What's Next For Every Team Eliminated On Wild Card Weekend?

Published: Tuesday, January 14, 2025

by Matt Nazario

Wild Card weekend lacked excitement with several blowouts, but the storylines from these games sparked plenty of discussion. While attention shifts to the remaining playoff teams, it's also important to focus on the futures of those eliminated. From promising prospects to major question marks, here's a breakdown of each team.

Los Angeles Chargers 

Charger fans are relieved as Jim Harbaugh quickly implemented his vision in his first season. The 2024 campaign erased the disappointment of the 2023 5-12 season under Brandon Staley, which followed a painful playoff loss to the Jaguars. 

With an 11-6 record and the NFL's top defense, they rebounded strong, even being heavily favored against a struggling Houston Texans team in Wild Card Weekend. Analyst Rex Ryan even called it a "Bye Week."

It was a disastrous outing for the Chargers, with Justin Herbert throwing 4 interceptions—more than his total for the season (3). The inexperience of LA’s receiving core also showed. The turnovers gave Houston a chance to capitalize, despite struggling offensively for most of the game, leading to a 6-0 Charger halftime lead.

A 32-12 second-half blowout was not the plan, but there’s still hope for 2025. However, it’s crucial to maintain the league's best defense and upgrade the offense in the offseason.

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Aside from a few chunk plays, including two 30-yard touchdowns from Russell Wilson, the Steelers were lifeless against the Ravens in a 28-14 loss (which doesn't reflect how one-sided it was). This marked the end of a nightmarish second half to their season, as they limped to the finish after a 10-3 start. The offense was dreadful, and the once-proud “Steel Curtain” defense collapsed, allowing 299 rushing yards, including 186 and two touchdowns from Derrick Henry, who's hitting his stride at the right time.

This game, along with the Steelers' regular season finish, highlighted a larger issue for the organization. While Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, the team has accomplished little since their 2008 Super Bowl win. With no playoff victories since 2016, the Steelers may finally consider moving on from Tomlin. They'll also need to address the uncertain future of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, with fans calling for Wilson’s departure. The Steelers must decide whether to continue the cycle of mediocrity or start fresh for a better future.

Denver Broncos 

Denver's strong season ended abruptly with a 31-7 loss to the powerhouse Buffalo Bills. Bo Nix impressed early with a 40-yard TD pass to Troy Franklin, but Denver had little to build on after that. Despite the loss, a 10-7 record, their first playoff appearance since the 2015 Super Bowl, a top 3 defense, and the emergence of Nix as a franchise QB make for a promising future after years of quarterback instability and mediocrity.

One thing to note is Denver’s significant struggles against teams with a winning record, finishing 1-7, while going 8-0 against teams under .500. Was this season a product of a favorable schedule, or have the Broncos truly found their stride? Time will tell. However, it’s clear that this Broncos team still needs more time to fully take shape.

Green Bay Packers 

The injury bug proved too much for the Packers to overcome, as they fell 22-10 to the Eagles in a game that didn’t live up to the excitement many were hoping for. Turnovers and missed opportunities doomed Green Bay’s offense, wasting what was otherwise a solid defensive effort.

It wraps up what was, overall, a disappointing 2024 campaign for the Packers, who failed to elevate themselves into the upper tier of NFC teams. Perhaps most frustratingly, they went 0-6 against the Lions, Vikings, and Eagles in both the regular and postseason, solidifying their “little brother” status in the NFC this year.

While their performance in big games this season wasn’t stellar, the team made clear strides and improvements, particularly on the defensive side. The Packers should look to build on this momentum heading into 2025. Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney were standout additions last offseason—let's see if Green Bay can work some more magic this summer.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

A late fumble sealed Tampa Bay’s fate in their 23-20 loss to the Commanders, ending their season on a sour note. While fans are understandably upset, there’s still plenty to be hopeful about. Tampa Bay’s 2024 draft class, led by Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan, made a big impact, particularly with McMillan stepping up in Chris Godwin’s absence. Mike Evans added another 1,000-yard season, his 11th straight, and Baker Mayfield had a standout year in Tampa. Unfortunately, the offense was limited in this game, ultimately costing them the season.

The defense showed significant improvement late in the season, allowing just around 17 points per game during this stretch. Young talents like Yaya Diaby displayed great promise for the future. Solid drafting and continued development of their young core is the best path forward for Tampa heading into 2025.

Minnesota Vikings 

The Vikings exceeded expectations with a 14-3 season, far beyond the 6-7 win projection. But as usual, their signature cycle of misery returned, as they were dominated by the Rams 27-9. Despite a strong season, their collapses in Week 18 and the Wild Card round against the Lions and Rams will overshadow it. A team that appeared balanced all year fell apart at the worst possible moments.

Despite a magical season, QB Sam Darnold's future is uncertain after his poor performance in the last two games. This raises questions about his market value heading into the offseason. The Vikings face a tough decision: fully commit to Darnold, their Plan B, or return to Plan A with injured draftee J.J. McCarthy. 

Looking ahead to 2025, the Vikings need to prove their success wasn’t a fluke, and despite the season's outcome, there are many positives suggesting it wasn’t.

Matt Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu.

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