We saw on Sunday that results history is no guarantee of future results: Buffalo hadn't won a road playoff game since the 1992 AFC title game at Miami yet won at Jacksonville. Now we look at Pittsburgh, which hasn't lost a Monday night game as host since Chuck Noll was still coaching in 1991...but also has six straight playoff losses. As usual, history will play little part in what happens tonight, though there is more resourcefulness on this Steelers side than recent playoff exits thanks to Aaron Rodgers, whose savvy should come in handy vs. the Texans' defense. Houston has won the past two years in this round but both games were at home, can CJ Stroud extend the margin over Rodgers? Play Steelers.

We have seen mostly higher scores in the Wild Card round, with only the Chargers' failure to react to anything the Patriots were doing defensively last night helping hold down that scoreline at Gillette Stadium. Otherwise, each previous wild card game had scorelines higher than this 38. The Houston defense is rugged but Aaron Rodgers remains nothing if not resourceful, and gets top target DK Metcalf back from suspension tonight. Meanwhile, there are playmakers on the Houston side led by CJ Stroud. There doesn't have to be a lot of action to get this scoreline above 38 tonight. Play Texans-Steelers Over.

Read little into Jim Harbaugh resting Justin Herbert and other starters last week at Denver other than getting healthy for the postseason as the objective. Herbert, in particular, is another week beyond his left hand surgery and should be closer to 100%, while the various bumps and bruises for other starters have had an extra week to recuperate. The Chargers' punishing defense also looks a good match for Drake Maye, who, through no fault of his own, was able to skate thru this potential MVP season with as little resistance as possible. That refers to the New England schedule, which broke incredibly well as the season-closing 13-1 run was achieved almost completely vs. also-rans, with a split against the Bills the most-challenging assignments. Play Chargers

It proved a good idea to wait on this one as the line has moved upwards from 3.5 to 6 throughout the week. The 49ers are no more banged up than they have been since mid-November when they uncorked a six-game win streak that almost netted home edge on the NFC side thru the playoffs, and late word has perennial All-Pro OT Trent Williams likely to go on Sunday. SF dealt as effectively as it could with key defensive injuries (Nick Bosa, Fred Warner in particular) this season. The Eagles repeated as NFC East champs almost by default, as neither the OL nor Saquon Barkley the same as year ago. Can Jalen Hurts outgun Brock Purdy, hot until hitting punishing Seattle last week? Play Niners

Never mind that the Bills haven't won a road playoff game since the 1992 AFC title game at Miami, and Josh Allen 0-4 away in the postseason (three of those losses at KC). It wasn't quite the same Buffalo this season because of defensive deficiencies, especially vs. the run. How much the Jags take advantage remains to be seen but the Bills might not be at levels they've been the past couple of seasons. Meanwhile, the Jags are as hot, winning and covering eight straight, with Trevor Lawrence reborn in the Liam Coen offense, and ballhawks in the secondary threatening to boomerang any passes in their vicinities. Note Lawrence has a wild card round win, too (three years ago vs. Chargers). Play Jags ML

Had Romeo Doubs fielded that onside kick cleanly three weeks ago at Soldier Field, the Pack would have had two December wins over the Bears and the inside track to win the North. Credit Chicago and Caleb Williams for doing something with their second chance, but questions arose again last week when the Bears seemed all-out at home vs. the Lions but was blanked for 3 Qs en route to a bitter 19-16 loss. Of course the Pack lost four straight down the stretch but QB Jordan Love is back after missing the last two games and much of that Dec. 20 OT loss at Chicago, and this is a series mostly controlled by the Pack the past decade. Play Packers ML

It was six weeks ago that LA invaded Bank of America Stadium and in pole position for the home edge thru the NFC playoffs, but three Matthew Stafford giveaways were key in a 31-28 loss to the Panthers, who made a habit of close games all season. Stafford would subsequently implode again two weeks ago at Atlanta, while the LA defense has sprung some unexpected leaks the past six weeks and special teams have remained a recurring issue. It's doubtful the Panthers win the TO battle to the degree they did on November 30 but Bryce Young has been able to make enough plays to keep the Panthers close almost every week...and close is good enough at this price. Play Panthers

Though the Patriots know a Denver loss is unlikely vs. a scaled-back Chargers lineup, thus most probably closing the door on a chance for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, it doesn't seem to be in the DNA of Mike Vrabel's team to take it easy. New England has been rolling since late September, winning 12 of 13, and Drake Maye is closing in on the league MVP honors as he completes a spectacular sophomore season, and might be off of his highlight-reel game of the season when tossing 5 TD passes last week vs. the Jets. Meanwhile, after hitting the high note of beating the Bucs last week, not expecting Quinn Ewers or Miami to do much in the Foxborough cold. Play Patriots

