Canadians will play a part in these wide-open NFL playoffs

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The NFL playoffs kick off with a pair of games Saturday, three more Sunday and another on Monday night. Heading into Wild Card Weekend, there's no clear favourite to win Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Arizona. Kansas City and Philadelphia are the top seeds in the AFC and NFC, giving them each a first-round bye and the additional advantage of never having to play a road game in the post-season. But the betting markets give both K.C. and Philly about the same odds of reaching the Super Bowl as the next-best team in their conference — Buffalo and San Francisco, respectively.

Those two contenders will both take on divisional rivals this weekend. Here's a little to know about all six matchups, including some Canadians who could make an impact:

Seattle (9-8) vs. San Francisco (13-4) — Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET: After (wisely) moving on from aging quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks got a career year from Geno Smith and surprisingly snuck into the playoffs as the seventh and final qualifier in the NFC. The 49ers could have gone bust when their top two QBs (Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo) suffered season-ending injuries. But third-stringer Brock Purdy (the last man taken in this year's draft) has more than picked up the slack for a team stocked with offensive stars (Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle), the league's best defence and one of the most creative head coaches in Kyle Shanahan.

Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) — Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET: Despite having an elite quarterback (Justin Herbert) and running back (Austin Ekeler) and a scary-looking defence, the perennially underachieving Chargers limped to a wild card. Jacksonville won its showdown with Tennessee for the AFC South title last Saturday night, completing a stunning comeback after finishing dead last in the NFL a year ago. Up to three Canadians could see action in this game, topped by Chargers receiver Josh Palmer. The second-year man made 72 catches for 769 yards and three touchdowns for an L.A. team dogged by injuries to its top receivers. Defensive back Deane Leonard and linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga, former teammates at Notre Dame high school in Calgary, play sparingly for the Chargers.

New York Giants (9-7-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (13-4) — Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET: Coach-of-the-year candidate Brian Daboll, who was born in Welland, Ont., and grew up in Buffalo, transformed the Giants from laughingstock to playoff team in his first season after they  poached him from the Bills. Finally healthy again, New York's Saquon Barkley rushed for more than 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns for the first time since his electrifying rookie season five years ago. Minnesota might be a mirage after somehow going 13-4 with a negative point differential. But the Vikings beat the Bills in Buffalo in the most exciting game of the NFL season and have the league's best receiver in Justin Jefferson.

Baltimore Ravens (10-7) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) — Sunday at 8:15 p.m. ET: The NFL normally puts its best matchup in the Sunday-night slot. But this one could be a dud if Baltimore's MVP-calibre QB Lamar Jackson misses his sixth straight game with a knee injury that was initially supposed to sideline him for only a week or two. The current 7-point spread in favour of Cincy suggests the betting markets are cautiously pessimistic about Jackson, who doesn't have a contract for next year, suiting up. Confident passer Joe Burrow, boosted by frightening receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, leads the Bengals. Canadian defensive lineman Brett Urban made the stat sheet in 11 of Baltimore's last 12 games, recording 20 tackles and a sack.

Dallas Cowboys (12-5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) — Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET: Excluding 2008, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game, Tom Brady has made the playoffs 18 years in a row. That streak may have ended this season if the Bucs didn't play in the forgiving NFC South, where a sub-.500 record was enough to win the division. It's been a rough year for Brady, who went through a divorce and finally started looking his age (45) on the field. But, in what's possibly his last dance, Brady has home-field advantage and a puncher's chance against the Cowboys, who have their own QB concerns after Dak Prescott tied for the league lead in interceptions. Canadian Neville Gallimore starts at defensive tackle for Dallas. As one of the big guys in the middle who supports star pass rusher Micah Parsons, Gallimore registered 33 tackles and a sack this season.