How to Watch NFL Wild Card Playoffs
The Cleveland Browns make their first playoff appearance since 2002 in the finale of the NFL Wild Card weekend. ERIK S. LESSER/EPA

In a season where nothing has been normal, the NFL Wild Card weekend will be no exception. The opening playoff games will live up to it's wild name when the Cleveland Browns will make their first appearance in the postseason since 2002.

Another factor in this season's playoffs is the expansion of the tournament from 12 teams to 14. Usually the top two teams in each conference receive a first-round bye but that was only regulated for the best team in each conference which for the 2020 season are the Green Bay Packers in the NFC and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. Those two will playoff next week, so as we say goodbye to the 2020 regular season let's look ahead what we can expect for the 2021 NFL Wild Card round.

How to Watch NFL Games

NFL Live Streams: fuboTV (watch the NFL for free with a one-week trial)

Happy New Year! fuboTV will live stream all NFL Wild Card Playoff matchups starting on Saturday, January 9 when the Buffalo Bills host the Indianapolis Colts. Check below for the full schedule.

What TV Channel is the NFL on?

You can tune into NFL matchups this postseason via the following channels:

  • CBS
  • ESPN/ABC
  • FOX
  • NBC

NFL Wild Card Schedule

Saturday, January 9

Sunday, January 10

Let's start off with the game to start the weekend when the Bills host the Colts. Indy would have been eliminated in any other year from the playoffs even though they finished the season at 11-5. They've experienced a rebound in their first year with Philip Rivers at the helm reaching the playoffs since 2018 which was Andrew Luck's last season.

It might be all for naught though as they travel up to Buffalo to take on the Bills who are one of the best teams in the league. They made the playoffs last year and in 2017 but in both appearances they were underdogs. Before then they hadn't made the playoffs since 2000.

That all changed this year with Josh Allen came into his own in his third season becoming a much more accurate passer on top of what he could already do with his legs. With the Patriots regressing without Tom Brady, the Bills took full advantage and won their first division title since 1995. This might be the team with the best chance to dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC.

Next on the docket the Rams taking on their division rival Seahawks. The Rams are limping into the playoffs but won their regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, albeit with Kyler Murray missing most of that game. They won behind backup John Wolford who last played for the Arizona Hotshots in the now defunct Alliance of American Football.

It's not looking good for Jared Goff to be ready to go in this one after he broke his thumb. If that's the case it's not looking good for them to have any kind of shot in this one. The Seahawks have won four straight to end the season including a resounding win two weeks ago against the Rams with Goff under center.

The final game on Saturday will feature the Buccaneers and Washington Football Team. The Bucs haven't been to the playoffs since 2007 and Brady's move to Tampa looks better and better every day. Washington probably shouldn't be in the playoffs at all with a 7-9 record but experienced a team resurgence going 5-1 under Alex Smith.

Chase Young shouted at the end of their regular season finale "I want Tom!" The young defensive rookie of the year candidate and a stabilizing presence under Smith might make this one closer than what it looks like going in on paper.

Moving on to the Sunday matchups, we start the day with a rematch of last year's Titans upset of the Ravens. Baltimore was the best team in the regular season last year and the Titans made them look like a pee wee football team. This year, the Ravens will be visiting Nashville as the Titans proved that last year's run was no fluke.

They did it again on the shoulders of King Derrick Henry as he rushed for 2,000 in the regular season. That happened for the first time since 2012 when Adrian Peterson did it for the Minnesota Vikings. Only eight players ever have rushed for at least 2,000 yards. Lamar Jackson has been one of the most brilliant things to happen to the NFL the last couple years. Can he avenge last year's playoff lost and shake the stigma of not performing in big games?

The Saints take on the Bears next as New Orleans tries to reverse their recent losing playoff performances. They've lost in heartbreaking fashion against the Vikings twice and the Rams with that awful missed pass interference call. The Bears are a big surprise to even make the playoffs as Mitch Trubisky played much better after getting coming back from his benching for Nick Foles. Somehow the Bears have to ask themselves if they are going to retain Trubisky, especially if he performs well in these playoffs.

The final game of the weekend might just be the best game of the Wild Card round. The Browns and Steelers played just last week but Ben Roethlisberger did not play. The Browns are already at a disadvantage with their head coach Kevin Stefanski testing positive for COVID-19. Even with their coach, this game would be an uphill battle. But with all the ineptitude in Cleveland for the better part of two decades, no one deserves this playoff appearance than Browns fans. They'll be the ultimate underdog to root for in these playoffs.