NFL Wild Card X-Factors: Can Browns' Njoku stay hot against Houston?

The best way to describe the 2023 NFL season has been "parity."

Teams that were flying high early on have come back down to Earth, unlikely playoff teams have emerged — Houston, we do not have a problem — and more than half the league has turned to backup quarterbacks.

The slate gets wiped clean as we turn our attention to the playoffs.

Will productive regular-season players turn into household names under the bright lights of prime time?

Let’s take a look at one player from each game this weekend who has a chance to play post-season hero.

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns | @ Houston Texans, Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET

Joe Flacco could have been the pick here, primarily because his story — coming off the couch to lead the Browns back to the playoffs — is still almost too unbelievable, even by Hollywood standards. His play has been so steady, however, that we’ll shift our focus away from the reliable veteran and onto someone who could prove to be his favourite target on Saturday against Houston.

Enter Njoku. The first-time Pro Bowler has seen a whopping 45 targets over the five weeks Flacco has been on the field for the Browns, which has translated to 30 catches, 390 yards and five touchdowns. It’ll be important for head coach Kevin Stefanski to keep him involved.

After wideout Amari Cooper, there aren’t many consistent options in the Browns’ passing game, and Njoku has a chance to help buoy Flacco all the way to the Divisional round.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins | @ Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday 8 p.m. ET

Waddle’s status for the weekend is still up in the air — he’s been limited in practice for most of this past week — but even in what has been considered a down year, he still cracked 1,000 yards receiving in 14 games played.

His importance to this offence can’t be understated. He’s put in motion on virtually every play, and his blazing speed has prevented defences from keying in solely on fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The high ankle sprain sustained in Week 16 will undoubtedly prevent him from playing at 100 per cent, but if he can be out there, it opens up Mike McDaniel’s playbook not only for Hill, but for running backs Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane. McDaniel will need all options open against the defending Super Bowl champs.

Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills | vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday 4:30 p.m. ET

One of the big questions surrounding the Bills passing game for much of the season has been pretty straightforward: after wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who’s going to step up for quarterback Josh Allen?

It’s a question that's a little harder to answer after wide receiver Gabe Davis went down with a knee injury during Sunday’s AFC East-clinching win over the Dolphins. In his absence, Shakir stepped up with six catches for 105 yards, often finding soft coverage all over the field and using his speed to get past Miami’s defenders with ease.

Even with Joe Brady now calling plays on offence for Buffalo, the passing game has still struggled to find consistency amidst turnovers and shaky red zone play. Shakir will be asked to bring some stability to Allen’s pass-catching group as the Bills look to get past a Steelers defence reeling with injuries.

Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers | @ Dallas Cowboys, Sunday 4:30 p.m. ET

Down the stretch of the season, it’s been tough to describe Reed as anything but a star. Over his last four games of the regular season, he compiled 30 targets for 24 catches, 280 yards, and three touchdown grabs.

He has become the security blanket for quarterback Jordan Love, also getting some usage in the running game amidst injuries to running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.

Reed is the Packers’ 2023 leader in receptions, receiving yards and total touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing), and with Love likely in tough against Micah Parsons and friends in Dallas, the QB is going to need Reed to continue his steady play against a Cowboys defence playing in front of a rowdy home crowd.

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams | @ Detroit Lions, Sunday 8 p.m. ET

After winning the Super Bowl a few seasons ago, the Rams remain bereft of both draft capital and cap space, which necessitated production out of the few moves the team was able to make on the margins.

With Robinson, they have found it. From Week 13 to Week 17 (he sat out the regular season finale), he caught four touchdowns on 21 catches, compiling 319 receiving yards.

On an offence that already experienced breakout seasons from both Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, quarterback Matthew Stafford has often found Robinson when plays break down. Against a Lions defence that gives up 336.1 yards on average (but still has a pretty lethal pass rush) Robinson will be asked to fill that safety valve role once more.

Matt Patricia, Philadelphia Eagles defensive play-caller | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday 8 p.m. ET

For a team coming off a 10-1 start to the season — and a run to the Super Bowl last winter — the Eagles find themselves in an odd place defensively, handing the headset to Patricia instead of Sean Desai (who remains the defensive coordinator in name only).

Unfortunately, it has not made a huge difference as the 2023 Eagles defence is 20th in sacks (43), 27th in tackles for loss (73), 25th in interceptions (9), and 15th in quarterback hits (106). They now have the daunting task of facing off against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White and Baker Mayfield, who just set a career-high in completions, passing yards and touchdown throws.

The Eagles actually beat the Buccaneers 25-11 back in September, holding them to just 174 yards of total offence. That was when Desai was calling the plays on defence. Will Patricia's turn at Mayfield and the Bucs look differently? For better or worse, we’ll find out on Monday night.