San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

The 49ers decided in pre-season that Trey Lance would be their starting quarterback for the season and it didn't get off to the best start with a loss in the driving rain against the Chicago Bears. In week two, Lance suffered a season-ending injury and Jimmy Garoppolo - who had said goodbye to the team - came back in and despite some early struggles lead them to an 8-4 record.

Garoppolo suffered a broken foot that ended his season and it may have seemed like all hope was lost, there was talk of Baker Mayfield. But up stepped Mr Irrelevant, the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Brock Purdy. The seventh round pick lead the 49ers to a win over the Miami Dolphins in relief of Garoppolo and in his first start beat Tom Brady.

The 49ers never lost a game moving from 8-4 to 13-4 and gave themselves a shot at the number one seed. They have caught fire at the right time and with their vaulted defence and a quarterback posting a 107.3 passer rating with 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. They are the two seed and a real threat to the NFC.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Seattle Seahawks (9-8)

The Seahawks traded franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos prior to the season and it seemed like they was preparing for a rebuild. But a week one "upset" set their season on the right path as Geno Smith impressed in a win over the Denver Broncos led by their former quarterback.

It was an up and down season for the Seahawks who followed up that week one win with losses against tonight's opponents and the Atlanta Falcons. Going one and three over the four games following their week one loss seemingly set them on a downward path but Seattle has battled all season and gave themselves a chance at making the play-offs as the season was coming to an end.

Key contributions from rookies Tariq Woolen and Kenneth Walker powered Seattle down the stretch. On the final day of the season a win over NFC West rivals L.A. Rams meant they were in the play-offs, for the time being. They waited with bated breath as the Detroit Lions took on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night and with Detroit's win, Seattle found themselves with a date against their rivals in the NFC Wildcard round.

Image source, Getty Images

San Francisco's rookie QB Brock Purdy was taken with the very last pick of the 2022 Draft - which comes with it a rather cruel nickname of Mr Irrelevant.

They even put it on your shirt!

Purdy was seen as an afterthought and third-choice QB, yet when Trey Lance and then Jimmy Garoppolo got injured, Purdy had to step up.

And he's stepped up in style, winning all five of his starts and becoming very relevant indeed, but how will he take to play-off football?

Both Seattle's Geno Smith and San Francisco's Brock Purdy are playing in their first play-off game, but that's about where the comparisons end.

Smith is playing in his 10th season of what has been a journeyman career until this season, while rookie Purdy will be starting just his sixth NFL game tonight...

Image source, Getty Images

This year, the wildcard round will be just the fifth time that every single game of the round will be a rematch of the regular season - and what's more three of them are divisional games meaning they've already played each other twice this season.

It's the 49ers first up tonight as they face divisional rivals the Seattle Seahawks.

How do the play-offs work? Who is involved this year? What are the big storylines to look out for?

Get the answers to all these questions, and more, in Ben Collins' preview to the play-offs.

Read our essential guide to the play-offs

Image source, Getty Images

Here. We. Go!

It's time for the NFL play-offs, with 12 of our 14 hopefuls in action across three days of pulsating win-or-go-home pigskin action.

The lights are just that much brighter in the post-season, the pressure that bit more intense and the stakes so much higher - one mistake here and that could be the end of your season.

We've got two fantastic games for you tonight, with the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Seattle Seahawks before the Los Angeles Chargers travel to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

So sit back, fuel up on snacks and get ready for the start of the play-offs. This will be fun.