January 09, 2026
Scott Kinser/Imagn Images
Bryce Young and the Panthers beat the Rams late in November. The NFC's playoff participants will hope that happens again on Saturday.
Each week we'll lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the NFL schedule for those of you on the fence while watching the other action around the league. We'll continue on into the playoffs.
There are three NFC matchups in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs:
• (5) Rams at (4) Panthers: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. EST
• (7) Packers at (2) Bears: Saturday, 8:00 p.m. EST
• (6) 49ers at (3) Eagles: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EST
By the time the Eagles play on Sunday, they will already know who their Divisional Round opponent will be, should they go on to beat the 49ers.
The Eagles have three possible Divisional Round opponents: The Rams, Panthers, and Bears. They cannot play the 7-seed Packers, who would face the 1-seed Seahawks if they advance.
The ranking of ideal Divisional Round opponents, from most ideal to least ideal:
1) Panthers (in Philly): The Panthers finished 8-9, and are only in the playoffs because they play in an atrocious division.
2) Bears (in Chicago): The Bears have talent, but they are inexperienced up-and-comers, and quarterbacks playing in their first playoff tourney rarely make deep runs.
3) Rams (in Philly): The Rams are clearly the most complete team of the three.
There's maybe an argument that playing the Rams in Philly is more ideal than playing the Bears in Chicago. Personally, I don't see it that way, as there is a significant gap in talent between the two teams. But I do understand the appeal of a home playoff game.
OK, so... what are the ideal outcomes of each game?
• (5) Rams at (4) Panthers: The Rams are double-digit favorites in this game. A Panthers win should be embraced by every other team in the playoffs, in both conferences. And from the Eagles' perspective, a Divisional Round matchup against Carolina would be a gift from the football gods.
• (7) Packers at (2) Bears: The ideal late Saturday game winner is dependent on the Rams-Panthers winner.
If the Rams win:
• Rams + Packers win = Eagles play the Rams
• Rams + Bears win = Eagles play the Bears
In that event you'd root for the Bears, at least if you agree that playing the Bears in Chicago would be easier than playing the Rams at home.
If the Panthers win:
• Panthers + Packers win = Eagles play the Panthers
• Panthers + Bears win = Eagles play the Bears
A Packers win would be more ideal in this scenario.
The three AFC games:
• (6) Bills at (3) Jaguars, Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EST
• (7) Chargers at (2) Patriots, Sunday, 8:00 p.m. EST
• (5) Texans at (4) Steelers, Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST
Last year it felt like the Bills and Chiefs were pretty clearly the two best teams. And maybe you'd put the Ravens as a close third. This year, there isn't a single one team that stands out to me as a clear favorite. I do think that the Chargers and Steelers are both behind the other five teams, so if one of them somehow emerged as AFC champs they'd be an ideal Super Bowl opponent.
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