NFL Wild-Card Weekend Begins With Divisional Rivals Meeting in Atlanta

The NFL postseason kicked off this week with eight teams entering wild-card action, though only four will advance as the field narrows toward the divisional round.

Among the matchups drawing attention is a game between divisional rivals in Atlanta, one of several contests set to shape the early stages of this year's playoff bracket.

High stakes from the opening round

Wild-card weekend is traditionally one of the most closely watched stretches of the NFL season, as teams that secured postseason berths during the regular season face single-elimination pressure from their very first game.

With eight teams competing across the weekend's slate, coaching staffs and players are approaching each contest knowing that a single loss ends their season, adding intensity to matchups between teams that are already well acquainted with one another from divisional play.

As the results unfold, the four winning teams will advance to the next round of the playoffs, while the four losing teams will see their seasons come to a close.

Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see which teams carry their regular-season form into the postseason and which ones falter under the added pressure of elimination football.