This feels very weird. It’s an AFC playoff bracket that doesn’t have Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson. However, it does feature Aaron Rodgers and the guy who Patriots fans have a cult following over. It feels like a new guard in the AFC with guys like Drake Maye and Bo Nix taking the driver’s seat. Trevor Lawrence is back in the dance while Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud each pray they can get some playoff wins under their belt. Then, there is Josh Allen who has his cleanest path to the Super Bowl ever. Here’s our preview of the 2025 season AFC Wild Card games.
Buffalo Bills vs Jacksonville Jaguars
For Josh Allen, this is his best shot. Heartbreak has followed this guy around in the postseason for his entire career. If you weren’t convinced that the Bills were cursed when they literally lost four straight Super Bowls, you should be now as I’ve watched Allen suffer heartbreak year after year. But without his main rivals in these playoffs, here is his shot. Jacksonville can’t be overlooked. They had an incredibly hot end to their year, winning eight straight games. While I question the legitimacy of some of their opponents, eight straight is still eight straight. The Jags will force Josh Allen to be great because their defense is Top 10 in the league. But one side has far more experience and fire in their belly to finally get it done. I see a shootout brewing in Florida. Prediction: Bills 40 Jaguars 37
Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Which QB is the better playmaker? I think this is a debate that we are going to have for some time and this is the first glimpse into who it might be. Drake Maye vs Justin Herbert is the main billing for the QB battle in the AFC playoffs. Maye might win the NFL’s MVP in just his second season. Herbert is a guy that we’ve expected that kind of performance from year after year but he hasn’t really risen to the occasion. On top of an MVP, the Pats might have the Coach of the Year in Mike Vrabel who has resurrected the franchise and has plenty of big playoff wins from his time in Tennessee. However, the first playoff for any QB is tricky. Will Maye fold or rise to the occasion? I think this first go around might be tough for Pats fans. Prediction: Chargers 25 Patriots 21
Houston Texans vs Pittsburgh Steelers
The poor Texans. They had to wait until the final second of Sunday Night Football to know who they were playing. Turns out that Aaron Rodgers still has some magical voodoo left in him as the Ravens missed a would-be game-winning kick as time expired to send Pittsburgh to this postseason. Luckily for Houston, I have no belief in this Steelers team. Their offensive playcalling is a mess. They make head-scratching decisions and seem to have a lot of strife when it happens. T.J. Watt is back on defense which is a huge plus, but I am taking a Texans defensive line that will make life miserable for Rodgers in what might be his final playoff run. Of all the draws, I liked this one the most for any AFC team. Prediction: Texans 30 Steelers 20