With the Bills a wild card and not likely to host a playoff tilt, this is likely the final game at now-called Highmark Stadium before the new version opens across the parking lot next season. So, emotion should be high for Buffalo, and the Bills will even don the same red helmets and uniform from their Super Bowl era in the 90s. No matter if Sean McDermott rests some starters after Josh Allen and friends make appearances, the hideous Jets just completed the worst December (-107 margin!) in NFL history! Aaron Glenn might as well give Joe Namath a call because he has no remaining options at QB other than Mizzou rookie Brady Cook, with three TD drives the past four games. Play Bills

Expect to see starters as usual in this finale; the G-Men are already on record saying as much after their best effort in over a month last week vs. the Raiders. New York is also on a 9-2 over run into Sunday's finale. Meanwhile, Dak Prescott has had several big games in his career vs. the Giants, and will play on Sunday as Dallas seems motivated to end the season 8-8-1, and not under.500, to avoid joining an ignominious collection of previous Cowboys underachievers. Dallas also enters the finale over in five straight and 11-2 its last 13 games, and note the first meeting back in September landed 40-37 in favor of Dallas in OT (when Russell Wilson--remember him?--starred for NY). Play Cowboys-Giants Over

Once more, cryptic comments this week from Joe Burrow; remember what happened right after his last similar quotes a few weeks ago, which seemed to deflate the whole Bengals team in a 24-0 loss to the Ravens. Yet Cincy has generally played with a sharper edge since Burrow returned to active duty Thanksgiving at Baltimore, covering four of five since, and winning the last two weeks vs. the Dolphins and Cardinals while scoring a combined 82 points. Burrow, who will play on Sunday, has also tossed 6 TDP passes against 0 interceptions the past two weeks. Meanwhile, can Cleveland, replicate the effort last week vs. the Steelers in the 13-6 upset? Note Shedeur Sanders has tossed seven picks across the past three weeks. Play Bengals

The Saints have something extra to play for this week...even if it doesn't directly impact them. With the Bucs cheering them on, Kellen Moore's troops can make it a surprising five wins on the spin to close the season as ex-Louisville QB Tyler Shough makes a late bid for Rookie of the Year. Across the past three games, Shough has passed for 250+ yards in each and not thrown an interception while firing four TD passes. Meanwhile, the D has allowed only 17 ppg across the win streak. Atlanta has been flying, too, and did win the first matchup 24-10 at the Superdome on November 23, but NFC sources wonder if the Falcons hit their crescendo when upsetting the Rams on Monday night. Play Saints

How has Brock Purdy been impacting the 49ers? Consider the corresponding six-game SF win streak since Purdy returned to active duty on Nov. 16 at Arizona, as Purdy has played like an all-pro since, and has really soared the past three weeks, with 11 TD passes. He's also expected to have favorite target George Kittle back in the lineup on Saturday, and engineered the late TD drive to beat Seattle 17-13 on opening day. As for the Seahawks, yes they have excelled on the road this season, only losing SU and vs. the spread once each, but this week is when QB Sam Darnold began to unravel last year with the Vikings, and he has been interception-prone (14 this season). Play 49ers

While Carolina has been alternating wins and losses since Week Seven, all the Bucs have done is lose seven of their last right, with nary a spread cover in that stretch. Part of the blame is on a depleted OL that has hindered the running game much more than a year ago, and Baker Mayfield has suffered, tossing interceptions in four straight games, and seven across the past seven weeks. Meanwhile, Bryce Young has had his ups and downs on the Panthers side, but unlike Mayfield, he's only thrown one pick across the past four games. The Panthers have at least been playing to a pattern; all the Bucs have been doing is losing, which on Saturday could cost them the NFC South. Play Panthers

The Rams are wild card-bound in the NFC but there remains motivation to win and secure the 5 seed...which means the South champ in the wild card round instead of the Bears or Eagles. True, the Rams did lose at Charlotte vs. the Panthers, but would surely be favored in a rematch. Having had eleven days since blowing the division and that Thursday night game at Seattle, the Rams should be properly refocused for tonight vs. a Falcons side that has had its moments this season with Kirk Cousins at the helm, and a big-lay threat in RB Bijan Robinson, but has also been taking advantage of a favorable schedule in recent weeks (fading Tampa Bay and Arizona in particular the past two). Play Rams