That’s the longest streak of allowing 30 points in NFL postseason history, so it would be historic for that trend to also continue.
Broncos pass rush will sack Josh Allen multiple times The Denver Broncos (10-7) enter the postseason with the NFL’s No.
3 scoring defense (18.3 points per game allowed) on the strength of their pass rush.
However, McConkey will ball out and hit at least 80 receiving yards on Sunday with quarterback Justin Herbert finding him early and often.
Despite facing arguably the best secondary in the NFL, McConkey will have at least 50 receiving yards for a historic 11th consecutive game.
Now that the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend has finally arrived, some of the top players in the league are prepared to face off as the first round of the postseason begins on Saturday, ushering in the year 2025.
This also implies that some unusual things might happen, so here are five audacious predictions for the upcoming thrilling football weekend.
1. In a single postseason, the 2018 draft class will be the first to have four quarterbacks win games.
Along with the classes of 2003, 1999, and 1971, the 2018 NFL Draft class is the fourth in league history to produce four starting quarterbacks in a single postseason. What’s even more amazing is that this has happened for the second consecutive postseason. But in the same postseason, no quarterback in any draft class has ever won a game. During these playoffs, that changes.
Season Four quarterbacks from a single draft class begin in the same postseason draft class.
2024. .
Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.
2018.
2023. .
Mason Rudolph, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen.
2018.
(2005).
Chris Simms, Rex Grossman, Carson Palmer, and Byron Leftwich.
2003. .
2000.
Aaron Brooks, Donovan McNabb, Shaun King, and Daunte Culpepper.
1999.
1982.
Ken Anderson, Lynn Dickey, Joe Theismann, and Jim Plunkett.
In 1971.
A team led by quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is on a roll (winning four straight games) while the Pittsburgh Steelers are on a downward spiral (losing four straight games). Against a Denver Broncos team that barely made the playoffs with rookie quarterback Bo Nix in the final week of the regular season, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen leads an undefeated team at home. In addition to facing a Washington Commanders team that has the third-worst run defense in the NFL (137 points per game allowed), Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield will benefit from the NFL’s fourth-ranked rushing offense (149 points per game), which is led by Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. The Los Angeles Rams, the only team in the postseason this year with a negative point differential (-19) in the regular season, will play Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
The NFL in particular makes it difficult to correctly pick any combination of four teams to win, which is why this prediction is so audacious. All of these factors, though, could combine to create league history.
2. This season, the Ravens will lose to the Steelers by 30 points for the second time in a row.
Nine consecutive games between the Ravens and the Steelers had been decided by a single score. before the Ravens destroyed their AFC North rival in Week 16 by a score of 34-17.
Lamar Jackson, the current NFL MVP, still has trouble with the Steelers overall, despite that win. He has eight total touchdowns to 12 turnovers in six career games against the Steelers, four of which have been losses, and two of his four interceptions this season came against Pittsburgh. Edge rusher T, a Steelers All-Pro. J. . Watt has the second-most career sacks (17.0), behind only former Steelers star James Harrison’s 19.0, against Baltimore.
Therefore, it is audacious to predict that Jackson and the Ravens will thrash Pittsburgh once more and give them a score of 30 points in Saturday night’s wild-card round game. Jackson is having one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, so that’s why it will happen. He starts the postseason with 915 rushing yards, 4,172 passing yards, a 41-4 passing touchdown to interception ratio, and a passer rating of 119 points. This indicates that, according to CBS Sports Research, Jackson had the following firsts at the end of the 2024 regular season.
the first season in which passing yards and rushing yards reached 4,000 and 800, respectively.
the first season in which 800 or more rushing yards and 40 or more passing touchdowns were recorded.
The season that had fewer than five interceptions and 40 or more passing touchdowns.
Remarkably, Pittsburgh has lost all five of their previous playoff games after giving up at least 30 points in each of those contests. It would be historic for that trend to continue as well, as that is the longest run of giving up 30 points in NFL postseason history. As Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Co. destroy the Steelers on Saturday and once more dominate the scoreboard with at least 30 points.
3. . Josh Allen will be repeatedly sacked by the Broncos’ pass rush.
