NFL wild card overreactions: Josh Allen is the largest X issue of playoffs

Wild Card Weekend actually emphasised the wild facet of the opening spherical of the NFL playoffs. Saturday’s doubleheader noticed each contests come all the way down to the wire, capping off with the Chicago Bears rallying from a double-digit deficit to take down the Inexperienced Bay Packers. In the meantime, the Los Angeles Rams fended off an upset on the highway by the hands of the Carolina Panthers within the earlier window. 

Earlier than we may even catch our breath, Sunday’s motion carried the baton and continued to boost everybody’s collective blood strain. The tripleheader began in Jacksonville, the place Josh Allen was in a position to will the Buffalo Payments to a highway win over the Jaguars, scoring a landing within the last minute. That gave the franchise its first highway playoff win because the 1992 AFC Championship. Then, San Francisco stormed into Philly and took down the defending champion Eagles due to a 13-point fourth quarter. To conclude Sunday’s motion, the Patriots’ protection threw the Chargers’ offense in a locker in a 16-3 New England victory: Los Angeles’ three factors scored and 207 complete yards of offense are each the franchise’s playoff worsts since 1992. 

Is that sufficient drama for you? Properly, we have now much more on deck together with Monday’s showdown between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

With the mud beginning to choose Wild Card Weekend, how can we make sense of all of the insanity that simply unfolded? Which storylines are concrete and that are mere overreactions? Under, we’ll dissect a few of the largest gadgets from Day 2 of Wild Card Weekend and decide which storylines are legit and that are overblown. 

To take a look at our overreactions for Day 1 of Wild Card Weekend, together with potential fallout in Inexperienced Bay after its loss to Chicago.

Josh Allen is the largest X issue within the playoffs

Overreactions vs. actuality: Actuality

The defending NFL MVP stays the nice equalizer of those playoffs. For probably the most half, the Jaguars had Buffalo within the crosshairs, and it felt like they have been in a powerful place to drag off the win and advance. So, what occurred? Josh Allen placed on the Superman cape. No matter Buffalo wanted down the stretch, Allen was in a position to ship, which included a game-altering QB sneak on fourth-and-1 to arrange what could be the game-winning landing (one other rush by Allen). 

Within the fourth quarter, Allen led two landing drives whereas finishing 9 of his 11 passes for 103 yards and a landing, whereas including 21 yards speeding and another rating on the bottom. There aren’t many (if any) quarterbacks remaining within the playoffs able to pulling off these kinds of heroics, which makes Buffalo harmful whilst a wild card staff. The Payments have the perfect quarterback within the playoffs, and that is perhaps sufficient to get them over the hump. 

Jaguars’ loss proves they have been idiot’s gold

Overreactions vs. actuality: Overreaction

The lights could have been a bit of too brilliant for the Jaguars down the stretch of their playoff showdown with the Payments, significantly relating to Trevor Lawrence. After a white-hot finish to the common season (19 complete touchdowns and one turnover over the ultimate six video games), Jacksonville’s quarterback had two interceptions within the playoff loss, together with a season-ending turnover within the last seconds of the sport because the Jaguars tried to march down the sphere in hopes of both tying or taking the late lead. Lawrence accomplished simply 18 of his 30 go makes an attempt (60%) for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and people two picks. 

Whereas that wasn’t probably the most pristine outing for Lawrence and the Jags, it doesn’t suggest that what they achieved in 2025 was hole. You may make the case that they merely bumped into an immovable object — Josh Allen. Jacksonville was a sleeper candidate by many to go deep these playoffs, so seeing the Jaguars go one-and-done is a disappointing end result. That mentioned, this was a tremendously profitable season in Duval County. In his first yr on the job, Liam Coen led the Jaguars to a 13-win season, which is tied for the third-most wins by a rookie coach in NFL historical past. Jacksonville was additionally simply the third staff in league historical past to win 13 video games after a 13-loss season.  

Extra importantly, Coen did appear to get the perfect out of Lawrence, and that is a large improvement, as he ought to solely enhance heading into his second season within the system. The common season success is there, and now it is time to work on the following stage of improvement, which is to translate that into the postseason. 

Accidents will stop 49ers from reaching Tremendous Bowl

Overreactions vs. actuality: Overreaction

There isn’t any denying that the San Francisco 49ers have been hit laborious by accidents. They have been among the many most injured groups in the complete league and have misplaced foundational items all year long, together with tight finish George Kittle, who suffered an Achilles harm throughout Sunday’s playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a fast rundown of the notable names they have been lacking this season. 

