Somehow, the NFL converted a fourth and long after another into a treacherous 100-meter pandemic minefield. Now, the pandemic playoffs begin on Saturday, with 14 masked teams as desperate to stay socially away from a diabolical virus for a long time as they are to march towards Tampa and the Super Bowl LV in preparation for the definitive “Survivor” game.
The Browns, who have not experienced the playoffs since 2002, were hit in the solar plexus when coach / player Kevin Stefanski and left guard Joel Bitonio were placed on the COVID-19 list and declared out of their wild-card confrontation against the Steelers.
Here’s what Serby Crystal Ball sees:
WILD CARD ROUND
Indianapolis Colts (7) in Buffalo Bills (2):
The pain of blowing up a 16-point lead in an overtime defeat for the Texans in last year’s wild card round took coaches’ division champions Sean McDermott and the 6,772 Bills Mafia members who will be allowed to attend.
The Colts’ talented defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, has a fast unit who is adept at takeaways and running attacks, but his 18th-ranked pass defense will have his hands full with MVP caliber double threat quarterback Josh Allen. He will need the stallions Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner to make an impact.
Bill’s wide receivers, Isaiah McKenzie and newcomer Gabriel Davis, will have to play a bigger role for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll if WR Cole Beasley (knee) is limited or marginalized. Stefon Diggs and Xavier Rhodes fought as teammates for the Vikings, and they can quickly meet again.
This is Philip Rivers’ last desperate attempt to win that first Super Bowl championship. He will need another 253-yard run day of rookie running back Jonathan Taylor behind bone-destroying guard Quenton Nelson, with Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White covering WR TY Hilton.
Forecast: Bills 27, Colts 21. Buffalo’s first playoff victory since the 1995 season.
Los Angeles Rams (6) in Seattle Seahawks (3):
If Jared Goff (thumb surgery) cannot go, Sean McVay will turn to John Wolford, who failed to beat Sam Darnold as an uncapped free agent on the 2018 training ground. Either way, WRs Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are devalued, and the Seahawks put the number 5 in the defense of races.
The defense of Seattle coach Pete Carroll needs security Jamal Adams (shoulder) and defensive Jarran Reed (oblique), who recorded two sacks in the 20-9 win in Week 16. When in doubt, let Russell Wilson cook against the defense number 3, but if he again avoids playing for DK Metcalf against Jalen Ramsey, he will need to join Tyler Lockett. The offensive line Seahawks is back together for the first time since week 14 to face Aaron Donald.
Forecast: Seahawks 24, Rams 17. Russell Wilson finds a way.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) on the Washington Football Team (7):
Just don’t expect Bruce Arians doug-pederson Tom Brady in the fourth period of a close game for Blaine Gabbert. The new defensive side in Washington, Chase Young, wanted Brady up, now he has it. WFT coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio have a defensive line that can give Brady flashbacks of Super Bowl 42 against the Giants. And your secondary liver is not stung.
Brady will try to pass the ball quickly to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and old friend Rob Gronkowski. Even without rookie linebacker Devin White, Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator Todd Bowles pitches a No. 1 run defense that will slow RB Antonio Gibson and force Alex Smith to operate a one-dimensional attack under duress. Smith will need to pass the ball to WR Terry McLaurin and tight end Logan Thomas. Can Rivera run Smith and Taylor Heinicke? A Heineken or three is recommended for the WFT fan.
Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Washington 17. Brady hopes Bill Belichick is watching.
Baltimore Ravens (5) in Tennessee Titans (4):
Hide women and children. A rematch of last year’s divisional round was shaken by the Titans in Baltimore, when Derrick Henry fell to 195 yards and they forced Lamar Jackson to play catch-up. Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams must face the attacker. But it may be a case of choosing your poison, with Ryan Tannehill targeting WRs AJ Brown and Corey Davis – which is where linebacker Yannick Ngakoue and CBs Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters need to make a difference.
The emergence of newcomer RB JK Dobbins gives Jackson a partner in crime. Jackson is driven to win his first playoff game in three attempts. His 46 touchdowns without an interception in the red zone speak for themselves, so be careful with TE Mark Andrews and WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Placekicker Justin Tucker is a weapon.
Prediction: Ravens 30, Titans 24. A bloodbath until the end.
Chicago Bears (7) in the New Orleans Saints (2):
The passing race for Bears ‘defensive coordinator, Chuck Pagano, fell recently, and Drew Brees was fired only once (Khalil Mack) in 41 passing attempts in the Saints’ 26-23 OT win in November in Chicago.
Nick Foles will not be the opponent quarterback this time. That would be Mitch Trubisky, the one that GM Ryan Pace preferred to Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky and WR Allen Robinson will not have an easy life against an elite secondary led by CB Marshon Lattimore and S Marcus Williams.
