The NFL has gone through all 256 games, no matter how tenuous, completing the regular season. Now, an expanded field of 14 teams enters the playoffs with the chance to qualify for the Super Bowl LV, which is scheduled to take place on February 7 in Tampa, Florida. The format, designed to balance issues related to the season’s pandemic, resulted in six games this weekend, instead of the usual four. He also left only two teams with farewells in the first round, which was bad news for the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints, who would have been able to stay out of this round in a typical season.
Here’s a look at the wildcard round. Unlike the regular season, these choices are not made against the spread.
Saturday matches
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills, 1:05 pm, CBS
Line: Accounts -6.5 | Total: 51
One of these teams finished in the top 10 of the NFL in attack and defense, and it was not the Bills (13-3). The Colts (11-5) were extremely inconsistent, barely qualified for the playoffs (Buffalo’s bursting victory over Miami in week 17 helped considerably) and had a bad habit of wearing out as the games progressed. Despite this, they ended up with the statistics of a solid competitor and the best franchise record since 2014.
This could quickly collapse against Buffalo.
Bills’ success begins with quarterback Josh Allen, who progressed from an error-prone gunman to a legitimate Most Valuable Player Award candidate, leading Buffalo to the first division title since 1995. A good deal of that improvement must be attributed to the arrival wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whose presence opened the field for Cole Beasley and John Brown. Buffalo finished second in the NFL in scoring and closed the season with a streak of six consecutive wins, in which the team’s average was 38.2 points per game.
The Bills’ defense was not as statistically high, but cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds led a unit that tied with the third highest number of takeaways in the NFL. at the end of the season, victories over the Chargers and the Steelers.
The biggest factor in this game is likely to be the weather. It is expected to be around 30 degrees in Orchard Park, NY, on Saturday afternoon, and Indianapolis quarterback Philip Rivers has not won with an initial temperature below 35 degrees since Week 12 of the 2013 season. One The 39-year-old defender who has spent most of his career playing in hot climates or domes is not a recipe for January’s success in western New York. To choose: Accounts
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 4:40 pm, Fox
Line: Seahawks -4 | Total: 42.5
The fact that we are debating whether quarterback Jared Goff can play is proof of medical advances or his endurance, or both. Goff had surgery on the thumb of his throwing hand on December 28 – which would allow only 11 days of recovery and rehabilitation. Coach Sean McVay said that Goff is playing in practice and “getting ready to play”, but if he is dropped, Rams (10-6) would again turn to John Wolford, the pride and joy of the Alliance of American Football and the surprise winner of his first NFL start, which happened on week 17.
Whether it’s Wolford or a limited version of Goff, the Rams must be unlucky against the Seahawks (12-4). Seattle’s attack was never questioned – Russell Wilson is a threat to throw a touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf in almost every play – but after a brutal start to the season, the Seahawks’ defense has improved considerably. The only consolation for Los Angeles is that Seattle may be without Jamal Adams security and defensive tackle Jarran Reed, which would significantly weaken the Seahawks’ rush pass.
At full strength, this probably would have been an excellent game among the NFC West heavyweights. And you can’t count on the Rams while defensive tackle Aaron Donald – one of the best NFL players in any position – is around. But when viewed in its reduced form, this game leans towards Seattle. To choose: Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the Washington Football Team, 8:15 pm, NBC
Line: Buccaneers -8 | Total: 45
Winning your division is important. Footballers (7-9) have the worst record of any playoff team – they tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks with the worst record of a playoff team in NFL history – but they can host a game against the Buccaneers (11- 5) because Tampa Bay is a wildcard participant. It may seem unfair, but it was not Washington’s fault that the Buccaneers lost both games against division rival New Orleans (by a combined score of 72-26).
The advantage of playing at home should not be ignored, and Washington’s defense should provide a bright future, but Tampa Bay is expected to win easily. Tom Brady and the Bucs’ attack collapsed, ending the season with a streak of four consecutive games in which they averaged 37 points per game. And the Tampa Bay defender, who specializes in reaching the quarterback, must have an eventful day thanks to the limited mobility of Alex Smith, who is not 100 percent after a calf injury on the same leg that almost ended his career.
