All the Super Wild Card weekend essentials you need: NFL playoffs kick off with some intriguing matchups
It's "Super Wild Card Weekend" ... and we're looking forward to three days of NFL playoff football. Before we dig even deeper, enjoy these:
- The Steelers filed an appeal hoping to get T.J. Watt the single-season sack record.
- A Delaware man befriended Buccaneers players and got a job offer from Tom Brady.
- The Patriots' Brandon Bolden opened up about his cancer journey.
- Hall of Famer Jerry Rice broke down the 49ers-Cowboys playoff matchup.
For the first time ever, the NFL's wild-card playoffs will be played on Monday night.
The wild-card playoffs kick off Saturday with two teams that haven't won a playoff game in a long time ... Raiders (2002 AFC championship vs. Titans) and Bengals (1990 AFC divisional playoff vs. Houston Oilers ... yes, the Houston Oilers).
The fun continues with a tripleheader on Sunday, including the renewal of the 49ers-Cowboys playoff rivalry.
Finally, the Chiefs host the Steelers in the first playoff game on Monday night.
Previewing 'Super Wild Card Weekend'
- Which NFL teams could on a surprising playoff run? The Buccaneers' run to last season's Super Bowl title proved that there's still room for wild-card entrants to make noise in the playoffs.
- Which contender is most at risk of an upset? Our experts weigh in on which division title winner is mostly likely to be defeated this weekend.
- Bills-Patriots playoff game may be one of the coldest in Buffalo history: The weather forecast calls for it to be really cold Saturday night in Orchard Park, N.Y. 🥶
- 'We don't have a chance': With his NFL career extended by at least one more game, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has nothing to lose in Sunday's wild-card game against the Chiefs.
- Hall of Fame finalist gives Cowboys star rookie a playoff edge: DeMarcus Ware mentored Micah Parsons ahead of NFC wild-card playoff against the 49ers.
NFL coaching carousel
- Ranking NFL's eight* open head coaching jobs: The Texans' dismissal of David Culley on Thursday raised the number of coach openings to eight. Nate Davis assess how attractive each of the vacant posts are.
- Inclusive? The league is down to one Black coach after the Texans fired David Culley. This is embarrassing, but not surprising, Nancy Armour writes.
- Ideal candidates for openings: These are the ideal candidates for seven head coaching vacancies, according to Mike Jones.
2022 NFL draft: Mock and more
- Mock draft: Three quarterbacks go in the top 20 of our latest first-round projection.
- Underclassmen entering 2022 NFL draft: College football underclassmen have a Jan. 17 deadline to declare for this year's draft.
- First-round order: The first 18 selections are set and for the second consecutive year the Jaguars own the No. 1 overall pick.
- Lions, Jets staffs to coach at Senior Bowl: Dan Campbell and his Lions staff will coach against Robert Saleh and his crew from the Jets for game scheduled for Feb. 5.
Complete NFL playoff schedule
WILD CARD WEEKEND
Saturday
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals, 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
Sunday
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys, 4:40 p.m. ET (CBS/Nickelodeon)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN2/ABC)
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Saturday, Jan. 22
TBD at TBD, 4:35 p.m. ET (FOX)
TBD at TBD, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, Jan. 23
TBD at TBD, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
TBD at TBD, 6:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sunday, Jan. 30
AFC championship game, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
NFC championship game, 6:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
SUPER BOWL 56
Feb. 13
AFC winner vs. NFC winner, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (NBC)
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