Quarterbacks aren't everything in the NFL. Just look at the Steelers, who made the 2024 playoffs by riding the hot hand of their third-stringer. Or the Buccaneers, who paid a small price to deploy Baker Mayfield as their 2023 starter, only to have the journeyman guide them to a third straight NFC South title. Then again, who isn't watching the postseason for some elite QB play?
In fact, Super Wild Card Weekend is chock full of some intriguing big-name battles under center. Want proof? Here's our ranking of all six QB matchups, which proved more difficult to sort than expected:
6. Josh Allen (Bills) vs. Mason Rudolph (Steelers)
Allen does a ton of heavy lifting here, and, in fact, he alone makes the Bills worth the watch. But the matchup between Allen and the Steelers defense is much more interesting than, well, Allen versus Rudolph. Yes, the latter's been relatively strong to help Pittsburgh sneak into the dance, but the Steelers lean heavily on their ground game to move the ball.
5. Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) vs. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
Hurts led the Eagles to a Super Bowl shootout with the Chiefs just a year ago, but he and Philadelphia are coming off an awful stretch to close 2023, leaving even ardent Birds fans to question the team's chances of making a run. Mayfield, meanwhile, has been a nice story for the Buccaneers, but Todd Bowles and Co. don't exactly ask him to play superhero under center.
4. Joe Flacco (Browns) vs. C.J. Stroud (Texans)
A 38-year-old Joe Flacco cracking the top five in the year 2024? Why the heck not? He's been slinging it all over the field with reckless abandon, perhaps knowing the Browns' stingy defense has his back. But even more impressive has been Stroud, the most polished, most poised rookie QB in recent memory. He's got Houston way ahead of schedule as a contender.
3. Dak Prescott (Cowboys) vs. Jordan Love (Packers)
No one will really fault Love if he can't elevate Green Bay over the Cowboys in this one, but his laser arm could well make this a game, which would be bad news for Prescott and Mike McCarthy -- a duo that's had much success in Dallas but is still seeking a deep postseason run. Prescott, meanwhile, has flashed MVP-caliber stuff while feeding CeeDee Lamb all year.
2. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) vs. Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)
The Chiefs have not been their explosive selves this year, and neither, frankly, has Mahomes. But who are we kidding? This guy is built for the postseason, and now's his chance to beat Mike McDaniel's once-high-octane contender for a second time this season. Tagovailoa, on the other hand, is looking to prove his deep-ball prowess can translate to the big stage.
1. Jared Goff (Lions) vs. Matthew Stafford (Rams)
The one QB matchup no one can afford to miss. Goff and Stafford swapped teams when the Rams went all in for a QB upgrade back in 2021, and while Stafford has already proven worth the deal, delivering a Lombardi in his L.A. debut, Goff has arguably been the steadier starter since that point, and he's a big reason Detroit is hosting its first playoff game in 30 years.
