2024 NFL Divisional Playoffs: Predictions and Previews

The NFL Divisional round of the playoffs is just a little bit away, as eight teams remain alive in hopes of being crowned Super Bowl Champions. Underdog feats by some teams and underachieving performances by others in the Wild Card round leaves a few gaps and questions for us to be weary of throughout this post.

NFL

*all times listed as ET

(10-7) Houston Texans @ (13-4) Baltimore Ravens (Sat, 1/20 | 4:30 P.M. | ABC)

The Houston Texans enter this game coming off one of the most dominating performances of the weekend, with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leading the offense to nearly 275 passing yards on just over 15 completions, throwing for three touchdowns. The defense also forced two turnovers, both being returned for pick-sixes. This young group has already exceeded the expectations of not just their fans, but the general NFL audience as well.

The Baltimore Ravens are fresh off a bye week after clinching the number one seed in the AFC, which allowed star tight end Mark Andrews to continue to heal from his ankle surgery in late November. Andrews logged a full practice on Wednesday and is making great progress, although his status for Saturday's game is still undetermined. Similarly, star cornerback Marlon Humphrey is still dealing with a calf injury that has kept him on the sidelines all of 2024. The chance that Andrews is able to play would be an huge benefit to this Ravens offense that might also see rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers back at 100 percent. Either way, the Baltimore Ravens are looking to advance to the AFC Championship for the first time in 12 years and will have the support of their fans inside the stadium. Expect a back-and-forth game that keeps the Texans within reach until just about the final five minutes.

Prediction: Ravens 34, Texans 24

(9-8) Green Bay Packers @ (12-5) San Francisco 49ers (Sat, 1/20 | 8:15 P.M. | FOX)

The Green Bay Packers did everyone a favor by sending "America's Team" out of the Super Bowl picture in last weekend's upset victory, but now it's time to bring it back to reality. The San Francisco 49ers aren't the Dallas Cowboys; they actually have a proven track record of playing to their competition in the playoffs. While Jordan Love is most definitely the future franchise QB for the Packers, do not expect the same level of performance that we saw last week.

The 49ers were able to take advantage of their first-round bye, with key players Dre Greenlaw and Erik Armstead making their return to practice on Wednesday. Going into the postseason, the 49ers have the second-best total offense along with a top-10 total defense, making them clear favorites in this matchup. While the hype of the Packers going into this game calls for uncertainty to some level, I'm confident that the 49ers will advance to their second straight NFC championship.

Prediction: 49ers 38, Packers 20

via NFL

(9-8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ (12-5) Detroit Lions (Sun, 1/21 | 3:00 P.M. | NBC)

Similarly to the Packers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came away with the upset victory in the Wild Card round against the reigning NFC champion, Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles were pretty much bound to lose following their skittish end to the regular season and off-the-field issues, the Buccaneers actually put together a performance that reminded me of their 2020 Super Bowl team. The defense sent relentless pressure on the line with tight coverage in the secondary, and the offense exploded with a mix of play-actions, screens, and a solid rushing attack. Todd Bowles seemed to finally have some sort of confidence in himself and the players when it comes to taking risks, which leads me to believe that the same game plan will be used in this matchup against the NFC North Division champion, Detroit Lions.

The Lions have won their first playoff game since 1991, which is enough to make this a tricky game to predict. The Lions relied mostly on the passing game, led by Jared Goff, during their victory against the Los Angeles Rams, but we've seen throughout this season that the running backs can be just as resourceful. RBs David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs posted over 135 scrimmage yards last weekend, so consider them to be a useful short-field target if the Buccaneers keep the same defensive pressure that they did on Monday night. Detroit's secondary is still very inconsistent, though, allowing over 365 passing yards against the Rams. All things consider, the hype of the Detroit Lions is not one to overlook, so expect a nail-biting game with a big ending.

Prediction: Lions 31, Buccaneers 27

(11-6) Kansas City Chiefs @ (11-6) Buffalo Bills (Sun, 1/21 | 6:30 P.M. | CBS)

Here we are again... it seems like this is exactly how the scriptwriters want to torture us: Tony Romo in a press box calling a game between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. However, this game has a special twist: the Kansas City Chiefs are finally playing a road playoff game. Just this factor alone can decide which team wins this football game, as the Chiefs enter this game still on fraud alert. Their victory over the Miami Dolphins last weekend doesn't convince me enough that they have a Super Bowl-contending offense. However, the famous saying goes, "Defense wins championships," and the Chiefs possess one of the best defenses in the league. However, cornerback, L'Jarius Sneed, was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a calf injury. His absence in this game could put the Chiefs defense in a tricky spot. Nonetheless, with how Josh Allen is prone to turnovers in crucial situations, the Chiefs defense will keep this team in the game just long enough for Mahomes to lead the offense to a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Chiefs 21, Bills 17