• Two great veterans battle in the slot in primetime: Stefon Diggs takes on Derwin James in Patriots–Chargers.

• Mike Jackson attempts to shut down Puka Nacua once more: The Panthers cornerback limited the Rams wideout to just one catch in Week 13 and should get a heavy dose of the star receiver yet again.

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Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

What made NFL Week 18 so exciting is true of every fresh slate of action: Watching individual player matchups. The ability to analyze some of the NFL’s brightest and most burgeoning stars clash with one another nearly every snap shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Indeed, while one play can alter an entire game flow, the victor of Week 18’s top individual wars swayed the arrow of victory in their team’s direction. Consider Demarcus Lawrence’s two pressures on eight matchups against Colton McKivitz in the Seahawks’ dominant victory.

Below are 10 head-to-head collisions to circle as the 2025 NFL postseason gets underway.

When the Patriots host the Chargers on Sunday night, we’ll be treated to a battle of two elite quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and Drake Maye. Maye and New England’s terrific offense will encounter Los Angeles’ strong defense, with a tremendous battle set to occur in the slot.

Diggs has been well worth his three-year $63.5 million contract signed this offseason. The veteran ranks sixth with an 87.5 PFF receiving grade, fifth with 2.42 yards per route run and sixth with a 113.9 passer rating when targeted. While operating in the slot in particular, Diggs owns an elite 88.9 receiving grade with 2.00 yards per route run and zero drops.

James is a chess piece for Jesse Minter’s stout defense, but his best work has arguably been in slot coverage in 2025. Among slot coverage defenders to play 200 or more snaps, James ranks first in yards permitted (130), passer rating when targeted (38.4), second in yards per snap (0.64) and tied for sixth in yards per target (7.2).

In his first year in New England, Diggs has operated inside on 52.4% of his receiving snaps, while James leads all Chargers defenders in slot snaps. Even though Los Angeles plays the second-lowest rate of man coverage, expect these two veteran studs to tangle throughout the evening.

Multiple long-standing streaks are at stake on Monday night, including the Steelers’ nine-year playoff win drought and the Texans never prevailing in a road postseason game. The matchup between Houston and Pittsburgh boasts lots of individual talent clashing, headlined by Metcalf vs. Stingley.

Metcalf has enjoyed a solid first season with the Steelers, recording a 74.8 PFF receiving grade with 1.83 yards per route run. Moreover, the former Seahawk is in the 94^th percentile with 7.1 yards after the catch per reception. His return will be key for a Pittsburgh offense that ranked 21st in passing EPA per play during his two-week suspension.

Stingley started the 2025 season in somewhat slow fashion, but has bounced back to play like his usual All-Pro self. Since Week 11, his 84.8 PFF coverage grade has been the second-best among qualified corners, allowing only 12 catches for 132 yards across his final eight games.

It wouldn’t come as a total shock if Stingley shadows Metcalf for much of the game, especially considering he did so against players like Mike Evans and Courtland Sutton. Regardless, whoever comes out on top down the field will be key. Since 2023, Metcalf’s 95.9 deep PFF receiving grade is ninth for qualified receivers, while Stingley’s 65.3 PFF coverage grade on 20-plus-yard throws is 14^th for corners with 200-plus deep coverage snaps.

There’s a real argument that Bills-Jaguars is the single-best game during 2025 Wild-Card Weekend. Both Buffalo and Jacksonville have ingredients to reach Santa Clara, although one will be sent packing after Sunday afternoon. The winner of Hines-Allen vs. Dawkins will likely have a big say in that.

Jacksonville’s defense has been a revelation under Anthony Campanile, placing third in EPA per play in 2025 — and Hines-Allen, as usual, has been an engine. Among qualified edge defenders, Hines-Allen sits 10^th in PFF pass-rush grade (83.9) and sixth in pass-rush win rate (19.2%). Moreover, Hines-Allen is seventh among edge rushers in PFF Wins Above Replacement.

