The NFL’s Wild Card Weekend for the 2025 season did not disappoint. With tonight’s game between the L.A. Rams and the Minnesota Vikings being all that’s left, next week’s divisional round is pretty much set up. As far as wild cards go, I’d say this year’s run was decent, and there are a couple of talking points worth yapping about. Below will be a surface-level dive into the first round of the playoffs.

AFC:

• Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos: This matchup was a strange one to me. It felt as though it were so close, yet so far away for the Denver Broncos. After Denver’s first drive, and a 40-something-yard dot by Bo Nix to Troy Franklin, I, and likely many others, thought there might have been an upset lurking. Despite that first drive and a decent overall performance by Bo Bo and the horses, they were trounced by King Josh and the Bills. The conclusion of this game begs the question: Is playing in Orchard Park in January impossible this year? I truly thought it was a well-regulated, respectable militia suffering at the might of all the US military could conjure. It was a strange showing to say the least, but the Bills are just that much better right now. Now we all know the AFC runs through Arrowhead, but if the Texans can do the unthinkable this week, I think the Bills are a Super Bowl shoo-in.
• Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers: This game frustrated me for a plethora of reasons. Primarily because I am a Justin Herbert stan, but also because of the completely botched performance by the Chargers as a whole. Now, we all should have seen this coming. Similar to Denver, the Chargers kind of felt like a team that snuck into the playoffs. There were too many woes during the entirety of the regular season to all of a sudden disappear in the playoffs. I mean, one could argue that Will Dissly alone was responsible for a potential 14-point swing in this game. The crucial dropped third-down attempt early in the game inside the Texans’ 10, as well as the butterfingers drop that was corralled directly into Stingley’s hands, returned to the Chargers’ red area. Tacking on Herbo’s bad pick-6, and that’s 21 points right there. I do not believe 32-12 truly resembled the matchup this could have been. However, credit where it’s due, the Texans’ defense was out of this world and super fun to watch. Stroud, too, continued to impress, but that’s no surprise.
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Really not much to report on this one. The regular season continued into the postseason for both of these teams. I do think Russ isn’t getting a fair shake (see one of our most recent posts on X about this for more detail), and the only exciting thing that came from this game, in my opinion, is the drama that’s now surrounding Mike Tomlin’s future in Pittsburgh. For any further questions, please reach out to Jojo from the “Two and A Half Virgins.” That avid Steelers fan would love to elaborate more on the topic.

NFC:

• Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers: Also a boring story in my opinion, the Green Bay Packers absolutely flopped in Philadelphia. Plagued with injuries and miscues, the Packers’ offense needed to be close to perfect to get through the stout Eagles defense, and this wasn’t even close to the case. What will be interesting to see is how the Eagles’ offense performs against LA or Minnesota. Two fast defenses that will be able to closely mimic how the Packers handle Hurts and company. It makes me wonder if Philly is poised for a shootout. I am a Philly doubter, though; have been for a few years, so take what I have to say on them with a grain of salt.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Commanders: Now this was my favorite of all the weekend matchups. This game did not disappoint, and Jayden Daniels is such good TV. I sort of feel like Baker lost the game with that botched handoff in the 4th quarter, but the Commanders were the better team and deserved to win. I can’t say enough about Daniels, too. Do I think Kliff Kingsbury is responsible for a huge portion of his success by drawing up easy-to-digest offensive schemes? Absolutely. Do I think that Washington needs to do everything in their power to keep him this offseason? Yes. Does any of that matter when your rookie quarterback is an athletic specimen, throws a majestic deep ball, has literal ice in his veins, and was 12-5 in the regular season and just won a playoff game? Not in the slightest. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a sophomore slump for Daniels, and that’s okay. You’ve got to be so excited as a Commanders fan.

Impact on the Playoff Picture:

• AFC: The Chiefs, of course, were happily sitting on the sideline this week, with a bout against the red-hot Texans coming up. I will never again bet against Reid and Mahomes in Arrowhead, so there’s my take. Though if Stroud can do enough, and that Texans’ defense can show up like they did against LA, then maybe Prometheus could steal the fire from the gods. I am not getting my hopes up, though. The Ravens vs. Bills game is probably the one that everyone has circled on their calendar. I hope this game lives up to its potential, because it could be absolutely stellar. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have their plates full going up to Highmark, and they have a chance to shut the playoff doubters right up.
• NFC: Lions vs. Commanders could be interesting. I don’t think Jayden Daniels has enough stardust in his magic pouch for an upset of this size, though. The Lions are just too hungry this year, and I get the feeling that despite the obvious strategic benefits of having the No. 1 seed, Dan Campbell’s dogs would have loved to beat someone up this past weekend. The Eagles will face off against LA or Minnesota, and I think either team could make for a phenomenal game. Honestly, if the Rams end up beating the Vikings, I’m taking them to beat the Eagles, too. But if the Vikings win, I think Darnold’s amazing run ends in Philadelphia.

Overall, I think that the Wild Card round did its job and kept our palates satiated before the real fun begins. One more toast tonight, and then it’s off to the races to Super Bowl LIX. The Two and A Half Virgins will be doing their best to cover the rest of this NFL postseason, so stick with us!

-Tyler S @twoandahalfvirgins