Somehow, at some point very recently, the NFL decided that the opening round of the playoffs was to be called the Wild Card Weekend. This was a startling change. You see, in recent years the NFL has tried to force the round in question as the Super Wild Card Weekend and has done so in a (clearly) failing effort.

Football analyst Emmanuel Acho continues his criticism of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert after loss to the Houston Texans.

The opening Saturday of the NFL playoffs' wild-card round wasn't heavy on drama, but there's still significant fallout from the day of action.

The Chargers and Broncos joined the Chiefs in this year's playoffs. But early exits show they're not as close to knocking off Kansas City as they may have thought.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) celebrates with head coach Jim ... coach Jim Harbaugh during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) Los ...

Wild Card weekend continues when the Buffalo Bills face the Denver Broncos on Sunday, followed by the Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers; watch a

Making it to the Super Bowl is a once-in-a-lifetime event for many players around the NFL. It takes years of honing your craft and just the right combination of circumstances to make it to the big game.

The Houston Texans are coming off the defensive performance of the season against the Chargers in the wild-card round. They'll need a repeat vs. the Chiefs.

Mike Florio and Chris Simms evaluate if Justin Herbert was put in a position to succeed this season and if the criticism is justified.

The Broncos were able to break their playoff drought, but what's next? Can they get back to the postseason in 2025, and how can they improve this offseason?

For the losers, they enter an offseason where they were close, but not close enough to make it further. This memoriam will be a look back at how each team performed in their game, and where they go from here, adding the loser of Minnesota Vikings - Los Angeles Rams here after the game goes final.

The wild-card round kicks off this weekend with six games. The NFC (Detroit Lions) and AFC (Kansas City Chiefs) leaders both have byes while the No. 2 through 7 seeds begin what they hope are paths to the Super Bowl.