If you check out that group of gamers, you’d suppose that San Francisco’s ceiling must be lowered, proper? Properly, even once we suppose that the following harm would be the one which breaks the camel’s again, the 49ers proceed to place collectively wins and have now superior to the divisional spherical after taking down the defending champs. 

They’ve proven sufficient perseverance that it is laborious to place a cap on what they’ll accomplish, particularly after they have a few of the finest teaching that the NFL has to supply. Kyle Shanahan masterfully pulled the strings of the offense, deploying a Jauan Jennings trick-play landing go on the precise proper second. 

In the meantime, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh placed on a masterclass, shutting down the Eagles offense. With that form of mind belief, they should not be counted out, regardless of having a hand tied behind their again attributable to harm. 

A.J. Brown would be the topic of commerce rumors this offseason

Overreactions vs. actuality: Actuality

One thing wants to provide within the A.J. Brown saga with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a biggest hits album throughout Sunday’s loss to the 49ers because the wideout was going viral for all of the mistaken causes. Within the first half, Brown dropped a third-down go from Jalen Hurts, which then sparked a sideline altercation with coach Nick Sirianni, and the 2 wanted to be separated. 

Whereas Sirianni brushed it off when chatting with Fox Sports activities sideline reporter Erin Andrews, it is the newest chapter in an extended record of turmoil for the wideout. In a while, as Philly tried to retake the lead, Brown additionally had a fairly unhealthy drop on a go he ought to’ve hauled in. The Eagles have been in a position to convert on the next play, however Brown did not precisely shine when appeared upon, and completed with simply three catches for 25 yards on seven targets (tied for the second-most on the staff) within the loss. 

Brown has been the topic of commerce rumors up to now, and it is honest to marvel if that’ll persist this offseason. Modifications will have to be made to this Eagles offense because it retools for 2026, and it might embrace a shakeup within the receiver room with an exploration of a Brown commerce.

Patriots’ go rush rivals Denver Broncos’ for finest within the NFL 

Overreactions vs. actuality: Overreaction

New England hit Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert 11 instances and sacked him six instances of their 16-3 win on Sunday evening. How uncommon was that pass-rush efficiency? Out of 272 regular-season video games in 2025, simply 12 of them (4.4%), concerned defenses hitting and sacking the opposing quarterback as a lot because the Patriots did to Herbert within the wild card spherical.

Nevertheless, that does not imply their go rush is now on the extent of the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Denver Broncos. Denver’s franchise-record 68 sacks have been tied for the fifth-most in a season by any staff, and it is the Broncos’ second season in a row with 60-plus sacks as a staff. The Patriots amassed simply 35 sacks within the common season, tied for the seventh-fewest within the league together with the Micah Parsons-less Dallas Cowboys amongst different groups. 

New England benefitted drastically from going through the worst offensive line in soccer within the Rashawn Slater-less and Joe Alt-less Chargers’ unit. The diploma of problem for the Patriots’ go rush will enhance exponentially upon going through both the Houston Texans (35.2% quarterback strain price allowed, Twelfth-best within the NFL) or the Pittsburgh Steelers (25% quarterback strain price allowed, finest within the NFL) within the divisional spherical. 

The Chargers are in peril of losing Justin Herbert’s profession

Overreactions vs. actuality: Actuality

Due to the Chargers’ battering supporting solid alongside the offensive line and at working again with Omarion Hampton (ankle) having the ability to play simply two performs on Sunday, Los Angeles is beginning to enter the hazard zone of losing Justin Herbert’s skills. 

Herbert was pressured on 42.8% of his dropbacks within the 2025 common season, the best price within the NFL this season. Dropping each beginning offensive tackles in Slater (torn patellar tendon) and Alt (ankle) tanked his go safety, however Herbert nonetheless prevailed to play like a prime 10 QB this season in main Los Angeles to 11 wins. There aren’t many quarterbacks who may have carried out the identical in his offensive ecosystem. 

Herbert is now 0-3 within the postseason regardless of him throwing for the second-most passing yards in a participant’s first six seasons in NFL historical past with 24,820. Solely Corridor of Famer Peyton Manning’s passing yards complete of 24,885 in his first six seasons is larger than Herbert’s complete. 

His 24,820 yards passing now additionally ranks because the second-most in a six-season span with no playoff win in NFL historical past trailing solely Matthew Stafford’s 27,501 he threw from 2011 to 2016 with the Detroit Lions. Stafford finally waved the white flag and demanded a commerce off of the Lions, and he received a Tremendous Bowl in his first season in a brand new setting. The Chargers are inching nearer and nearer to being Herbert’s Lions after one other season was doomed by a lackluster supporting solid on the sphere and at offensive coordinator with Greg Roman calling the performs.