Throughout the 2024 season, NFL Network analysts will provide one bold prediction heading into each week's slate of games (see the full NFL Divisional Round schedule).
DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans rose to the occasion to win a wild-card game for the second consecutive postseason. They carry that momentum into Arrowhead Stadium to take on a Chiefs team whose starters haven't played in over three weeks. That extended rest turns into rust, and the Texans take advantage -- ultimately upsetting the No. 1 seed to advance to the franchise's first-ever AFC Championship Game.
Cooper Kupp's production has really dropped off of late. The eighth-year veteran receiver hasn't had five or more catches in a game -- or scored a touchdown -- since the Rams beat the Bills on Dec. 8. He finds the fountain of youth in the Divisional Round by connecting with Matthew Stafford for three touchdowns to spearhead an upset win over Philly.
Jayden Daniels is setting rookie records left and right. Among them, he became the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw for 200-plus yards or two-plus touchdowns in a road playoff win last weekend. He elevates his play again this week in the Divisional Round by accounting for five touchdowns in an upset of the top-seeded Lions.
This season, the Chiefs tied the NFL record for one-score wins (11). The Commanders’ only multi-score loss came in Jayden Daniels’ NFL debut. The Rams’ starters have won six straight and are a major upset threat against Philly. And the battle of the MVP frontrunners -- Josh Allen versus Lamar Jackson -- is a legitimate toss-up. After a blowout-filled Wild Card Weekend with a 15-point average margin of victory, I think the combined margin of victory across all four divisional round games will be fewer than 15 points in total.
The Los Angeles Rams have a star in Jared Verse. He proved as much in last week's wild-card victory over the Vikings when scoring on a fumble recovery he returned for 57 yards, making him the first rookie with a defensive touchdown in a playoff game since J.J. Watt in 2011. He follows that up with another score in the Divisional Round. This time, it's his first career pick-six.
The Commanders will come up just short against the Lions this weekend, but they -- especially Jayden Daniels -- will be impressive enough in defeat that they enter the offseason much like the Texans did a year ago, fairly or not: branded as a team many believe can graduate to title-contender status. That remains to be seen for Washington, but it speaks to the Year 1 progress made with Dan Quinn, Adam Peters, Daniels and a healthily revamped roster.
