Just eight teams remain on the road to Super Bowl 57 and the divisional round of the NFL playoffs will take place on Saturday and Sunday night. Rather than preview every game this weekend, I'm going to give you one key player to watch from each contest. And while some of these names are very obvious indeed, I'm going to drop a few stats to give even more reasons to follow them closely over the weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday 9.30p - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
Trevor Lawrence dug himself quite the hole against the Los Angeles Chargers, throwing four interceptions to fall behind 27-0 in the Wild Card round. But he was at his brilliant best when it mattered the most, throwing touchdown passes on four straight drives followed by a fifth march to set up the game-winning kick from Riley Patterson. The Jaguars had 329 offensive yards and scored 31 points on those final five drives. The victory means Lawrence has still never lost a game on a Saturday in high school, college or the pros; going 37-0 at those three levels of the sport.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Saturday 9.30pm - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
There may not be a better player in the entire league right now than Patrick Mahomes, who has led the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game in each of his four seasons as their full-time starter. Guiding the league's top-ranked attack, Mahomes led the NFL with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. He accounted for 5,614 offensive yards (passing and his own rushing) to set a new NFL record. Just 27 years of age, Mahomes – who owns a 3-0 career record against Jacksonville – is at the top of his game. He is chasing a third Super Bowl appearance, a second Super Bowl crown and a second NFL MVP prize. Not too shabby.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (at Philadelphia Eagles, Saturday/Sunday 1:15am - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
Alongside quarterback Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley was the best player on the field during last Sunday's playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings. The dual-threat running back amassed 109 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns, the first of which was quite spectacular. After a regular season in which he rushed for 1,312 yards, caught passes for 338 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, Barkley has now topped 100 scrimmage yards (rushing and receiving) in three of his past four games. If the Giants are to pull off one of the shocks of these playoffs and win in Philadelphia, Barkley is going to need yet another big showing.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (vs New York Giants, Saturday/Sunday 1:15am - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
After missing two games with a sprained throwing shoulder, Jalen Hurts returned for a Week 18 win over the Giants but looked far from his best. After another week off, can he and the Eagles hit the heights once again? Before he got injured, Hurts was very much in the conversation to be the NFL's Most Valuable Player this season. He has no doubt become a league-wide star while writing his name into the record books. In 2022, Hurts became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns (13) and compile a passer rating over 100 (101.5). He can hurt defenses with his arm and his legs and if Hurts is fully fit, the Eagles are right back in the Super Bowl mix.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (at Buffalo Bills, Sunday 8pm - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
Joe Cool has the Bengals on a path towards a second successive Super Bowl appearance. In just three seasons, Burrow already has the most playoff wins (4) for a quarterback in team history. Despite not always being the best protected quarterback around, Burrow has led the Bengals to nine straight wins – the second-longest streak of any team remaining in the playoffs behind San Francisco's 11. Burrow compiled an impressive passer rating of 100.8 during the regular season and the only quarterback to surpass his 35 touchdown passes was the aforementioned Mahomes.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (vs Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday 8pm - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
When it comes to the best player in the NFL right now, Josh Allen is the biggest challenger to Patrick Mahomes; in my opinion. Allen threw for 4,283 yards and 35 touchdowns during the regular season but tormented defenses by adding 762 rushing yards and another seven scores. He enjoys hurdling defenders or throwing the ball over the top of them. Dating back to the start of last season, Allen leads the NFL with 2,364 yards on deep passes (20+ air yards). He is also tough to get off the field. Allen has a quarterback rating of 110.6 on third downs dating back to last season – the best in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons (at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday 11.30pm - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
There are few defenders as disruptive as Parsons in today's NFL. He may only be in his second season, but he is already a bona fide NFL superstar. Parsons led the Cowboys with 13 ½ sacks during the regular season and added 70 quarterback pressures (ranking third in the NFL). Dallas moved Parsons around a lot during his rookie year and he showed himself to be versatile however he was used. Not anymore. The Cowboys recognise the value of sending Parsons after the quarterback. In last week's playoff win over Tampa Bay, Parsons was a constant thorn in Tom Brady's side, sacking him once and registering an incredible 10 quarterback pressures. Watch out, Brock Purdy!
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (vs Dallas Cowboys, Sunday 11.30pm - Sky Sports | NFL Game Pass | talkSPORT Radio)
One way to slightly negate the impact of Parsons would be for San Francisco to run the football well. And they are more than capable of doing that with Christian McCaffrey at the helm. He has won all 11 of his starts since joining the 49ers in a mid-season trade with the Carolina Panthers. Since making his first start for San Francisco in Week 8, McCaffrey leads all NFL players with 1,284 scrimmage yards. And with a young quarterback in Brock Purdy finding his way at the most high-stakes time of the year, McCaffrey's receiving skills have been vital. He can always be found with an easy pass that can be turned into something so much more. McCaffrey leads all NFL running backs with 457 receiving yards since Week 8. He must be a factor if San Francisco are to advance to the final four.
