NFL Divisional Round: Biggest immediate question for advancing/eliminated playoff teams

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There was a lot of anticipation for the start of this NFL postseason, largely because nobody knew what to expect. Well, now we know. Expect craziness, drama, late-game heroics and no lead being safe. The parity that became a staple of the regular season has turned the Wild Card Round into something we’ve never seen before.

Even before the Chargers and Patriots kicked off in New England for the Sunday night game — and with the Texans and Steelers still waiting to meet on Monday night — this postseason already had become historic. There were 12 fourth-quarter lead changes in the first four games, which is a postseason record. The comeback victories by the Bills, Bears and Rams marked the first time in league history that three playoff contests had ended with game-winning scores in the final two minutes in the same postseason. The Divisional Round is still a week away, and this already is the most suspenseful postseason ever.

There’s a ton to dive into today, so let’s not spend too much time salivating over these feats. This edition of The First Read wants to spend the aftermath of the Wild Card Round discussing questions that should be looming after all this action. We’re talking about the teams moving forward and those going home. Here’s what they got us thinking about as we wait for Houston and Pittsburgh to hopefully give us one more gem.

AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS

Is the Broncos’ offense ready to do its part?

Denver has been the best team in the AFC largely because its defense has made life difficult for most opponents. No team was better at stifling opponents in the red zone, and the Broncos also set a franchise record with 68 sacks. Of all the teams that qualified for the postseason, Denver was one of the four with a defense that could carry it to a championship (along with Seattle, Philadelphia and Houston). The Broncos’ offense unfortunately does not inspire the same confidence, with the questions starting with second-year quarterback       Bo Nix       . He’s developed a reputation for being wildly inconsistent, as he can look awful for two or three quarters before producing clutch play after clutch play when the outcome hangs in the balance. In fact, one of the crazier statistics of this year is that Nix led the league with 612 passing attempts despite ranking 26th in the league with an 87.8 passer rating. It’s also apparent that he’ll have to keep throwing it often because Denver’s running game hasn’t been the same since a season-ending injury to       J.K. Dobbins       in Week 10. Rookie       RJ Harvey       is solid — he’s rushed for 540 yards and seven touchdowns — but Dobbins was a bigger, more physical presence in the backfield.

This all leads toward a question that is worth posing: What happens if Denver’s defense has an off day in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills and Nix is leading a one-dimensional offense? The Broncos have shown they can handle adverse situations, as they’re 11-2 in one-score games this season. They also thrive in third-down situations (ranking 11th in the league in conversions), and head coach Sean Payton has a knack for dialing up the right plays at critical moments for receivers like       Courtland Sutton       ,       Troy Franklin       and tight end       Evan Engram       . However, we’ve also seen what an off day can look like for the Broncos, as they suffered a 34-20 loss to Jacksonville in Week 16. That defeat revealed that Denver can be vulnerable even with home-field advantage. The Broncos will be even more susceptible if Nix and his offensive mates can’t do more damage for an entire game.

Should the Patriots be worried about    Drake Maye    ’s first postseason start?

There were good things about Maye’s performance in a 16-3 AFC Wild Card Round win over the Los Angeles Chargers and some things that didn’t match the MVP buzz he created during the regular season. First, the positives. Maye made several plays with his legs, as he led the team with 66 rushing yards (including a 37-yard scramble). His athleticism is one of the traits that makes him so dangerous, and his willingness to run can be debilitating for defenses. Maye also sealed the game with a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end    Hunter Henry    . Now for the ugly. The Chargers sacked Maye five times, and he fumbled twice while losing one on a strip-sack. He also was underwhelming in the first half — when he completed only six of 15 passes with an interception off a deflection — before finishing with better numbers (17-of-29 for 268 yards with a touchdown and that pick). The Patriots were fortunate that    Justin Herbert    was struggling on the other side because this game was there for the taking if a different opposing quarterback were playing at a higher level. New England’s defense deserves credit for its effort. Head coach Mike Vrabel also was smart to lean into that unit taking over the game while not asking Maye to be brilliant. But this is also the postseason. The Chargers’ defense gave Maye some problems that we haven’t seen him deal with in a long time. New England was good enough to get away with that against a Los Angeles team limited by a beat-up offensive line. That task will be much harder against a healthier team with a better defense.

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