Chicago RB David Montgomery faces fourth position in defense. Santos WR Michael Thomas (ankle) will be back after a three-week absence, and RB Alvin Kamara (COVID-19 list) is expected to be released. What tricks from Taysom Hill can Sean Payton have up his sleeve?
Prediction: Santos 27, Bears 13. Brees (24 touchdowns, six interceptions), recovered from his 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung, begins one last race in the Super Bowl.
Cleveland Browns (6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3):
Visitors have lost 17 consecutive times in Pittsburgh, but Baker Mayfield doesn’t care about that. But he will worry that Stefanski and Bitonio are not left out. Is Jim Brown available to call moves? Johnny Manziel, perhaps? Good luck, Mike Priefer!
Myles Garrett keeps his helmet, but will not be supported by Olivier Vernon (torn ACL) to chase Ben Roethlisberger. Watch out for Diontae Johnson, if he takes the butter out of his fingers, and Chase Claypool. When Mayfield isn’t trying to keep Big Ben aside with a good dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, he will likely target Steeler CB Cam Sutton, a likely replacement for Joe Haden (COVID-19 list). TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are game creators.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Browns 24. Big Ben and Mike Tomlin know how to win these games.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Baltimore Ravens (5) in Kansas City Chiefs (1)
The Chiefs are the owners of the 21st rush defense, which could mean trouble for Jackson if he kept Patrick Mahomes aside. But defending champions will rest assured after goodbye, while the Ravens may be exhausted from the wild card game. Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Don “Wink” Martindale, failed to stop Mahomes (385 yards and four TDs) from beating Jackson (97 passing yards, 83 yards running) in a 34-20 Chiefs victory in September.
Prediction: Chiefs 30, Ravens 24: Kansas City coach Andy Reid is 5-2 after weeks of farewell in the playoffs and 18-3 in the regular season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) in Green Bay Packers (1)
A rubber match between Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay RB Aaron Jones will have a difficult sled race against that group, and the loss of elite left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) could make Davante Adams less dangerous. A resurgent Packers rush, an arctic Lambeau Field and the brightness of the A-Rod make the difference.
Prediction: Packers 27, Buccaneers 24. Belichick exhales.
Pittsburgh Steelers (3) at Buffalo Bills (2)
I doubt that Juju Smith-Schuster is dancing on the Bills logo this time. Buffalo’s defense of Leslie Frazier filled James Conner (10-18 runs) and intercepted Big Ben twice, once against the 26-15 Taron Johnson corner, in a 26-15 home win last month. Tomlin would need Haden because Stefon Diggs (10-130 receiving) dominated last time.
Forecast: Bills 26, Steelers 24. Allen has his guys believing.
Seattle Seahawks (3) in New Orleans Saints (2):
Wilson played for 406 yards and two TDs and ran for 51 yards and two TDs in a 33-27 home loss early last season to Santos led by Teddy Bridgewater. Adams gives the Hawks a growing Boom Legion mentality and a defensive stance. Newbie LB Jordyn Brooks could chase Kamara. Trey Hendrickson and Cam Jordan bring the heat, but Wilson may still be Houdini.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Saints 24. The last time Brees, Thomas and Kamara played a complete game together was in week 9. I see a turning point.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo Accounts (2) in Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Dream quarterback fight. The last one with the ball wins. There goes Tyreek Hill. There goes Diggs. A nasty pass from Mahomes to Travis Kelce. Has anyone seen John Brown?
Preview: Bills 35, Chiefs 33. Allen gets the ball last.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Seattle Seahawks (3) in Green Bay Packers (1):
Eight years after Mary’s failure. A rematch of the Packers’ 28-23 victory last year in the divisional round at Lambeau, in which Davante Adams and Lockett were unstoppable. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon give Rodgers the balance that Wilson will not have. Adams better watch out for the Packers tight end, Robert Tonyan.
Prediction: Packers 28, Seahawks 23. If it snows, enjoy Rodgers. If not, take advantage of Rodgers.
SUPER BOWL 55
Buffalo Bills x Green Bay Packers:
Jim Kelly shares a suite with Marv Levy and on the right is Scott Norwood and his socially estranged wife. Rodgers quickly throws TD passes to Allen Lazard and Marques Valdes-Scantling, and Kelly and Levy are wearing that let’s go look again. But these Bills refuse to be haunted by their tortured Super Bowl story.
Allen responded with TD passes to John Brown and Dawson Knox before Rodgers found Adams in the end zone. Allen yawns and responds with a TD bomb for Diggs. Jones gets a TD pass. Allen relates this to a TD race. Mason Crosby kicks a field goal. The last one with the ball wins. And it’s Allen – with a last-minute TD release, eligible for tackle, for Dion Dawkins. Kelly is sobbing tears of joy.
Forecast: Bills 35, Packers 31. Wings for the Bills Mafia and a lifelong prayer answered.