The Denver Broncos (10-7) have the NFL’s No. 1 seed going into the playoffs. Due to their pass rush, they have a three-scoring defense (18 points per game allowed). Edge rushers Nik Bonitto (13 points and five sacks, third most in the NFL) and Jonathan Cooper (10 points and five sacks, tied for 12th most in the NFL) and interior defensive lineman Zach Allen (8 points and five sacks, tied for 22nd in the NFL) led Denver’s defense to an NFL-high and franchise-record 63 sacks.
A Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills offense that gave up just 14 sacks this season—the fewest in the NFL—will be their opponent. According to CBS Sports Research, their Sunday matchup in Buffalo will be the first NFL playoff game ever to feature a defense with 60+ sacks and an offense with fewer than 15 sacks allowed. While Buffalo’s offensive line and Allen locked down to give up just one sack in the final games of the regular season, Denver’s pass rush unleashed 28 sacks in the final seven games of the season. Since Washington did the same in 1991 and won the Super Bowl that season, that is the fewest sacks allowed in a seven-game span (one).
On Sunday, though, Allen will be fired by the Broncos at least twice. Denver has two of the best defensive backs in coverage in the league to go along with their strong pass rush, which is one reason. Another is Allen’s rush after leaving his team’s Week 18 game after recording an official start to maintain his games started streak. Denver safety Brandon Jones has the seventh-best passer rating allowed as the primary defender in coverage this season with 47 points, while Broncos All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II has once again been dominant with a 43-point rating allowed as the primary defender in coverage, which is the third-best in the NFL with at least 50 passes defended.
For the fifth time this season, Allen will be fired multiple times as a result of having to pause a few seconds earlier.
4. For the eleventh consecutive game, McConkey of the Chargers will record 50 yards or more in receiving.
Ladd McConkey, a rookie wide receiver selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Chargers, has had an incredible rookie season, setting squad rookie records for receiving yards (1,149) and receptions (82). According to CBS Sports Research, he is also part of the longest streak by a rookie since at least the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, having recorded at least 50 receiving yards in 10 consecutive games.
50+ receiving yards in consecutive games as a rookie.
2024. .
LAC, or Ladd McConkey.
Ten*.
in 2024.
Nabers Malik (NYG).
10. .
In 2014.
Jr. Odell Beckham. NYG.
Nine.
2004…
Clayton, Michael (TB).
8.
(Since the postseason, including 1970).
* Active streak.
When McConkey plays the Houston Texans, the AFC South champions, on Saturday, it will be difficult for him to continue that run. They had Derek Stingley Jr. as their cornerback. The Nos are Kamari Lassiter (44.6 percent allowed this season) and 42.7 percent permitted this season. This season, among those who have been targeted at least 50 times, they rank first and second in the league in terms of the completion percentage permitted. Calen Bullock, the third-round rookie safety selected by the Texans, leads the NFL rookies in takeaways (six), interceptions (five), and passer rating allowed (31 points, at least 200 snaps).
Nonetheless, quarterback Justin Herbert will find McConkey early and often, allowing him to ball out and record at least 80 receiving yards on Sunday. After 2023 first-round pick wide receiver Quentin Johnston set career highs in both catches (13) and receiving yards (186) in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Herbert’s top target might feel a little less pressure. Even though they are playing against what is arguably the NFL’s best secondary, McConkey will record at least 50 receiving yards for an unprecedented 11th straight game.
5. . Longtime foe Lattimore is defeated by Evans.
Grab some popcorn, because Mike Evans, a wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Marshon Lattimore, a cornerback and longtime rival of Evans, will be facing each other again. For almost ten years when Lattimore was with the Saints, Evans, a five-time Pro Bowler, and Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowler, faced off twice a year. These games frequently resulted in on-field altercations after the whistle.
The football community is fortunate to have another meeting because Lattimore was traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Commanders in the middle of the season. Using Lattimore as his primary defender in coverage, Mr. Tampa Bay has the following stats in 13 games against Evans, per CBS Sports Research.
Out of 31 targets, 16 were received.
Receiving yards per game are 23–8.
three touchdowns on the receiving end.
