How to watch Saturday wild card games: Seahawks at 49ers, Chargers at Jaguars

New York Giants fans will have to wait til Sunday to catch the team’s first playoff game since 2016, but two Wild Card games on Saturday should help keep you busy. The Seattle Seahawks will take on the San Francisco 49ers in a game that will directly affect the Giants’ playoff path, and the Los Angeles Chargers will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars for a showdown between two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.

Geno Smith’s first-ever playoff start will be a challenging one. The 49ers enter Saturday with a league-best 10-game win streak and have already beaten the Seahawks twice this season. Even after losing two starting quarterbacks, rookie Brock Purdy has San Francisco rolling. Purdy has already thrown 13 touchdown passes and the 49ers have scored over 30 points in all but one of his six starts.

That’s no reason to count Seattle out. Despite some late season issues, the Seahawks earned a playoff berth with a Week 18 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle’s defense held the 49ers to 21 points in their last matchup and allowed 30 points only four times this season. They are, however, allowing 150 rushing yards per game — not a good stat for a date with Christian McCaffrey.

Giants fans will likely be rooting for a Seattle upset. If the Seahawks win, they would play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round. The Giants would face either the Dallas Cowboys or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Later, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence will make their playoff debuts. There’s arguably more pressure on Herbert than any other player on Saturday. The third-year star is already one of the best players in the league — 4,739 passing yards this year are second only to Patrick Mahomes — but that has yet to translate to success for the Chargers. Los Angeles will also be without wide receiver Mike Williams.

The Jaguars put together a five-game win streak at the end of the season to win the AFC South and sneak into the playoffs after a 2-6 start. Lawrence has been living up to his status as a former No. 1 overall pick, and the defense has shown they can be dominant at times. However, there have been mishaps. The Jaguars recently allowed 40 points to both the Cowboys and the Lions, so there’s reason to believe they could struggle with the Chargers’ elite offense.

The Jaguars crushed Los Angeles 38-10 in Week 3.

How to watch

What: Seattle Seahawks (9-8) at San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

When: Saturday, Jan. 14
Where: Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
Game time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver & Kristina Pink (field reporters)
Radio: National Radio: Westwood One; Sirius channels: 81 (49ers), 82 (Seahawks), 88 (National); XM channels: 226 (49ers), 225 (Seahawks), 88 (National)
Online streaming: Fubo | NFL Game Pass (Free trial)
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds: 49ers -9.5
Referee: Alex Kemp

What: Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

When: Saturday, Jan. 14
Where: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Game time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, Tony Dungy, Kaylee Hartung (field reporter)
Radio: National Radio: Westwood One; Sirius channels: 81 (Jaguars), 82 (Chargers), 88 (National); XM channels: 226 (Jaguars), 225 (Chargers), 88 (National)
Online streaming: Fubo | NFL Game Pass (Free trial)
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds: Chargers -2.5
Referee: Shawn Smith

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