Josh Allen and James Cook are the stars of an excellent Bills offense, but Dawkins should be directly in that conversation as well. He’s kept up his top-notch play with a 73.9 overall PFF grade this season, producing an 81.5 PFF pass-blocking mark. At the same time, Dawkins hasn’t been untouched — he’s yielded six sacks.

Hines-Allen and Dawkins have some history, including last facing one another in Week 3, 2024. In that contest, Dawkins yielded just one pressure on 22 pass-rushing matchups, but was credited with an 18% loss rate. The Bills will hope for a repeat effort in order to protect their own Allen — and perhaps finally make a Super Bowl under his guidance.

It’s true that Rams-Panthers is the least enticing game during the opening postseason slate, but that doesn’t mean some talented players won’t be squaring off. In fact, this repeat game should offer a second look at Nacua vs. Jackson.

Nacua’s 2025 season was arguably his best yet as a pro, which is truly speaking volumes. He was named PFF’s pick for Offensive Player of the Year after generating a 96.3 overall PFF grade with a 96.2 PFF receiving mark and an unreal 3.71 yards per route run — the third-best in a season in PFF history.

Carolina’s defense hasn’t been a strong suit all season, slotting 23^rd in EPA per play. But Jackson has quietly enjoyed an outstanding breakout campaign, playing like one of the better cover corners in the league. His 80.9 PFF coverage grade was the second-highest among qualified corners, and his 72.9 passer rating against is in the 88^th percentile.

The Panthers pulled off a wild 31-28 upset over the Rams in Week 13, and Jackson was a huge component of that. He contained Nacua to only one catch for 31 yards across six matchups while intercepting another target. If Jackson can hold his own against arguably the league’s top receiver yet again, then Carolina’s win probability will wind up much higher.

The 2025 season has been a rather inconsistent one for both the Texans’ offense and the Steelers’ defense, with each possessing talent but never fully realizing potential. Now, the two units clash in Acrisure Stadium — which means we get to see Collins vs. Porter.

Very quietly, Collins assembled another fantastic season with the Texans. His 87.0 PFF receiving grade is the eighth-best for qualified receivers, and his 1.4% drop rate is the second-lowest in the bunch.

After an up-and-down start to his career, Porter has played much more soundly in Year 3. The former second-round pick generated a 74.2 PFF coverage grade while allowing the second-lowest passer rating when targeted (56.2) and placing third in forced incompletion rate (23%).

When Collins faces Porter in man coverage, these two dynamos will put their strengths to the test. Collins possesses an 88.8 receiving mark against man this year, while Porter has allowed only 12 catches in the coverage all season. With Pittsburgh deploying the fourth-highest man coverage clip in 2025, the two physical players should become well-acquainted on Monday night.

The Bears and Packers go to war for the third time in a six-week span, yet there’s hardly any entertainment value lost based on how close the two prior matchups were. Although Christian Watson vs. Jaylon Johnson featured twice in this series, it’s time to pivot for the playoffs — focusing instead on two breakout studs.

Amid the bevy of Bears skill-position players, Loveland has especially distinguished himself in his first season. Among 12 tight ends with at least 80 targets in 2025, Loveland ranks second in PFF receiving grade (83.3), first in yards per route run (1.86) and first in passer rating when targeted (123.1). Moreover, the former 10^th overall pick is in the 57^th percentile in separation rate vs. single coverage.

The Packers’ defense has fallen flat since Micah Parsons’ Week 15 ACL tear, but the team still wields multiple great players — with Cooper an undeniable one. Among qualified linebackers this season, Cooper places sixth in PFF coverage grade (76.5) and yards per reception (7.9) while notching five pass breakups.

Believe it or not, this is the first time in 19 pieces in this series that a tight end vs. linebacker has been featured. But, that’s for good reason: Loveland was guarded by Cooper on 14 matchups during the regular season, with Cooper permitting just two catches for 24 yards. At the same time, the Bears rookie was charted as open on seven of those tries. If Loveland continues to get free over the middle — as he’s been wont to do late in the season — it could propel a Chicago win.

