed and first place in the NFC East. Meanwhile, the Bucs enjoyed an opposite finish, winning five of their last six. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans should be able to torch this Philly secondary, which puts the Eagles squarely on upset alert. Potentially seeing the final crash and burn for this Eagles squad will have people interested.
4. Dolphins at Chiefs
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
Stream: Peacock
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Chiefs -4, O/U 44.5
This game is a pure streamer with it airing only on Peacock, so make sure you’re all situated for that Saturday night. I think some people might be sleeping on this matchup because of the poor play from both of these teams down the stretch. That said, I think you pay close attention to Kansas City. Yes, the wide receivers have been its demise all season long, but let me ask you this: what wins in the playoffs? A strong defense, ability to run the football effectively, and smart quarterback play. The Chiefs have all three in spades, making them a sleeping giant that could potentially reveal itself at the start of these playoffs. If not, the drum to add offensive weapons will only beat louder. Meanwhile, the storylines coming out of Miami in this game will be fascinating as well. Either it pulls off a rare cold-weather win and Tua Tagovailoa continues to state his case to be among the elite QBs in the league, or he falters and the opposite questions are asked. Plenty of offseason narratives could springboard off of this game.
3. Packers at Cowboys
Date: Sunday, Jan. 14 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
TV: FOX | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Cowboys -7.5, O/U 50.5
The reason this game cracks the top three is all about Mike McCarthy. Sure, it’s interesting that he’s going up against his former Packers team, but he is a lightning rod for this game because of what his fate could be if Dallas loses. This would be the third time in as many seasons that the Cowboys would’ve gone 12-5 in the regular season — only to have a disappointing showing in the playoffs. If that comes to fruition this weekend, his seat will be on fire, especially with candidates like Bill Belichick potentially on the market for Jerry Jones. On the other hand, the Cowboys could flex with a convincing win and put the rest of the league on notice that they’re a legit Super Bowl contender.
2. Browns at Texans
Date: Saturday, Jan. 13 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium (Houston)
TV: NBC | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Browns -2.5, O/U 44.5
You might be surprised to find this game so high, but it’s a matchup I am arguably looking forward to the most. Specifically, I want to see what C.J. Stroud can do under the playoff lights. Houston’s rookie quarterback dazzled in his first year in the league and was briefly even in the MVP conversation. The high-pressure moments never seem too big for the Ohio State product, and he’ll now be tested against the Joe Flacco-led Browns. Cleveland has a reputation for having a top-tier defense, but the unit averages nearly 30 points per game allowed to opposing offenses when it is on the road, which it will be Saturday. If those trends hold up, Stroud could be in line for a monster game and further boost his résumé as having one of the best rookie seasons we’ve seen in NFL history at the position.
1. Rams at Lions
Date: Sunday, Jan. 14 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Ford Field (Detroit)
TV: NBC | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Lions -3, O/U 51.5
This is going to be everyone’s top game, and for good reason. The Detroit Lions have FINALLY found themselves hosting a playoff game and who is the visitor coming out of the opposing locker room? Matthew Stafford, the quarterback who led the Lions for a dozen years before being traded to the Rams in 2021. This will mark his first trip back to Ford Field since the trade, creating an emotional and high-pressure scene in the Motor City. Regardless of who wins this game, it’ll be worth the price of admission. Either Stafford rips the heart out of his former team, or Jared Goff gets sweet revenge over the Rams after deciding to deal him away in the Stafford trade. On top of the QB storylines, this could also be a high-scoring affair with this game owning the highest total on the slate.