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Wild Card Weekend 2026 Predictions: Bills at Jaguars top matchup
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- Wild Card Weekend 2026 Predictions: Bills at Jaguars top matchup
Threes are wild during NFL Wild Card Weekend, which get started Saturday, Jan. 10.
Three road favorites:The Los Angeles Rams (at the Carolina Panthers ), Buffalo Bills (at the Jacksonville Jaguars ) and Houston Texans (at the Pittsburgh Steelers ).
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Three coaches making their postseason debuts:Jacksonville's Liam Coen, Carolina's Dave Canales and Chicago 's Ben Johnson.
And three quarterbacks making their postseason debuts:The Panthers' Bryce Young , the Bears ' Caleb Johnson and the Patriots ' Drake Maye .
Here is a look at the six games:
L.A. Rams (No. 5) at Carolina (No. 4)
When:4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10.
TV:FOX.
Line:Rams by 10.
About the Rams (12-5):Quarterback Matthew Stafford had possibly the best season of his 17-year career with a league-best 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 yards. … Stafford is 5-5 in the playoffs (one Super Bowl win). … Receiver Davante Adams (hamstring, out last three games) and safety Quentin Lake (elbow, out since Week 12) are expected to play. … The Rams' 23 sacks allowed tied with Denver for the NFL's fewest. … Byron Young led the team with 12 sacks; the Rams had 47. … The Rams are the third double-digit road favorite since the 2010 season. … The Rams lost 31-27 at Carolina in Week 15.
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About the Panthers (8-9):Carolina lost at Tampa Bay in Week 18, but slid into the postseason as the NFC South champion because Atlanta beat New Orleans . … The Panthers are 1-3 in their last four games. … Quarterback Bryce Young had 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. … No Panthers player has more than five sacks. … Running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 1,076 yards and rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan had 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
Prediction:If you can find a bigger quarterback mismatch in the playoff than Stafford vs. Young, let us know. The Rams advance to play at Seattle . Rams 34-14.
Green Bay (No. 7) at Chicago (No. 2)
When:8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10.
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TV:Amazon Prime.
Line: Bears by 1.
About the Packers (9-7-1):Green Bay wheezed into the playoffs with a four-game losing streak (although it conceded victory against Minnesota in Week 18), which followed a streak of seven wins in nine games. … Quarterback Jordan Love (concussion) missed the last two games, but will start against the Bears. … Running back Josh Jacobs has 13 of the team's 18 rushing touchdowns. … Pass rusher Micah Parsons (12 1/2 sacks) sustained an ACL injury against Denver on Dec. 14.
About the Bears (11-6):Chicago used a 9-1 run from Sept. 21-Nov. 28 to win the NFC North; the Bears are 2-3 in their last five. … Quarterback Caleb Williams had 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. … The Bears forced an NFL-best 33 turnovers, which helped overcome finishing 29th in yards allowed. … The Bears' offense ranked sixth in yards (369.5), third in rushing (144.5), 10th in passing (225.1) and ninth in scoring (25.9). … Chicago and Green Bay split the season series.
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Prediction:The Packers are the NFC's seventh seed for the third consecutive year, which isn't progress so will coach Matt LaFleur be in trouble with a loss? Worth a discussion after the Bears move on. Bears 27-20.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks for an open receiver during second half action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 28, 2025. He ends up gettig sacked by an Eagles player who came running up the left side.
Buffalo (No. 6) at Jacksonville (No. 3)
When:1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 11.
TV:CBS.
Line:Bills by 1.
About the Bills (12-5):The Bills went 5-1 in their last six games, but their five-year streak atop the AFC East ended. … Buffalo is in the postseason for seventh consecutive year and has won its first-round game in five straight seasons. … Reigning NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen rushed for 14 touchdowns and threw for 25 touchdowns. … James Cook led the league with 1,621 rushing yards. … The Bills' defense ranked seventh in fewest yards allowed, but 28th against the run (136.2).
