NFL Playoff Bracket 2024: Updated Picture, Schedule After ...

NFL wild card weekend is in full swing, and two teams punched their tickets to the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday night.

The Houston Texans opened Saturday's action with a 45-14 win over Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium to secure a berth in the divisional round, and the Kansas City Chiefs followed that up with an 26-7 win over the Miami Dolphins at a subzero Arrowhead Stadium to punch their ticket into the next round.

With two wild card matchups down and four more to go, here's a recap of Saturday's action, a look at the updated playoff picture and a peek into the remaining postseason schedule.

For the first time since the 2019 season, the Texans are into the divisional round following a 45-14 win over the Browns on Saturday.

Houston was dominant en route to securing a berth in the next round as star quarterback C.J. Stroud continued to prove why he's the likely Offensive Rookie of the Year. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

Fellow rookie wide receiver Nico Collins was Stroud's top target as he finished with six catches for 96 yards and one touchdown. Brevin Jordan, Devin Singletary and Dalton Schultz also recorded touchdowns.

One of the biggest moments of the game came in the third quarter when Texans cornerback Steven Nelson intercepted Browns quarterback Joe Flacco for a pick-six. On the following drive, Houston linebacker Christian Harris intercepted Flacco for another pick-six to put the game out of reach for Cleveland.

What Stroud and the Texans have been able to accomplish in his first season has been nothing short of incredible, and now they'll get to compete for a spot in the AFC Championship Game, which is something that was entirely out of the question one year ago.

The Chiefs continued their recent run of playoff success with a 26-7 win over the Dolphins on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium, and the matchup was largely uncompetitive as Kansas City cruised to victory.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 23 of 41 passes for 262 yards and one touchdown in the win, in addition to rushing for 41 yards.

Wide receiver Rashee Rice also had his best game of the year—perhaps proving he can be Mahomes' go-to guy alongside tight end Travis Kelce down the stretch—catching eight passes for 130 yards and one score.

One of the craziest moments of the game came in the third quarter when Mahomes' helmet shattered on a helmet-to-helmet hit by Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott. Luckily the veteran wasn't injured and remained in the game.

The Chiefs will now look to punch their ticket into the AFC Championship Game for the sixth straight season with a win in the divisional round.

As for the Dolphins, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now 1-7 in games played in sub-50 degree weather, which has sparked a discussion about whether he should remain Miami's franchise signal-caller.

The Dolphins have many questions to answer entering 2024 as their high-powered offense failed to produce in a big game, but who will be their starting quarterback moving forward isn't one of them—Tagovailoa is the guy, at least for now.

The Texans and Chiefs will now await their opponents in the AFC Divisional round as the result of Monday's game between the No. 2 Buffalo Bills and No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers will determine the matchups.

In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens secured a first-round bye after finishing the regular season with a 13-4 record. They will face the lowest remaining seed in the AFC after the Wild Card Round, which could end up being the No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers.

There were initially three games scheduled for Sunday's slate, but the NFL moved the Bills versus Steelers matchup at Highmark Stadium to Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET due to a major snow storm in western New York.

Barring an upset by the Steelers, the Texans will likely be on the road to face the Ravens in the divisional round and the Chiefs will travel to face the Bills.

As for the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers secured the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season with a 12-5 record. They will also face the lowest remaining seed in their respective conference, which could be the No. 7 Green Bay Packers.

The Packers will face the No. 2 seed Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium, and it won't be easy for Jordan Love-led Green Bay to come out on top.

The No. 3 Detroit Lions will host the No. 6 Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in what should be an entertaining battle between Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, and the No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, quarterback Baker Mayfield is dealing with ankle and rib injuries and is questionable for the matchup. A banged-up Mayfield trying to secure a win against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles will be a tough task—unless Philadelphia plays as poorly as it did through the final weeks of the regular season.

Wild Card Round

Sunday, Jan. 14

(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Dallas Cowboys: 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox

(6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Detroit Lions: 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC

Monday, Jan. 15

(7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS

(5) Philadelphia Eagles at (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan. 20

Sunday, Jan. 21

Conference Championships

Sunday, Jan. 28

AFC Championship Game: TBD, CBS

NFC Championship Game: TBD, Fox

Super Bowl LVIII

Sunday, Feb. 11

AFC vs. NFC, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS