NFL is down to its elite eight. Everything you need to know for the divisional playoffs.
Jim Reineking
Welcome to what many consider the best weekend of the NFL season.
The divisional playoffs have featured some of the most epic games in league history: The Minneapolis Miracle, the Tuck Rule game, the Fog Bowl, the Epic in Miami, Red Right 88, Ghost to the Post, the Cowboys' Hail Mary game and the Immaculate Reception.
Fans can only hope one of this weekend's games can be in that pantheon of those classics.
The fun starts at legendary Lambeau Field on Saturday, where chilly temperatures and a chance of snow greet the team from Los Angeles. Later, the Buffalo Bills will attempt to halt what is quite possibly the playoff's hottest team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Coming off their first playoff win in 26 years, the Cleveland Browns' next playoff assignment is the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. No biggie, right?
The weekend climaxes with its most-anticipated matchup: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints. Of course, all eyes will be on the quarterback matchup featuring two future Hall of Famers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Brady is vying to play in his 10th Super Bowl, and make the Buccaneers the first team to play the Super Bowl in its home stadium.
Here are the games, so plan your weekend accordingly:
Saturday
- Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers, 4:35 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday
- Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 3:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 6:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
Divisional playoffs: Picks and analysis
- Divisional round picks: Which teams will win this weekend and reach the conference championship games? Our staff makes their picks.
- Lorenzo's Locks: USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes has the best bets for the divisional playoffs. Will Rams-Packers be a tight contest? Can the Saints defeat the Bucs for a third time?
- Which non-QB will make the biggest impact? From Tyreek Hill to Stefon Diggs to Jalen Ramsey to Travce Kelce, these players could make the difference this weekend.
- 22 players who may play final game with current team: Drew Brees isn't the only one on divisional playoff teams who could soon be on the move.
- 10 good reasons the Browns can knock off the Chiefs: Is Cleveland capable of another shocker against Kansas City?
- Remembering when Mahomes and Mayfield had an epic shootout: On the magical evening of Oct. 22, 2016, Baker Mayfield out-dueled Patrick Mahomes in a record-shattering night of football in Lubbock, Texas.
- Packers must keep Aaron Donald from disrupting offense: The Packers have the NFL’s top-scoring offense and likely MVP in Aaron Rodgers, but they’ll be facing the league leader in fewest points allowed.
- Bills contained Lamar Jackson once. Can they do it again? During his 2019 MVP season, Lamar Jackson played one of his least impressive games against the Bills.
NFL teams get busy hiring coaches
Jaguars hire Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer -- who has won three college football national championships -- has been hired to be the sixth head coach in Jacksonville Jaguars history.
- What it will take for Meyer to succeed as Jags coach: Jarrett Bell points out three swing factors that could make a difference in Meyer thriving in the NFL.
- Jaguars go from buzz-kill to buzz-thrill: With Meyer now on board, and presumably picking Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 in the 2021 NFL draft, the Jaguars are on the path to instant relevancy.
- Social media reaction to Meyer hiring: Football fans on Twitter were a little skeptical of the Jaguars' hiring of Meyer.
- Desperate Jaguars undeterred by Meyer's controversial legacy: Meyer's complicated story means it's not possible to compartmentalize and think only about football when it comes to the coach.
- Falcons offer head coaching job to Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith: The Falcons went 4-12 this season and fired coach Dan Quinn after an 0-5 start.
Jets hire Robert Saleh
The Jets landed one of the most-sought after head coaching candidates, hiring Robert Saleh, who had been the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator the previous four seasons.
2021 NFL draft: Mocks and more
- DeVonta Smith's draft outlook: The Heisman Trophy winner had a record-setting CFP title game, but Nate Davis warns to tap the brakes on the Alabama receiver's draft hype.
- Latest mock draft: See where DeVonta Smith and other prospects are projected to be selected.
- Underclassmen for 2021 draft: Here are the players who have announced their intentions to leave college early for the NFL.
- First-round draft order: Picks Nos. 1-24 are set after results of Super Wild Card Weekend.
NFL Facebook group: Join now!
Football season is here! And, if you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Sign up now!