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About the Jaguars (13-4):The Jaguars, back in the postseason for the first time since 2022, enter with an eight-game winning streak. … The Jaguars' 31 takeaways were second-most in the league and their rush defense was first (85.6). … Led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence , the Jaguars' offense ranked 11th in yards (337.4) and sixth in points (27.9).
Prediction:The best match-up of the weekend. First-ranked rush offense (Bills) vs. first-ranked rush defense (Jaguars). Allen vs. Lawrence. Going with the home team. Jaguars 30-24.
San Francisco (No. 6) at Philadelphia (No. 3)
When:4:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 11.
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TV:FOX.
Line: Eagles by 4.
About the 49ers (12-5):San Francisco hits the road after losing the NFC West title game and No. 1 playoff seed to Seattle in Week 18. … Coach Kyle Shanahan is 2-2 in road playoff games. … Running back Christian McCaffrey had 413 total touches and 17 total touchdowns. … The 49ers had a league-low 20 sacks, six fewer than the next-closest team ( New York Jets ), and six interceptions (tied for second-fewest). … San Francisco's minus-7 turnover differential is worst among the playoff teams.
About the Eagles (11-6):Philadelphia conceded the NFC's second seed by resting quarterback Jalen Hurts in the Week 18 loss to Washington . … The defending Super Bowl champions are paced by their defense, which ranks fifth in scoring (19.1) and eighth against the pass (189.8). … The offense fell from eighth to 24th in yards (311.2) and from seventh to 19th in points (22.3).
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Prediction:The 49ers are depleted by injuries and could be without receiver Ricky Pearsall , left tackle Trent Williams and definitely linebacker Tatum Bethune . The Eagles advance to play Chicago. Eagles 27-24.
L.A. Chargers (No. 7) at New England (No. 2)
When:8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 11.
TV:NBC.
Line:Patriots by 3 1/2.
About the Chargers (11-6):Quarterback Justin Herbert is 0-2 in the playoffs (two touchdowns, four interceptions). … The Chargers started 4-3, but ran off seven wins in eight games. … Los Angeles can't block anybody. It allowed 60 sacks (second-most in league behind Las Vegas ' 64). … Los Angeles' defense is stout, finishing fifth in yards (282.5), eighth against the run (105.4) and fifth against the pass (179.9).
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About the Patriots (14-3):A blown 21-point lead to Buffalo in Week 15 (35-31 loss) kept New England from winning the AFC's top seed. … The Patriots went 4-13 in both 2023 and 2024 before this year's turnaround under new coach Mike Vrabel. … Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is an MVP contender after a 31-touchdown, eight-interception season (72% completion rate). … The Patriots' 16 turnovers were tied for 19th. … New England finished third in yards per game (379.4).
Prediction:Our only true upset of the wild card round. Herbert is due for a playoff win and will benefit from facing a not-great Patriots pass rush. Chargers 35-27.
Houston (No. 5) at Pittsburgh (No. 4)
When:8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12.
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TV:ABC/ESPN.
Line:Texans by 3.
About the Texans (12-5):Houston is the fifth team since 1990 to start 0-3 and make the playoffs and enter with a nine-game winning streak (seven by eight or fewer points). … The Texans ranked third in takeaways (29) and second in turnover differential (plus-17). … Houston's defense finished fifth in yards (277.2), fourth against the run (93.7), sixth against the pass (183.5) and second in scoring (17.4). … The Texans are a road playoff favorite for the first time in franchise history.
About the Steelers (10-7):Pittsburgh went 4-1 down the stretch and needed a missed Baltimore field goal as time expired in Week 18 to clinch the AFC North. … Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 11-10 all-time in the playoffs (45 touchdowns, 13 interceptions), but hasn't won a postseason game since 2020. … Receiver DK Metcalf returns from a two-game suspension. … Pittsburgh is a home playoff underdog for the first time since losing to the Jaguars in January 2008.
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Prediction:Weather won't be a factor (temperature in the high 30s), but the Texans' defense will be. Houston advances to play at the Jaguars in divisional round. Texans 17-10.
Contact O'Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Wild Card Weekend 2026 Predictions: Bills-Jaguars top matchup
