Sunday is nearly in the books, which means Wild Card Weekend is almost complete. Several NFL teams had rude postseason awakenings, like the Los Angeles Chargers, who got steamrolled by the underdog Houston Texans to kick off Saturday's slate. What about Sunday's action?
Here are some key takeaways from Day 2 of this year's wild-card action:
The Eagles are winning because of their defense
Saquon Barkley's burst certainly raised the floor for their ground game against the Packers, and Jalen Hurts overcome a sluggish start to hit DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert for some timely shots, but Philadelphia's opening-round victory was almost entirely thanks to Vic Fangio's physical unit, which never let Jordan Love get comfortable, could've easily exceeded its three-interception total and stayed strong despite a knee injury to starting linebacker Nakobe Dean. The Birds need more aerial consistency if they want to make a deep run, but they're so much tougher than they were a year ago.
The Packers need a healthier offense
Quarterback Jordan Love was erratic on his own to open Green Bay's matchup with the Eagles, tossing a couple of ugly interceptions, including one directly to Philadelphia's Zack Baun. But by the end of Sunday's Week 1 rematch, he also had hardly any healthy playmakers on the perimeter, with Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs joining Christian Watson in the trainers' room. A year after Love thrived while elevating an array of young pass catchers, the quarterback's 2024 campaign will likely be remembered for its bumps and bruises; the gunslinger also battled three different major injuries of his own throughout the year.
Denver wasn't quite ready for the big stage
The Broncos were an inspiring story this year, getting an Offensive Rookie of the Year-worthy performance from Bo Nix, but not even Sean Payton's trick play-calling could enable Denver's typically tough defense to outlast Josh Allen in Buffalo. Finishing just 3 of 12 on third and fourth downs, it's clear the Broncos could use some serious offensive reinforcements moving forward, both in the backfield and out wide. The Patrick Surtain-led "D" got outclassed, too, but helping Nix actually move the ball should be priority No. 1.
James Cook is an underrated key for the Bills
Everyone talks about Josh Allen, and rightfully so. The quarterback's supersized play-extending ability helped guys like Curtis Samuel break out with big plays against the Denver secondary. And yet it was Cook's silky-smooth speed that actually propelled the Bills out of the gate, helping keep the Broncos on their toes. The running back finished with a cool 120 yards, cementing himself as an X factor for Buffalo's playoff run after another quietly dynamic year as the team's top multipurpose ball carrier.