RADIO
No. 12 - George Pickens (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh’s George Pickens ended the season with a single catch for no gain on six targets in Week 18. It was a dud to say the least but he remains the Steelers’ top pass-receiving option and should see his fair share of targets in the opening round of the playoffs.
Pittsburgh squares off against the Baltimore Ravens in a classic AFC North battle. In their Week 11 meeting, Pickens caught eight of 12 targets for 89 yards and missed the rematch in Week 16 due to a hamstring injury. The Ravens gave up the fourth-most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers in 2024 so Pickens should be a key component of the Steelers’ plan to advance past their division rival.
No. 11 - Nico Collins (Houston Texans) vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Houston’s Nico Collins caught all five of his targets for a 38-yard day in Week 18. It was an unimpressive amount, though he logged just 11 snaps with the Texans’ playoff fate already determined. It was enough to give him his second consecutive 1,000-yard season (1,006 to be exact) which is all the more impressive after taking into account the fact that he missed five games due to a hamstring injury earlier this season.
Collins did not finish the season as strongly as he started, averaging 62.7 yards per game in the seven games since returning from his injury. That might be due to the fact that Houston did not face a real threat to their position atop a weak AFC South. In the Wild Card round, they face the Los Angeles Chargers who have been lauded for their defense this year but have given up six touchdowns to opposing wideouts in their last four games.
No. 10 - Khalil Shakir (Buffalo Bills) vs. Denver Broncos
With Buffalo’s playoff position secured before the game began, Khalil Shakir was held out of the game to preserve him for the playoffs. After showing a lot of promise in the first half of the season, Shakir ended the year quietly. In his five games following Buffalo’s Week 12 bye, Shakir had one 100-yard game but failed to top 40 yards in the other four. Still, he finishes the regular season as the team’s leader in receptions (76) and receiving yards (821).
The Bills take on the Broncos in the Wild Card round. Shutdown corner Pat Surtain has been a force in Denver’s secondary but mostly covers receivers lining up outside. Shakir, on the other hand, lines up as the Bills’ slot receiver so he could find success as Josh Allen’s top target come Sunday.
No. 9 - Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Minnesota Vikings
Like many of the Rams’ top playmakers, Cooper Kupp was held out of Week 18 to get ready for the team’s playoff run. He finished the season with a 67-710-6 line in 12 games. After returning from injury in Week 8, he put up modest production until his final three games of the season. In Weeks 15 through 17, Kupp had three targets in each game and a total of four receptions for 53 yards.
Suffice to say, the torch has been passed to Puka Nacua as LA’s top receiver. Kupp should still be in the mix when the Rams host the Vikings in the Wild Card round. Minnesota allowed the second-most yards to opposing wide receivers in 2024 and Kupp had a 5-51-1 line against them when the teams played each other in Week 8. He will look to get back in the end zone again in the rematch scheduled for Monday night.
No. 8 - Jordan Addison (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Los Angeles Rams
Sitting behind Justin Jefferson on Minnesota’s depth chart is Jordan Addison. While Jefferson is often featured as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, Addison was no slouch and finished the season with 63 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.
Minnesota travels to Los Angeles to take on the Rams in the final game of Wild Card weekend. The meeting is a rematch of the teams’ Week 8 showdown (also played at SoFi Stadium) that the Rams won 30-20. Addison had just two catches for 22 yards that night but has since blossomed. Over the last eight games of the season, Addison averaged 8.3 targets per game and caught seven touchdown passes.
No. 7 - A.J. Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Green Bay Packers
With the No. 2 seed sewn up entering the final week of the regular season, Philadelphia opted to rest their star receiver, A.J. Brown. Brown’s season came to an end with a three-game touchdown streak and a final line of 67-1,079-7. 2024 was his fifth 1,000-yard season in his six as a pro despite missing three games to injury early in the season.
Much of Philadelphia’s success can be attributed to their ground attack, headed up by 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts. Even with the run game featured so prominently, Brown’s 83.0 receiving yards per game ranked fifth-most in the NFL. In the Wild Card round, he will face a Packers secondary that gave up a 9-86-1 line to DJ Moore in Week 18 and a combined 242 yards and two touchdowns to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor in the week before that.
