There are two Wild Card NFL games on Saturday. There will be three games on Sunday, with one on Monday. Saturday’s action is an AFC special, with four teams from that conference facing off. Let’s break down how you can watch each game and provide a small preview of what fans can expect.
NFL Games Today: How to Watch Chargers vs. Texans
- Game: Chargers (11-6) at Texans (10-7)
- When: 4:30 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+; Hulu; Fubo
- Announcers: Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Charles Davis (analyst) and Evan Washburn (sideline)
- Where: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas
The Los Angeles Chargers travel to the Houston Texans for a 4:30 p.m. game on CBS.
Week 18 was weird for Justin Herbert. A wide split in his individual statistics meant that he finished with a C+ grade in Pro Football Network’s Quarterback+ metric. He was fourth in overall EPA/DB (0.49), third from a clean pocket (0.74 EPA/DB), and third in nYPA (9.3).
Herbert finished with a 77.8% completion rate for 346 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, he had a -1.08 EPA/DB when pressured and converted on just 28.6% of his third down efforts.
Ultimately, it made no difference in Week 18, but it does perhaps emphasize some concerns from the season as a whole. Herbert ranks 16th in EPA/DB when under pressure (-0.29) and is 22nd in the third-down conversion rate (36.8%).
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Herbert’s season-long numbers are mostly underwhelming for a player of his natural talent. He’s not in the top 10 in many statistics, ranking second in TD/INT rate (7.7), having thrown just three interceptions. Herbert ranks 11th in nYPA (7.2) and 12th in overall EPA/DB (0.10) and crept just into the top 10 when operating from a clean pocket (0.3 EPA/DB).
He ranks fourth in the last four weeks and may well be peaking just in time for the playoffs. Two of his four B- or better performances came in the last four weeks, and three of his eight games graded as a C+ or better fell in that timespan.
DeMeco Ryans said he wanted his starters to play in Week 18 as they looked to overcome some poor performances in recent weeks. Given they hadn’t played since Christmas Day, it made sense to get a few reps ahead of the playoffs.
C.J. Stroud responded, going 6 for 6 for 50 yards and a touchdown. It won’t have impacted his season-long QB+ numbers too much, but it does hopefully get him rolling going into the postseason.
Stroud has played 12 straight qualifying games without grading above a C. Over the last four weeks, he’s ranked 28th, with the Houston Texans largely having ridden their defense to clinch the division in Week 15. Week 17 was Stroud’s second-worst performance of the season, as the Texans’ offense was shut out in a 31-2 rout.
Stroud’s season-long numbers have looked worse as the season goes on. After so much fanfare in his rookie season, he ranks 29th in EPA/DB (-0.03), 25th in third-down conversion rate (35.1%), and 28th in nYPA (6.2). His level needs to improve significantly if the Texans are to avoid going one-and-done in the playoffs.
How to Watch Steelers vs. Ravens
- Game: Steelers (10-7) vs. Ravens (12-5)
- When: 8 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: Prime Video
- Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline)
- Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
At 8 p.m. the Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the division rival Baltimore Ravens on Prime Video.
Russell Wilson has really struggled these last four weeks, ranking 29th and slipping below Fields in QB+. That has coincided with a run that has seen them play three playoff teams and a good Browns defense.
The struggles against playoff defenses are a major concern heading into the postseason, but the struggles against the Bengals’ defense in Week 18 might be even more concerning.
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Cincinnati has been one of the worst defenses in the NFL, yet Wilson could only manage a -0.07 EPA/DB and 3.8 nYPA against them. Sure, the offensive line isn’t great and his receivers are in the bottom half (if not the bottom five), but that only further makes a case for needing an X-factor like Fields, who can open things up with his legs.
Wilson has been fine since taking over as the starter, but he hasn’t elevated Pittsburgh over what Fields provided or proven to be any “safer.” He finishes the year with a -0.00 EPA/DB (23rd) and ranks outside the top 20 both from a clean pocket (0.23 EPA/DB) and when pressured (-0.38 EPA/DB).
Wilson has struggled in the fourth quarter of close games (28th) and has just a 38.8% conversion rate on third down (17th).
It was not a vintage performance from Lamar Jackson in Week 18. He finished with a C grade in the Baltimore Ravens blowout win over the Cleveland Browns. This game could easily have been a Jackson showcase, but the Ravens did not make it so. Jackson still threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, yet he only completed 50% of his passes.
He finished the game with just a 0.06 EPA/DB, which ranked 15th on the week, with his play from a clean pocket being the most underwhelming (0.04 EPA/DB; 20th). However, he stood up on third down with a 54.5% third-down conversion rate, and there was nothing that you can consider as being negative in his performance.
Week 18 won’t have done much to further the MVP debate, with Jackson’s middling performance and Josh Allen only playing one snap. However, we have an entire body of work to look back on with which to make that assessment, and Jackson’s numbers are incredibly impressive.
Across the season, his QB+ number is even better than his incredible 2019 MVP season. Jackson leads the league in EPA/DB (0.31), nYPA (8.5), TD/INT rate (10.3), and tied for the league total touchdowns (45). He’s also first in the NFL in performances from a clean pocket (0.51 EPA/DB) and second when pressured (-0.00).
Although Jackson’s performance at the end of the season hasn’t been as dominant as we might have hoped, he’s still a top-five quarterback over the last four weeks. And across the entire season, Jackson has three games graded as an A- or above and just two graded below a C-.