Play-offs begin, London teams named - 5 NFL storylines

We are under a month away from the Super Bowl in New Orleans. The NFL play-offs have arrived.

Over the next three weeks, 12 games will take place to determine which two teams will face each other for the Lombardi trophy on 9 February.

The Wild Card round of the NFL play-offs gets underway on Saturday evening with the visit of the Los Angeles Chargers to the Houston Texans (9.30pm Irish time)

Here's five things to look out for this weekend.

Can Pittsburgh steel a march on the Ravens?

After ten wins and strong outings in October and November, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost their last four games. This weekend, they go into Baltimore to face a Ravens team who have won four games in a row - and the AFC North championship for a second year in succession.

Pittsburgh need to improve on their offensive play. A potent Steelers defence limited the CIncinnati Bengals to only 19 points last weekend. While Russell Wilson has a record of three wins and one loss in Wild Card weekend matches, he will need to ensure that there is an added focus on the attacking front. The Steelers averaged 2.7 yards per play on offence and will need to not only run the ball, but feed their offensive players.

For the Ravens, Quarterback Lamar Jackson is on the cusp of an MVP (Most Valuable Player) season - he leads the league in passer rating, yards per attempt and he is second in yards per completion. Couple that with a phenom in Derrick Henry at running back and the Ravens pose a serious threat every time they get on the field.

This is an intriguing game. The Steelers defence and special teams will be crucial if they are to go on the road and get the win.

London (and Dublin?) bound

The NFL announced the designated home teams for the 2025 slate of games in London on Friday. As usual, the Jacksonville Jaguars will play a game in Wembley Stadium - continuing on a tradition which started in 2013.

The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets will both play as the designated home teams in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year. It will remain to be seen if quarterbacks Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers will be part of either team.

"We look forward to welcoming the Jets, Browns and Jaguars to London as part of the 2025 NFL International Games," said NFL UK and Ireland general manager Henry Hodgson.

"This season will see us surpass 40 regular season games in the capital, a testament to the role the UK has played in growing the game globally."

RTÉ Sport sources suggest that an NFL game in Dublin for 2025 could be announced over the next month, dependent on the formation of the next government.

Broncos return to play-offs

It’s the first play-off game for the Denver Broncos since Super Bowl 50 in February 2016 - and it has taken the Broncos eight years to find a replacement quarterback after Peyton Manning retired on top.

They have found their man in Bo Nix (above). This weekend, he has the opportunity to be the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw multiple touchdown passes in five straight away games, including the play-offs.

The former Oregon quarterback has been hugely impressive in recent weeks. He finished the season inside the top six for passing touchdowns.

That is something else.

That being said, it doesn’t get more difficult than a road game at the Buffalo Bills in the play-offs. Quarterback Josh Allen has shown through the years that he can be a formidable force when it comes to the postseason - he has only four interceptions in ten play-off games in his career.

Allen has shown throughout his career that he is not afraid to run when he needs to. He has 563 rushing yards in the play-offs to date, with five rushing touchdowns. The Broncos will need to have a plan to shut down Allen from the start on Sunday.

Best of the rest

The NFL moved the Los Angeles Rams - Minnesota Vikings game (Tuesday 1am) away from Los Angeles to Glendale, Arizona on Thursday night, due to the continuing wildfires in the city.

Minnesota entering the play-offs with 14 wins on the road is almost unheard of - and if they lose, they are eliminated after a stellar season. There is a situation where the winner of this game may have to face the number one seed in the NFC, the Detroit Lions.

The Houston Texans - Los Angeles Chargers game (Saturday 9.30pm) is intriguing. While Texans quarterback CJ Stroud has not emulated his form from last year, a home game in the first round of the play-offs could provide the impetus as Houston go up against Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers - a team that has underperformed in the Wild Card round in recent years.

Irishman Dan Whelan’s Green Bay Packers head to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday evening (9.30pm Irish time). The Packers lost the last two games of the season, with a notable defeat against the Chicago Bears at home last weekend.

The Eagles expect to welcome back quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has been out of action in the final weeks of the season. Hurts has five interceptions on the season, with two coming against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil in the first game of the season.

Finally, the Washington Commanders head to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers (1am Monday). It has been a season of redemption for Washington, who seem to have struck gold with the drafting of rookie quarterback Jalen Daniels. While the performance levels have not been as high in the final weeks, the Commanders pose a serious threat in the postseason.

Baker Mayfield has had a season to remember in Tampa Bay. He finished the regular season with 41 passing touchdowns - the only other quarterback for the Buccaneers who has exceeded this number?

Tom Brady.

That’s pretty good company. Sunday night will be electric.

Here come the Irish

IRISH WIN THE 2025 ORANGE BOWL#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/Ift6USdLUX — Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 10, 2025

Notre Dame advanced to the College Football National Championship game on Thursday night with a 27-24 win over Penn State. The Fighting Irish last played in Dublin in August 2023 and will face either Ohio State or Texas on 20 January in the decider.

This matchup will be finalised on Friday night.

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