No. 6 - Courtland Sutton (Denver Broncos) vs. Buffalo Bills
In Week 18, Courtland Sutton logged his third consecutive five-catch game and caught his third touchdown pass in Denver’s last four games. Sutton got off to a slow start in 2024 but once he and rookie quarterback Bo Nix clicked, it was off to the races. In the six games from Week 8 up to the Broncos’ Week 13 bye, Sutton had 42 receptions for 569 yards and three touchdowns.
Sutton finished the year with 81 catches for 1,081 yards, giving him his first 1,000-season since 2019. The Broncos clinched the last seed in the AFC with their win in Week 18 over a Chiefs team that was resting most of its starters. Denver will take on the Bills in the opening round of the playoffs. Buffalo has given up eight touchdowns to opposing wide receivers over their last five games.
No. 5 - Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. Houston Texans
The 2024 NFL Draft class was so loaded with wide receiver talent that Ladd McConkey was the eighth one off the board when the Chargers took him with the 34th overall pick. McConkey ended up with more catches and receiving yards than all of them except for Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, Jr. The Georgia alum finished his rookie season with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns.
McConkey now sits at the top of the Chargers’ depth chart and will continue to operate as Justin Herbert’s preferred target. Los Angeles will kick off the Wild Card round with their game against the Houston Texans on Saturday. Houston gave up the second most touchdowns (21) to wide receivers in 2024. Unless the Texans suddenly find a way to tighten up, McConkey is a safe bet to find the end zone this weekend.
No. 4 - Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington’s Terry McLaurin caught a game-winning touchdown pass in Week 18 to secure the Commanders’ position as the NFC’s No. 6 seed. In the victory over the Cowboys, McLaurin caught eight of 12 targets for 62 yards and the touchdown. He ended the regular season with 1,096 yards, giving him his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season and 13 touchdowns, second only to Ja’Marr Chase.
Washington draws the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, the team that defeated them the last time they made the playoffs back in 2020. The teams also met in the first week of the 2024 season. McLaurin caught just two of four targets for 17 yards in that game but Tampa went on to give up the seventh-most yards to wide receivers in 2024. McLaurin figures to do much better this time around.
No. 3 - Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Washington Commanders
Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans got his eleventh consecutive 1,000-yard season in Week 18 by the skin of his teeth. With the game out of hand and the Bucs taking possession at the end of the fourth quarter, the team ran a designed play to get Evans over the hump. He finished the regular season with 74 catches for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. Before anyone cries foul, remember he missed three games (and a large portion of a fourth) due to a midseason hamstring injury.
The Buccaneers ended the season as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card round. The teams played each other this season already, all the way back in Week 1. Evans had five catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns in that game. Washington’s secondary has tightened up since then (and added Evans’ arch-rival, cornerback Marshon Lattimore via trade) but Evans can be counted on to be a big part of Tampa’s offensive attack on Sunday night.
No. 2 - Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Los Angeles Rams
Justin Jefferson’s stellar 2024 came to a disappointing end in Week 18 with a 3-54-0 line on nine targets. He remains an elite talent and his season totals rank near the top of the receiving leaderboards. Among wide receivers, Jefferson finished fourth in receptions (104), second in receiving yards (1,533), and tied for fifth in touchdowns (10). He also led the league in receptions of 20 yards or more (28) and was one of six wideouts with five 100-yard games.
Minnesota’s loss to the Lions last Sunday cost them the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, meaning the 14-2 Vikings are a wild card team playing on the road this weekend. Their opponent will be the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of their Week 8 showdown on Thursday night football. Jefferson had eight catches for 115 yards in that game but was held out of the end zone. The Rams allowed the third most touchdowns (20) to wide receivers this season, so Jefferson still stands a good chance of scoring this time around.
No. 1 - Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Los Angeles Rams rested their starters in Week 18 meaning Puka Nacua finished the regular season just 10 yards shy of 1,000 yards. In 11 games played this season, he had 79 receptions, 990 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. His 90.0 yards per game ranks fourth among wide receivers in 2024 and in the 10 games since his return from injury in Week 8, he ranked third in receptions (75), fourth in yards (955), and sixth in targets (102).
On top of that, Nacua was one of six wide receivers to log five 100-yard games in 2024. Los Angeles will host the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round in a rematch of the Week 8 game where Nacua returned to action after a six-week absence. He had seven receptions for 109 yards in that game. Minnesota had one of the most porous secondaries in the NFL this year, giving up the most receptions and second-most yards to wide receivers. Nacua is in line for a huge game come Monday night.
