Solely 4 groups stay within the AFC playoffs. We expect these gamers might be important to their group’s success on this weekend’s divisional spherical.
Baltimore Ravens | Derrick Henry | RB
Derrick Henry was so good towards the Payments in Week 4 that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wanted simply 18 passes (13 completions) to guide Baltimore previous Buffalo. Henry began the day with an 87-yard landing run on the group’s first offensive play, hitting a max velocity of 21.29 mph, in accordance with Next Gen Stats, and completed the day with a season-high 199 yards on 24 carries.
Coming off a 186-yard, two-score efficiency towards the Steelers in final week’s wild-card recreation, Henry will get one other shot on the Payments this week, this time at Highmark Stadium the place recreation day temperatures must be within the single-digits with potential snow.
Simply think about how gamers like security Damar Hamlin and linebacker Dorian Williams, Buffalo’s main tackler, should really feel about bringing down a 6-foot-2, 247-pound operating again like Henry in these situations.
Per pro-football-reference.com, Henry led the NFL with 42 damaged tackles and 909 yards after contact within the common season and must be advantageous towards a Payments protection that held Denver operating backs to 35 yards final weekend.
Buffalo Payments | James Cook dinner | RB
The Payments gained’t maintain Henry out of the top zone if they will’t maintain him off the sector. Cook dinner ought to keep busy after speeding for a season-high 123 yards on 23 carries with a rating in a 31-7 victory over the Broncos within the group’s wild-card matchup.
With Cook dinner’s assist, Buffalo held the ball for almost 42 minutes, operating 72 performs whereas Denver ran solely 42. Together with the playoffs, Cook dinner now has six touchdowns in his final 5 video games and will do higher than the 39 yards he had towards Baltimore in Week 4.
Houston Texans | Danielle Hunter | LB
The Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes is not prone to throw 4 interceptions just like the Chargers’ Justin Herbert did towards Houston final week, however the Texans have an opportunity if they will get to Kansas Metropolis’s quarterback.
Mahomes took a career-high 36 sacks this season, together with one within the Chiefs’ 27-19 victory over the Texans in Week 16. Hunter didn’t get to Mahomes that day however led Houston with 12 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss within the common season.
Solely Joe Burrow (652) and Aaron Rodgers (584) had extra passing makes an attempt than Mahomes (581) this yr and the Chiefs will certainly look to air it out towards the Texans. Houston blitzed with Hunter 46 instances final season however solely eight instances in 2024. Anticipate him to be rather more energetic on Saturday.
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs | Isiah Pacheco | RB
Mahomes is wonderful however goes to want assist from the group’s pedestrian operating recreation sooner or later. After speeding for 84 yards per recreation and 4.7 yards per carry over the previous two seasons, Pacheco has averaged 32.7 yards per recreation and three.1 yards per carry since getting back from a fractured fibula in Week 14.
The 25-year-old operating again sat out the group’s final common season recreation with a rib damage however expects to play on Saturday. As a member of the 2022 NFL Draft class, Pacheco turned eligible for a contract extension final week. An enormous recreation towards Houston’s fifth-ranked protection will definitely assist the group and his backside line.
