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- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways from the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.

1. The Chargers get rocked.

That was objectively hilarious. Actually, no. I’m not objective at all. I despise Jim Harbaugh, and will always pull for CJ Stroud. It was just hilarious.

Perhaps the most satisfying part was watching big, bad Jesse Minter scramble for answers as his overhyped defense essentially threw in the towel down the stretch. When your guys are getting tossed around by this awful Texans offensive front, it’s an unacceptable failure.

2. Justin Herbert is not in the S-Tier.

I mean, I just don’t want to hear it. Like, stop trying to shove him into that top group. He’s not there. He doesn’t belong.

If my life depended on one game, there are at least eight current quarterbacks that I’d pick before Herbert. He’s about to head into Year 6 with the same amount of playoff wins as me. That’s not an elite dude.

3. Superhero.

Curtis Samuel! 68 yards and a touchdown in his playoff debut!

For anyone that’s unaware, I have been head-over-heels in love with Curt for over a decade. He’s my favorite offensive player to ever suit up for Ohio State; the Brooklyn native has graced the header of my Twitter account since 2016 for a reason. A consistent role with Buffalo never materialized this year, but I’m so happy that my guy is getting some love now. Please keep feeding him.

4. The Jeff Stoutland show.

The man could turn you and me into an All-Pro interior lineman tandem. He’s just unbelievable. I could make the argument that Stoutland is one of the five most valuable humans in the Eagles’ entire building. There’s a reason why he survives every head coaching change in Philadelphia.

5. Priority No. 1 for the Packers.

Draft a wide receiver in the first round. Look, I know it goes against your organizational philosophy. You have to do it, though. Jordan Love deserves better than a third consecutive year of this random collection of dudes. Jayden Reed is the only one who has earned a spot in the long-term plans.

You officially own the No. 23 pick, and Emeka Egbuka will likely be sitting right there. It’s time.

6. No ceiling.

In 2012, a baby Mike Trout took Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera right down to the wire in the AL MVP race. While all of us baseball fans were in awe, the young Angels superstar himself seemed to have a bit of a different vibe. It wasn’t arrogance, but amusement. Wait a second, you’re impressed by this? I’m the best you’ve ever seen? You know I’m a rookie, right? I’m still kind of just messing around. Wait until I reach my peak.

Trout’s feelings were obviously justified; he was laying the foundation for one of the greatest nine-year stretches in the history of the sport. There’s now a young man in the NFL who possesses his exact attitude.

Watch Jayden Daniels in between plays. It’s clear that he doesn’t comprehend how rare this campaign has been. Drop a dime? Smirk. Take a shot after the whistle? Giggle. He looks legitimately confused when the crowd roars for him. What? All I did was throw a touchdown. Relax.

Trout blossomed into a truly transcendent outfielder. I refuse to put a limit on Jayden’s potential.

7. A realistic comparison.

On the left is Baker Mayfield. On the right are the numbers - through 106 career appearances - of a fellow first-round quarterback drafted in the 2010s. Who is Player B?

Earmuffs, Baker fans. Player B is Ryan Tannehill. You probably haven’t thought about that name in over a year. We have to stop pretending like Mayfield is some miracle success story. He’s a No. 1 overall pick, that turned out to be worse than Ryan Tannehill. In the business, we call that a bust.

8. Jared Verse is the one.

He’s the best player on the Rams. Plain and simple.

In a blink, LA has found a new franchise cornerstone on its defensive line.

9. Suspicions confirmed.

Sam Darnold spent 17 weeks collecting brownie points and building goodwill, just to hurl everything into Lake Superior in two contests. He had Minnesota’s 2025 starting job in his back pocket, and now - as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman mentioned - it’s very much a conversation again.

I had my guard up the entire year, but I can’t say that I anticipated Darnold finishing like that. 21 straight Vikings possessions without a touchdown, before TJ Hockenson’s third-quarter score last night. That’s 2023 Mac Jones stuff. This front office has some long conversations on the agenda.

10. Time to peek ahead.

It’s about to get really fun. Texans-Chiefs and Commanders-Lions on Saturday. Los Angeles and Philadelphia go to war on Sunday, and the big one is immediately after. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, in Orchard Park. A Final Four is ready to emerge.

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