With the regular season coming to an end, we fasten our sights onto the Wild Card Round. We saw a lot of teams sneak into the action while some others got bounced out by unlucky outcomes. To start, let’s dive into one of the most exciting rematches this weekend.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals get to square off for the second time this season in the opening round of postseason action. The Bengals demolished the Raiders on the road the last time they faced off, and with the game being played in Cincinnati this time around, the Raiders could be in trouble. It is the first time each of these quarterbacks are in a playoff game in the NFL, with Derek Carr and Joe Burrow getting major opportunities here. This is going to be one exciting match between two gritty, tough rosters.
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
Welcome to round three of this boxing match. The Patriots won the first matchup due to horrible weather conditions and the Bills stole the show in their second. Buffalo came away with the division title and clinched home field advantage, something that will wind up being huge down the stretch of this game. If Buffalo wants to win, Josh Allen will have to let it fly and dominate the game like he usually does. For the Patriots, they need to run the football and avoid falling behind early or else this game will be over before it starts.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Eagles snuck into the playoffs and despite getting blasted for 50 points against the Dallas Cowboys last week, a lot of their starters were rested to prepare for this matchup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot of players missing due to injuries, and frankly if it weren’t for their easy end of schedule, they could be a lot worse off. Playing the Carolina Panthers, then the New York Jets and the Panthers again in the last three weeks doesn’t scream Super Bowl contention just yet. Tom Brady shouldn’t be doubted in the playoffs though, and I don’t know if Jalen Hurts is ready for that stage himself.
San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys
The 49ers broke the hearts of all New Orleans Saints fans last week when they beat the Los Angeles Rams in overtime with an interception. Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t look great, but their whole offense was carried by Deebo Samuel, so it didn’t really matter in the end. They also have a strong defense led by Fred Warner in the middle. The Cowboys have had some rough outings this year, but we can’t ignore their ridiculously high-powered offense led by Dak Prescott. When healthy, Dallas is a Super Bowl contender. Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs need to be ready to play after missing last week’s outing as well.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Everyone was surprised when they found out that the Pittsburgh Steelers made it into the playoffs. In what is likely Ben Roethlisberger’s final season on the field, hopefully he gets a chance to win this game in the end. Pittsburgh has a lot of holes on this roster, but they definitely fight until the end. Except that the last time these two teams met, the Chiefs blew them out by 30 and dominated the whole game. This one should be different, and the Chiefs have shown some weakness the last few weeks. Expect a hard-fought game.
Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams
This divisional game will be the best of the week. The Cardinals have been crumbling in recent weeks but looking at their roster it’s impossible to count them out of any game. Especially when they are so familiar with their opponent. The Rams just lost to the 49ers but won their previous two games before that. However, Matthew Stafford and the offense have made a good number of mistakes lately. Neither of these teams look great at the moment, but both have found ways to win. This is definitely going to be exciting.
