There were several juicy storylines entering Super Wild Card Weekend, including the highly anticipated matchup in Detroit between Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, who both played against their former teams. But one of the main storylines that came out of the weekend was the standout performances from several players making their playoff debuts.
More than a few performances were so good that they are now part of NFL history. All but one of these performances helped lead to a playoff win and a trip to the divisional round.
Here's our ranking of the top playoff debuts from this past weekend, starting with one of the best performances by a rookie quarterback in postseason history.
1. C.J. Stroud, Texans
Stroud's playoff debut couldn't have gone any better. The 22-year-old tied the rookie playoff record with three touchdown passes in the first half as Houston built a 24-14 lead over the Browns at intermission. His 236 yards passing in the first half are a new rookie postseason record.
Stroud's best throw may have been his 37-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz just before halftime. The score stretched Houston's lead while putting more pressure on the Browns offense, which surely contributed to Joe Flacco's multiple pick sixes in the third quarter.
2. Jordan Love, Packers
Love was on his way to joining Terry Bradshaw and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks to post perfect passer ratings in a playoff game. That was until he was asked to attempt an ill-advised pass after reentering the game at the end of Green Bay's 48-32 upset win over the Packers.
He didn't get his perfect rating, but that in no way took away from Love's epic afternoon. The former first-round pick torched Dallas' defense to the tune of 272 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 21 passing. He led Green Bay on six scoring drives while completing passes to seven different teammates.
3. Puka Nacua, Rams
Nacua capped off his sensational rookie season by posting the most yards receiving by a rookie in a playoff game. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of BYU caught 9 of 10 targets for 181 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' 24-23 loss to the Lions.
The Rams' surprising playoff berth was largely due to the play of Nacua, who had over 100 yards in eight regular-season games.
"He's a freaking stud," Rams coach Sean McVay said of Nacua after Sunday night's loss, via NFL.com. "I think the same things that you can see. He's a great competitor. He shows up big, makes plays, he's tough to tackle. He can work edges and win and separate. He can finish. This guy's a freaking warrior. He is a stud. I love the mindset and mentality that he has. If he just continues to stay humble and keep working, this guy's gonna be a problem for a long time."
4. Romeo Doubs, Packers
Against the Cowboys, Doubs evoked memories of Robert Brooks, another Packers wideout who wore No. 87 who torched Dallas in a losing effort in the 1995 NFC Championship. But unlike Brooks, Doubs' performance contributed to a Packers win. The second-year wideout caught six passes for 151 yards that included a fourth-quarter touchdown that proved to be the game-winning score. It was Doubs' first 100-yard receiving performance of the season.
Doubs and the Packers will look to duplicate Sunday's success against the 49ers in the divisional round.
4. Christian Harris, Texans
Harris fittingly became the first player since Texans legend JJ Watt to record a sack and a pick six in a playoff game. Harris' 36-yard interception return gave Houston an insurmountable 38-14 lead late in the third quarter.
A 2022 third-round pick, Harris is part of a young Texans defense that has thrived under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
5. Rashee Rice, Chiefs
Rice picked a great time to have his best NFL performance to date. Kansas City's rookie wideout caught 8 of 12 targets for 130 yards during the Chiefs' 26-7 win over Miami. He capped off the game's first drive with an 11-yard touchdown reception.
Rice's emergence was huge for a Chiefs offense that didn't get much from its receiving corps during the regular season. In fact, no other Chiefs receiver (not counting tight end Travis Kelce) had more than 20 receiving yards against Miami. This means that Rice will likely have to continue to put up big numbers if the Chiefs are going to have success in the playoffs moving forward.
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions
St. Brown made up for his absurd Pro Bowl snub by helping the Lions win the franchise's first playoff game in 32 years. He led Lions wideouts with 7 catches on 9 targets for 110 yards in Detroit's 24-23 win over the Rams.
St. Brown's 11-yard completion on the game's final drive sealed the Lions' historic win. The play epitomized St. Brown's impeccable chemistry with Goff, who received a game ball after knocking his former team out of the playoffs.
7. Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
Detroit's 2022 first-round pick made life hard for the quarterback he rooted for as a Lions fan growing up. Hutchinson sacked Stafford twice. He also had five quarterback hits and a pair of tackles for loss.
While Sunday's win was big, Hutchinson told CBS Sports earlier this offseason that the Lions wouldn't be satisfied with one playoff win.
"I feel like we're a team that, having not won a playoff game since the '90s, fans would love to see us in the playoffs and win one game," Hutchinson said back in November. "But when you look at our team and what kind of guys that we have, you're like, this could be our shot.
"I think a lot of guys understand that. I feel like those long playoff runs and potential Super Bowl appearances, those come few and far between. If the opportunity is there, we're going to jump on it."
8. Dalton Kincaid, Bills
Buffalo's first-round pick parlayed his strong finish to the regular season into a big playoff debut. He made one of the game's biggest plays on Monday when he caught a 29-yard pass that extended the Bills' lead to 14-0 over the Steelers. The score came one play after Taron Johnson forced a fumble of Steelers wideout George Pickens.
Kincaid finished the game as the Bills' leading receiver with 59 yards on three receptions.
