The tale of the season’s first two N.F.L. playoff games is all about the headline names who won’t be taking their Pro Bowl talents to the line of scrimmage in Houston and Seattle.
On Saturday, Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (back surgery) won’t be chasing down Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (broken leg), and Seahawks safety Earl Thomas (broken leg) won’t be blitzing Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, an injured star who will play, albeit with a 1-3 record since dislocating his right middle finger.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s wild-card playoff games and who we think will win them.