The Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills all progressed from the Wild Card round of the playoffs

The NFL Playoffs are here with the first round firmly in the books.

The wild card round made for little surprises, although the Washington Commanders left Florida with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the unfavored Los Angeles Rams eliminated the 14-win Minnesota Vikings. Given the stakes at this stage of the season, every great play and error is placed under the microscope and either celebrated or ridiculed.

Rams head coach Sean McVay will be thrilled after guiding his team past his apprentice Kevin O’Connell, while both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry were sensational as the Baltimore Ravens ran all over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it’s going to be a long offseason for Justin Herbert and Jordan Love, who both surely want a do-over.

Wild Card winners

Jayden Daniels: All season long, Daniels – the No. 2 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft – has proved he is the standout quarterback of a loaded class. The Washington Commanders rookie has wasted no time in collecting his first playoff win thanks to a 268-yard and two-touchdown performance at Raymond James Stadium, and Daniels has almost single-handedly turned around the fortunes of a franchise that hadn’t tasted a playoff win since 2005.

Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders were too good for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( 
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Getty Images)
Jim Murphy: Who knew A.J. Brown could be such a good promoter? The wide receiver did perhaps the most wide receiver thing possible in reading Murphy’s ‘Inner Excellence’ on the bench amid just a single 10-yard reception in the win over the Packers. Murphy’s book sat 523,497th on Amazon’s standings before the game, but rocketed over 52 million percent to land at No. 1. Maybe Brown has discovered a post-career calling.

Lamar Jackson’s mom: Since Jackson’s mom, Felicia Jones, told her son to run more, the Ravens are 5-0 – and the two-time MVP’s legs destroyed the Steelers as part of a devastatingly unstoppable tandem with Derrick Henry. He rushed a season-high 15 times for 81 yards, while the threat of his ability allowed Henry to go for 186 yards and two scores. Jackson and Ravens fans better get Jones something nice come Mother’s Day.

Wild Card losers

Sam Darnold’s agent: Oh man, Darnold’s performance against the Rams was bad for several reasons. His Vikings are out of the playoffs despite an incredible season in which Darnold rehabilitated his image, but also the former No. 3 overall pick will surely now miss out on millions of dollars. While Darnold will still have a market in the offseason, even a solid performance in a loss would have secured a blockbuster contract. He looked lost at times and did nothing to dispel views that he struggles in the biggest spots.

Justin Herbert: One of the most divisive quarterbacks in the league, Herbert is something of a media darling due to his natural ability and physical gifts. But his record, particularly in the postseason, is cause for concern. Having enjoyed a season only comparable in efficiency to Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, Herbert threw four brutal interceptions as the Chargers lost on the road to the Texans. Herbert is a great quarterback and undoubtedly the future of the Chargers under Harbaugh, but he is in for a long, long offseason.

Mike Tomlin: Is Tomlin’s time up in Pittsburgh? There’s no doubt that Tomlin is a great and incredibly revered coach in the NFL thanks to his remarkable consistency that secures winning seasons despite questionable talent. But the Steelers are without a postseason win since 2016 when they defeated Matt Moore’s Dolphins and Alex Smith’s Chiefs. Not good enough.

Sam Darnold’s chances of landing a lucrative NFL contract have suffered a blow ( 
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Getty Images)

Quarterback ratings for Wild Card Weekend

C.J. Stroud: 7/10 – Stroud did enough against the Chargers, throwing for 282 yards and a touchdown while bouncing back from a horrible interception in the second quarter.

Justin Herbert: 3/10 – A day to forget for Herbert, who threw more interceptions on Saturday than he had done all season to do little to convince those who believe he underperforms in the postseason.

Lamar Jackson: 9/10 – An MVP-level performance from the most dynamic and exciting player in football, posting an efficient 175 yards passing with two touchdowns in the dominant win over the Steelers, the Ravens’ AFC North rivals.

Russell Wilson: 6/10 – With 270 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-29 passing, Wilson’s stats look impressive but Russ only started to cook when the game was already over.

Josh Allen: 8/10 – Allen endured a slow start to the win over the Broncos, but he was efficient and deadly from deep to continue his string of incredible playoff performances.

Bo Nix: 6/10 – The rookie started well with a stunning 43-yard touchdown strike on the opening drive, but he failed to keep the offense ticking after that.

Jalen Hurts: 7/10 – Like Stroud, Hurts did enough, leaning on Saquon Barkley to power the Eagles offense – but concerns linger regarding the sustainability of the putrid passing attack.

Jordan Love: 4/10 – Love entered the game with concern over the health of his elbow and he struggled, throwing three interceptions to hurt an injury-ravaged Packers offense.

Jayden Daniels: 8.5/10 – The Offensive Rookie of the Year delivered in style on his postseason debut, throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns while piloting an offense that neither punted nor turned the ball over in a road playoff win.

Baker Mayfield: 7/10 – The fumble stings, but Mayfield’s maturity and ability were on full display with an accurate outing to the tune of 185 yards and two touchdowns.

Matthew Stafford: 7.5/10 – Facing an opportunistic Vikings defense, Stafford displayed remarkable poise in putting up 209 yards and a pair of scores – but he was lucky to not fumble on the game’s controversial play.

Sam Darnold: 3.5/10 – Darnold followed up his horror outing in Detroit with a shocker in Arizona, holding onto the ball for far too long as he was sacked a playoff-record nine times.