Wild-card Sunday presents three distinct tests, each aimed at a different pressure point.
The second slate of games promises to bring some intriguing matchups with a few teams looking to exorcise their post-season demons.
Two top quarterback talents kick things off with pressure to help their teams take the next step. In the NFC matchup, a rivalry is renewed, and an emerging MVP candidate looks to show he's ready for the big stage against a team that has a messy playoff history.
Here's a look at Wild Card Sunday in the NFL.
No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers @ No. 2 New England Patriots | Sunday 8:15 p.m. ET
The final game of Wild-card Sunday brings together two franchises at transitional moments, as the Chargers visit the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night.
Head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel are meeting for the first time in the postseason — two former NFL players navigating successful second stints on the sideline.
For Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert, Sunday represents an opportunity to rewrite a painful playoff narrative. Herbert enters this game carrying the weight of consecutive playoff disappointments, including last year’s blowout loss to Houston and a collapse against Jacksonville in which the Chargers squandered a 27–0 lead.
On the other sideline, quarterback Drake Maye makes his playoff debut after a breakout season that has placed him squarely in the MVP conversation.
One key question for the Patriots: Is Maye ready for the big stage?
Sunday night marks a defining moment for Drake Maye as he gets set for his playoff debut in the spotlight of prime time at Gillette Stadium.
Maye’s regular season signals a quarterback ready to take over the mantle in New England, but playoff football magnifies mistakes in ways no regular-season start can replicate.
Vrabel has added to those stakes by making it clear that just making the playoffs is not enough for his team.
“We’re not here just to get here,” Vrabel told reporters. “We have to be able to host games and compete for championships. There’s not going to be any consolation prize for anybody. We understand what we have to do.”
Fortunately for Maye, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is no stranger to the challenges that come in the playoffs and will have his quarterback ready.
Maye was able to limit turnovers this season with just 11 allowed all season, and he has no shortage of options to rely on, especially a strong running back duo in Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
The Chargers won't make it easy to score in the endzone, recording more interceptions than passing touchdowns allowed.
One key question for the Chargers: Will playoff past continue to haunt them?
The Chargers enter the post-season with a well-documented history of disappointment, with their last playoff win dating back to the 2018 season.
No one on the Chargers carries the weight of the team's inability to find post-season success than quarterback Justin Herbert, who is 0-2 in the playoffs through his first five seasons.
The Patriots will want to keep Herbert operating in the pocket and pressured to throw the ball quickly. Herbert led the league in outside-the-pocket touchdown passes this year with nine, according to Sports Info Solutions. He's also proven to be among the top rushing quarterbacks, finishing second in rushing yards with 498 while averaging fourth with 6.0 yards per carry, fourth among quarterbacks with at least 25 carries.
The tough assignment for the Chargers is their offensive line against the Patriots. According to PFF, Los Angeles' pass blocking and run blocking grades ranked at the bottom. Herbert was sacked 54 times in 2025, which was third-most in the NFL, so it won't be an easy assignment for the Chargers quarterback.
If the Chargers offence struggles early on, their defence will have to step up like it did during the regular season, finishing in the top 10 in sacks and is PFF's seventh-ranked secondary.
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