The Texans’ pass rush may be the single most nightmarish unit in the postseason, particularly at edge defender. Teams simply don’t have the resources to account for both Anderson and Danielle Hunter — although possessing a tackle like Fautanu could help.

Anderson is on his way to his first All-Pro nod for the fabulous season he’s enjoyed in 2025. His 26.2% pass-rush win rate is the second-highest in a year in PFF history, and his 0.46 WAR is third among all defensive players.

Fautanu’s second season displayed flashes of his ceiling. The 2024 first-round pick registered a 71.0 PFF pass-blocking grade, but his 97.7 pass-blocking efficiency score is the 10^th-best among qualified tackles. Impressively, the Washington product yielded just two sacks across 634 pass-blocking snaps.

There haven’t been many (if any) tackles to slow down Anderson this season, especially when he can pin his ears back: His pass-rush win rate climbs to an astonishing 33.1% on true pass sets. The Steelers will hope that Fautanu can mitigate the 2023 third overall pick at least somewhat — otherwise being left in a bind of which side to offer chip or double-team help.

Not only does Rams-Panthers present a great matchup on the outside. Two standout players should duke it out on the interior in the trenches.

The Rams’ defense has been one of the best in the league in 2025, and its deep defensive line is a foundation. Jared Verse and Byron Young may attract most publicity, but Turner has blossomed in his third campaign. Turner’s 84.6 PFF pass-rushing grade is the fifth-best among qualified interior defenders, and his 55 pressures are the fifth-most at the position.

The Panthers’ offensive line ranking eighth in overall PFF grade is unquestionably because of Lewis’ efforts. The former big-ticket free agent has paid dividends in Carolina, creating a 79.0 overall PFF grade — the ninth-best among qualified guards since 2024. Impressively, Lewis is in the top 10 in both PFF pass- and run-blocking grade in that window.

With Turner lining up slightly more in the defense’s Right A and B gaps (353 snaps) than the other side (309), that means that he should be guarded by Lewis at least somewhat regularly — setting up a heavyweight fight.

Buffalo’s offense against Jacksonville’s defense is so fascinating that it had to appear twice on this list.

While the Bills don’t boast an elite pass-catching group, Shakir remains a very solid receiving option for Josh Allen. He’s earned a 70.5 PFF receiving grade with 1.71 yards per route run in 2025 while operating out of the slot 70.2% of the time.

Since midseason, Jones has stepped up in a monumental way for the Jaguars. The second-year corner has displayed inside-outside versatility, assuming more of the former role in light of Jourdan Lewis’ unfortunate injury. No matter where he’s played, Jones has been lockdown, registering a 78.7 PFF coverage grade and 62.2 passer rating when targeted.

Shakir will probably encounter a myriad of talented players throughout Campanile’s unit, and Jones won’t make his assignment much easier when the two are lined up against each other.

Despite the fact that the 49ers and Eagles have been consistent titans in the NFC in the last 10-plus years, the teams don’t necessarily present an otherworldly individual matchup in the NFC wild-card game — the Nick Bosa and Fred Warner injuries really suck. At the same time, Jennings vs. Mitchell is a key battle to circle as San Francisco’s offense takes on Philadelphia’s defense.

The 49ers’ unbelievable offense has been powered mostly by Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, but Jennings has played solidly in a thinner wide receiver corps. He’s recorded a 70.6 PFF receiving grade in 2025 with 36 first downs gained, although his yards per route run have dipped from 2.26 to 1.39.

Philadelphia’s defense flexes its muscle at all three levels, but especially in the back end — where Mitchell has been one of the league’s best corners since his arrival. Since 2024, the former first-round pick sits sixth in overall PFF grade (80.9) among corners to play 1,000 or more snaps. In particular, Mitchell’s coverage acumen is near the top of the league, ranking third in PFF coverage grade (87.9) and sixth in passer rating when targeted (69.7) in that same contingent.

The 49ers have enough star power in McCaffrey and Kittle to still cause fits for any defense, even in the playoffs. But if Jennings struggles to separate much against Mitchell, that could swing the pendulum in the Eagles’ favor on Saturday afternoon.