Five best wide receiver performances from the wild-card round

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After diving into the top wide receivers by PFF receiving grade all year, we're doing the same for the wild-card round. These were the five highest-graded wide receivers during the opening week of the playoffs. To qualify, players needed to have logged at least 15 receiving snaps.

1. Christian Kirk, Houston Texans (91.8)

Kirk was unstoppable against the Steelers, bringing in each of his eight targets for a career-high 144 yards. It was also his first 100-yard game since 2023. 

Kirk feasted in his matchups against Brandin Echols. He got behind the cornerback for a diving 36-yard catch on a third-down play in the first quarter. He later secured an underneath catch against Echols and took it six yards for a touchdown to give Houston its first score of the game. Kirk closed out the third quarter by beating Echols downfield in single coverage for a 46-yard gain on another third-down play.

He got the best of Echols again late in the fourth quarter, this time taking an underneath target 33 yards deep into Pittsburgh territory with the Texans up by 13.

Kirk averaged 6.26 yards per route run and 7.0 yards after the catch per reception in the game. He finished the game with six first downs and generated a perfect passer rating when targeted.

The 29-year-old was a third-down weapon against the Steelers. He has caught 18 passes on 28 conversion-down targets this season for 232 yards and 12 first downs. Kirk has logged four explosive gains on those plays and is averaging 5.3 yards after the catch per reception. He leads Houston’s receiver group in threat rate (23.9%) and PFF receiving grade (69.8) on third- and fourth-down plays.

Those efforts propelled the Texans to the divisional round, where they will face the Patriots. Kirk enters the matchup with 36 catches for 383 yards and two touchdowns in his eighth season. Half of his receptions this season have gone for first downs (18), and he has also made six catches of 15-plus yards.

2. Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers (90.0)

Golden hauled in four of six targets for 84 yards and a touchdown — the first of his NFL career. The score came with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, as he took a screen pass 23 yards to the endzone, breaking three tackles along the way.

That wasn’t Golden’s only explosive gain. He was also able to break free from Jaylon Johnson early in the second quarter for a 36-yard pickup. He also gained a first down with every catch.

Golden finished his rookie campaign having caught 33 of 46 targets for 445 yards. He moved the chains 20 times and recorded 11 catches of 15-plus yards en route to a 72.5 PFF receiving grade this season —fifth best among rookie receivers.

The first-rounder logged PFF receiving grades of 83.9 or higher at every depth of the field, with his best work coming from 10-plus yards out. He caught seven of eight targets at the intermediate level for 90 yards, earning a 94.9 PFF receiving grade on those plays. Most of his receiving yards this season came from deep passes, of which he caught seven of 15 for 233 yards, leading all rookies with a 98.0 PFF receiving grade on those plays.

3. Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars (88.6)

Washington brought in seven of 10 targets for 107 yards in his first playoff appearance. He made a leaping 34-yard catch down the middle over the Bills‘ Cole Bishop with 15 seconds left in the first half. He later worked his way around Christian Benford for a six-yard touchdown catch to give Jacksonville the lead early in the fourth quarter. Washington also logged a 31-yard catch with just over seven minutes remaining to take the Jaguars deep into Buffalo territory. He finished the game with five first downs while averaging 4.46 yards per route run.

Washington enjoyed a breakout third season, emerging as Jacksonville’s leading receiver in 2025, with 65 catches for 954 yards and six touchdowns at a 28.5% adjusted target rate. He was one of the most explosive receivers in the league, racking up 19 catches of 20-plus yards (tied for sixth most) while forcing 12 missed tackles.

He gained 42 first downs, averaged 4.6 yards after the catch per reception and amassed the ninth-most yards after contact (190). Washington also placed in the top 15 in yards per route run (2.19) among receivers with at least 50 targets this season.

The 5-foot-10 receiver brought down 19 of 29 contested targets for 261 yards and four touchdowns — both top-10 marks. He gained 13 first downs (tied for seventh most), recorded eight catches of 15-plus yards (tied for fifth most) and produced a fifth-ranked 92.1 PFF receiving grade on contested catches.

Most of Washington’s receiving yards this season also came between the numbers. He caught 38 passes for 539 yards and 24 first downs on those plays. Three of his six touchdowns this season came from that area of the field, leading to an 85.6 PFF receiving grade (11th best).

4. Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers (87.8)

Robinson notched his first 100-yard game of the season, powered by six catches for 111 yards in the 49ers' victory over the Eagles. He was hot right out of the gate, beating All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell for a 61-yard gain on the second play from scrimmage, slipping two tackles along the way.

He ended that drive by beating Mitchell again for a two-yard touchdown catch — the game’s first score. Robinson wasn’t done, as he stiff-armed Adoree' Jackson for a 15-yard sideline catch in the second quarter and beat him again across the middle for a 16-yard gain late in the fourth quarter. Robinson averaged 7.3 yards after the catch per reception and 3.96 yards per route run while generating a perfect passer rating when targeted.

The 10th-year pro has caught 28 of 38 targets for 387 yards and 20 first downs this season. He has also secured seven of nine contested targets. Robinson has been able to stretch the field for the 49ers, with six gains of 20-plus yards, while both of his touchdowns this season have come on passes of 10-plus yards.

Most of Robinson’s targets (17) have come between 10 and 19 yards downfield, where he’s caught 13 passes for 235 yards en route to a team-high 98.0 PFF receiving grade at the intermediate level. He has also reeled in four of six targets from 20-plus yards out for 97 yards, earning an elite 92.0 PFF receiving grade on those plays (second best on the team).

5. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (87.5)

Doubs' eight catches for 124 yards and a touchdown paced the Packers' receiving corps in the team's loss to the Bears. The score came on fourth-and-1 with two minutes remaining in the second quarter to give Green Bay a 20-3 lead. 

Doubs also logged three catches of 20-plus yards. He worked Jaylon Johnson downfield for a 33-yard gain on third-and-short late in the first quarter. He later came across the middle with room to run for a 22-yard pickup midway through the fourth quarter and brought down a spectacular one-handed grab over Kyler Gordon for 34-yards with just over three minutes remaining.

Doubs gained seven first downs and generated a 140.0 passer rating when targeted in the game. He averaged 5.1 yards after the catch per reception and 3.44 yards per route run. 

Christian Watson emerged as the Packers’ top receiving option once he returned to the field (team high 26.4% adjusted target rate) in Week 8, but it was Doubs who led the team in targets (94), catching 63 passes for 848 yards and 48 first downs — also team highs. The pending free agent tied Watson with seven touchdown catches and recorded 48 first downs (top-15 mark) and 24 explosive gains.

The fourth-year receiver dominated his single-coverage matchups, leading the Packers with 21 catches for 270 yards on such plays. He averaged 4.8 yards after the catch per reception and placed in the top 10 in first downs (19) and touchdowns (six) against single coverage, earning himself a 76.5 PFF receiving grade.

Doubs was also strong against zone coverage, where he caught 36 of 48 targets for 508 yards, a touchdown and 24 first downs. He secured 10 of 16 contested targets en route to a 78.2 PFF receiving grade against zone looks.