The 2024 general season is officially in the books, which means the best time of the year has finally arrived: the NFL Playoffs have arrived.
What will happen this year? Will a first favorite make it to the Lombardi Trophy or will a Cinderella story emerge? Which team will spring a surprise in wild card weekend and which players are poised to become household names?
With all that and more in mind, let’s take a look at one player from each game this weekend who has a chance to play the hero.
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Matt Marchese and Donnovan Bennett break down the latest NFL news and break down the biggest games of the season heading into the Tremendous Bowl. Don’t miss The FAN Checkdown, weekdays on Sportsnet Radio Community.
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Joe Alt, extra time, Los Angeles Chargers | @ Houston Texans, Saturday 4:30 pm ET
The Chargers’ selection of Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick last April marked a commitment by then-new head coach Jim Harbaugh to his philosophy of protecting the quarterback and running the football.
While the pick was hotly debated at the time, there’s no doubt it worked: with Alt and fellow deal with Rashawn Slater providing protection, the Chargers’ offense (when healthy) has been one of the most explosive units in the league. league.
If they want that success to continue against a stingy Texans defense, they’ll need the best from Alt. He’ll go up against Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., who have combined for 23 sacks this season. It’s not an easy task, but if he and Slater can continue to provide Herbert with some coverage, the biggest strength of Houston’s defense will be minimized and the Chargers will come out ahead.
Ar’Darius Washington, S, Baltimore Ravens | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday 8:00 pm ET
Early in the season, it was a valid question whether or not the Ravens’ defense would sink them come playoff time. While Lamar Jackson turned in MVP-worthy performances leading one of the league’s best scoring offenses, Baltimore’s defense posted bottom-five numbers against the pass.
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr made some changes, moving safety Kyle Hamilton back to a full-time free safety role, while veteran Marcus Williams was benched directly in Week 11. Coinciding with Williams’ sending to The bench has been the emergence of Ar’Darius Washington, who has played nearly 100 percent of the defensive snaps since then, a turning point for the unit, which has allowed the fewest points and net yards per game of the team. league since Week 11, while also allowing the NFL’s lowest passer rating. 75.5 in the six games during that stretch.
Even if their offense is expected to continue firing, the Ravens are going to need a lot from Washington and company if they want to compete in the AFC Championship for the second straight year.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Payouts | vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday 1:00 pm ET
Quarterback Josh Allen has authored an MVP-worthy season, and he did it largely without a true No. 1 wide receiver: No receiver topped 1,000 receiving yards for the season.
However, Khalil Shakir finally emerged to stake his claim as Allen’s preferred option and led the way with 76 receptions for 821 yards and four touchdowns. Those are relatively modest numbers in today’s NFL, but they point to a trend. Shakir saw 100 targets this season, 25 more than the next closest player (tight end Dalton Kincaid).
With Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, a shutdown defender and potential defensive player of the year, lurking on the other side of the line of scrimmage, Allen and the Payments will have to choose their weapons wisely, and they’ll need every first down they can get. can come out of Shakir.
Zach Allen, DE, Denver Broncos | @ Buffalo Payments, Sunday 1:00 pm Eastern Time
If there is a common truth in football it is this: games are won and lost in the trenches. Enter the Broncos’ front seven, who lead the league in sacks with 63, nine more than any other team. Among the many disruptive pass rushers defensive coordinator Vance Joseph uses is Zach Allen, a high-impact player who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves despite putting up good numbers. A Professional Bowl snub this year, he led all interior defensive linemen with 65 quarterback pressures and had 8.5 sacks to boot.
On the other hand, Buffalo’s offensive line allowed just 14 sacks, eight fewer than any other team. If the Broncos want to knock Payments quarterback and MVP favorite Josh Allen off the pace, they’ll need Allen and the rest of Denver’s pass rush to play in the Professional Bowl.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles | vs. Inexperienced Bay Packers, Sunday 4:30 pm ET
It’s easy to see why the Eagles’ offense has been performing well this season, considering running back Saquon Barkley has gone for over 2,000 yards on the ground. As you can imagine, the club’s passing statistics have taken a step back from previous years, launching almost 100 fewer pass attempts and totaling 640 fewer passing yards than in 2023.
Even with a slightly different offensive approach this season, opposing defenses know they can’t let the Eagles wide receivers run wild, and DeVonta Smith is a big reason for that. Despite (or perhaps because of) the increased focus on the running game, Smith racked up 833 yards and eight touchdowns, including 317 yards and four touchdowns in the month of December alone, which also saw three different quarterbacks throw to him. .
The health of quarterback Jalen Hurts will certainly be a major factor for the Eagles, but no matter who is under center, Smith will need to continue to be a focal point for this offense.
Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday 8:00 pm ET
This season marked the beginning of a lot of change in a short period of time in Washington, which began the year with a new head coach in Dan Quinn, a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and many unknowns.
We learned early on that Daniels is the real deal, and more recently we also learned that he loves to target his tight end in the end zone. After catching just one touchdown in Week 10, Ertz saw an increase in targets down the stretch. He had six landing receptions in the final seven games and finished the year second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and passing touchdowns.
The Commanders finished the season as the third-highest scoring offense in the NFC, behind only the Lions and their wild-card opponents in Tampa Bay. In a game where defense could be optional, Ertz (the team’s oldest offensive player at 34) will have to use that veteran presence and step up once again.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers | vs. Washington Commanders, Sunday 8:00 pm ET
It’s been a year of discovery for the Buccaneers offense. After losing reliable receiver Chris Godwin in Week 7 to a dislocated ankle, quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared to try out a variety of options behind Mike Evans to be his No. 2 target. From rookie running back Bucky Irving to wing closed Cade Otton, the Buccaneers auditioned several players for the role throughout much of the season.
Mayfield may have found his answer in rookie Jalen McMillan. After totaling 13 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown from Weeks 1-12, the third-rounder quickly turned his season around: From Weeks 13-17, he racked up 24 catches for 316 yards and seven touchdowns in his road to the NFC. South title.
McMillan clearly has chemistry with Mayfield, but more importantly, he has the quarterback’s trust. The Buccaneers will need both to continue if they want to reach the Tremendous Bowl.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams | vs. Minnesota Vikings, Monday 8:00 pm ET
If you’ve watched football at any point in the last few years, you’ll know the name Cooper Kupp. After all, he’s been one of the league’s most prolific wide receivers for several seasons as the focal point of the Rams’ offense, including being named Tremendous Bowl LVI MVP to cap a 2021 season in which he led the league in receptions and receiving yards. and receiving touchdowns.
Things have been different this year. Despite his offensive success under head coach Sean McVay, Kupp has managed just 710 yards and six landing receptions in 12 games this season. The final three games of the season (before the starters were rested in Week 18) produced just four total receptions for 53 target yards. If McVay and Co. are going to have success against a solid Vikings defense on Monday night, they’ll need more from Kupp.