If there is a path to victory for football players, it would start with the twists and turns caused by Chase Young and Washington’s defense. Young, a new defensive striker, seems to have jumped from a promising player to a superstar. Your successful playoff day will probably come, but not this week. To choose: Privateers
Baltimore Ravens on the Tennessee Titans, 1:05 pm, ABC and ESPN
Line: Ravens -3 | Total: 55
Only two road teams are favored this weekend, and although Tampa Bay won that distinction thanks to Washington’s ineptitude, the Ravens (11-5) arrived there looking almost unbeatable in the last five weeks of the season.
Somewhat canceled after a lull in the middle of the season, Baltimore took advantage of a smooth schedule to get things right, winning five consecutive games with an aggregate score of 186-89. The formula was familiar, with the Ravens running over 230 yards in four of the five games, but it was clear that a fire was caused by quarterback Lamar Jackson, who largely recovered the form that made him the most valuable player in the NFL in 2019.
Tennessee’s attack is equally intimidating thanks to a formula not unlike that of Baltimore. Running back Derrick Henry is an almost unstoppable force – he just became the eighth NFL player to run 2,000 yards in a season – and quarterback Ryan Tannehill makes teams pay to stack the box with deep attacks for wide receiver AJ Brown.
The Titans (11-5) are nowhere near as capable as Baltimore in defense, but making them unlucky at home ignores the fact that the Ravens have had nothing like a dominant victory over a good team since week 9 It is possible that Baltimore would have had similar success at the end of the season against any opponent, but increasing the score against teams like Jacksonville and Cincinnati is not enough to support such a bold choice. To choose: Titans
Chicago Bears at the New Orleans Saints, 4:40 pm, CBS, Nickelodeon and Main Video
Line: Santos -10 | Total: 47
The most interesting part of this game is that Nickelodeon will be broadcasting to children. There will be animated graphics, guest reporters, on-screen filters and, of course, slime.
They could not have chosen a better game to inject some distraction, as the Bears (8-8) have little business in the playoffs, let alone play against the Saints (12-4), who were among the top five in the NFL teams this season. season.
Chicago started the season with a 5-1 record, then it looked so bad in a six-game losing streak that coach Matt Nagy’s job seemed to be at stake, and then he surprised everyone with three wins to get back into the playoff contest. On the last day of the season, the Bears were eliminated by Green Bay, but returned to the playoffs because of Arizona’s loss to the Rams.
It’s hard to imagine Bears’ quarterback Mitchell Trubisky winning a playoff game, but Saints, who can dominate both sides of the ball, reminded us repeatedly that absolutely anything can happen in the playoffs. The Vikings shocked New Orleans in the divisional round of the 2017 season with a touchdown by Stefon Diggs that will live forever. The Rams achieved an undeserved victory in the 2018 NFC championship game, thanks to one of the most brutal cases of unwanted pass interference you’ll encounter. And Minnesota ruined the Saints’ season again last year, with Kirk Cousins taking his team 75 yards in nine overtime runs, throwing a touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph before Drew Brees could even touch the ball. To choose: Saints
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 pm, NBC
Line: Steelers -6 | Total: 47.5
Only 11 teams in the 16-game era started an 11-0 season, and none of the others ended with a record as bad as this season’s Steelers (12-4), who were 1-4 in the final stretch. Several factors contributed to the collapse of Pittsburgh, including the team having played the season without a real goodbye, injuries to crucial defenders and the decision to rest quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and several defensive starters in week 17. But it’s also worth knowing if the Steelers were never as good as the best franchise start suggested.
This is a rematch for the team game in week 17, which the Browns (11-5) won 24-22. But the next result should be unsettling for Cleveland, as Mason Rudolph started for Pittsburgh instead of Roethlisberger. Cleveland’s defensive fights can largely be attributed to three of the team’s four initial defenders being out because of coronavirus protocols, but the game was still much more competitive than it should be.
Pittsburgh will have players like TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Roethlisberger back this weekend, and although the Browns are expected to have their secondary back up, they will be considerably weakened by having their head coach Kevin Stefanski out after he tested positive for the coronavirus. Defensive side Olivier Vernon will also be out after suffering an injury at the end of the season in last week’s victory. Of all the games this weekend, this one seems to be the most unpredictable, but a tight victory in Pittsburgh is the most likely outcome. To choose: Thieves.
All times are from the east.