Even if you account for Super Bowl Sunday, there are those out there who will say that the divisional round is the best weekend on the NFL calendar. Moreover, it's arguably the best weekend on the sports calendar in general. The top eight teams in the league are left standing, the No. 1 seeds come back into the picture following the bye, and the chance to punch your ticket to Championship Sunday is on the line. What more could you want?
This year, there are some particularly fascinating games on the divisional round slate that have the potential to be instant classics once the dust settles. Below, we're going to rank these four contests along with telling you where you can watch all of them between Saturday and Sunday.
4. Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (NBC, stream on fubo)
You know it's going to be a great weekend of football when you have a game packed with superstars landing at the bottom of these rankings. This matchup has no shortage of star power on either side with Matthew Stafford and Jalen Hurts headlining the quarterback positions, while both the Rams and Eagles boast dynamic wide receiver duos in Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp along with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Of course, Saquon Barkley is Philadelphia's key cog in the backfield, and Los Angeles has Kyren Williams as its lead back. Again, this game oozes with players who you've either had or wished you had on your Fantasy teams at one point or another.
For those who love defense, this could also be the game for you. The Rams are coming off a nine-sack performance against the Vikings during Wild Card Weekend and have held opponents to fewer than 10 points in each of their last four games when they were playing their starters (excluding Week 18). Meanwhile, Philly's defense has limited opponents to just 15 points per game since their bye week. And that's sort of why it falls at the bottom of this ranking. There's the possibility that we could be looking at a hard-nosed game that is dominated by stout defense and top-tier running games, which isn't the most exciting for the casual viewer.
3. Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC, stream on fubo)
I debated putting this game at the No. 4 spot because it could turn into a blowout when we factor in the 8.5-point spread in favor of Kansas City. However, I feel like there is a lot of attention being paid to this matchup for a couple of reasons. On the Houston side, it remains to be seen if the Texans are ready to take that level up in their standing in the AFC hierarchy, even after taking down the Chargers. The Texans have struggled against above-.500 opponents this season, but the presence of C.J. Stroud and his budding superstardom leaves all possibilities on the table.
However, the main draw here is, of course, the Chiefs. They not only emerge from the first-round bye, but they have essentially been off since Christmas after resting starters in the regular-season finale. Is there any rust from having such an extended period of time off from competitive football? Did it help? Furthermore, Kansas City is attempting something that has never been accomplished before in NFL history -- winning three straight Super Bowls. If they can three-peat, it would thrust the organization and Patrick Mahomes into an even rarer level in NFL history.
Speaking of Mahomes, he also typically puts on a show in this divisional round. For his career, Mahomes is 6-0 in this round and has averaged 302.2 total yards per game to go along with 16 total touchdowns and zero turnovers. He's box office at this time of the year.
2. Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Fox, stream on fubo)
Yes, this game currently has the biggest spread out of the bunch with the Lions as 9.5-point favorites, but don't sleep on Washington. After all, the Commanders have coined the moniker "Cardiac Commanders" for a reason. So far this year, Washington has won games on the final play seven times, including Zane Gonzalez's walk-off field goal that doinked through the uprights against the Buccaneers last weekend. So, more often than not, Washington finds itself in absolute nail-biters.
The Commanders also have one of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in NFL history in Jayden Daniels. The No. 2 overall pick wrapped up a season where he broke the single-season rookie record for completion percentage (69%) and rushing yards (891). He's still just scratching the surface of his potential, but this is one of the NFL's up-and-coming stars that'll be on the playoff stage.
Meanwhile, the Lions have been a powerhouse all season and are now coming off a first-round bye. Dan Campbell's team has championship aspirations and has a ton of weapons to put points on the board in a hurry. The Lions led the NFL with 33.2 points per game and are tied for the second-most total yards per play (6.2). Jared Goff has been surgical throughout his tenure with the Lions, particularly this season where he's registered seven games with at least three passing touchdowns (tied for the most in franchise history).
Needless to say, if you're looking for a high-flying game, this is the one to tune into as the Lions (51.6%) and Commanders (50%) ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the NFL in highest drive score percentage during the regular season.
1. Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
Could we really put any other game at No. 1? Of course not! This is as big of a divisional round matchup as you can find in any given year. We'll start with the quarterbacks as Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are set to duke it out to advance to the AFC Championship. However, these two have been dueling throughout most of the second half of the season in the MVP race. These are the two clear favorites for the award and there are valid arguments to be made on both sides. Jackson did receive First Team All-Pro honors, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's locked up the MVP. While this game won't decide that award (the votes were submitted after the regular season), it will be another wrinkle to this game in what is a growing rivalry between the two signal-callers.
Earlier this season, the Ravens had little problem defeating the Bills in Baltimore, running away with a 35-10 victory. While Jackson had three total touchdowns in that game, Derrick Henry proved to be a critical piece (199 yards rushing) as he should be in this latest head-to-head. Henry has been one of the top free agent additions of the offseason and was brought to Baltimore for these very games, so to see him in this setting will be a thrill in itself.
Overall, both offenses are extremely balanced. For instance, the Ravens are the first team in NFL history to record 40 or more passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in a regular season. Meanwhile, the Bills are the first team in NFL history to log at least 30 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns in a regular season.
Buffalo is 9-0 at Highmark Stadium this season, so that undefeated record along with its dreams of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy are on the line with Jackson and Co. coming to town as the betting favorite. This has the potential to be an all-timer.
