NFL Wild Card Preview
The NFL playoffs start this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. We have historic rivalries, rematches from playoffs past, young quarterbacks on the verge of stardom, and a couple stars looking for their second Super Bowl. To think that we have a playoff without Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, or Lamar Jackson is wild to think. The true excitement I feel for these playoffs is the fact that both conferences are so wide open. There are truly several teams that could win both conferences and fight for a Super Bowl. So let’s get ready for this playoffs and take a look at our previews and predictions below.
Rams @ Panthers
Why Rams Win:
Matthew Stafford is the MVP
Put pressure on Bryce Young
Balanced offensive attack
Why Panthers Win:
Force turnovers like in the first matchup
Establish the run
Key Matchups:
Puka Nacua and Davante Adams vs. Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson
Panther O-Line vs. Rams Pass Rush
Game Preview:
Out of all the first round games, this one has the widest spread. The Carolina Panthers haven’t hosted a playoff game since 2016 and are one of the best feel good stories in the NFL. Bryce Young has made great strides, Tetairoa McMillan had a phenomenal rookie season, and this defense has been a pleasant surprise. After sneaking into the playoffs as the NFC South champion, the Panthers are ready to see who they really are as a team. Was this season a fluke or is this young team truly ready to contest for years to come? They are running into one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL in the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford is the MVP favorite and he leads an offense filled with talent. Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are potentially the best duo in the NFL at wide receiver. Nacua is open constantly and once in the red zone, Stafford and Adams operate at a Hall of Fame level. On defense, they put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the emergence of Nate Landman has filled a real void at linebacker. As happy as I am for Panthers fans, I’m not going against the grain here. I expect the Rams to get revenge for a midseason loss to the Panthers without much issue. The Rams will be balanced offensively and the Panthers won’t be able to score enough points to keep up.
Prediction: Rams 30 Panthers 14
Packers @ Bears
Why Packers Win:
LaFleur + Love playoff experience
Expose a struggling Bears defense
Avoid game changing turnovers or sacks
Why Bears Win:
Win the turnover battle
Establish the run game early
Home field advantage
Key Matchups:
Bears WR Corps vs Packers secondary
Rasheed Walker vs. Montez Sweat
Ben Johnson vs. Jeff Hafley
Game Preview:
This matchup is one of the most exciting of Wild Card Weekend. One of the greatest rivalries in sports is squaring up for Round 3 as Green Bay travels to Chicago. For the Packers, they are the the more experienced playoff team and were in control of both regular season games. It’s likely they’re sick to their stomachs over the fourth quarter debacle a few weeks ago and looking for revenge. Green Bay has been on a four game losing streak but now are getting some players back healthy. Expect their offense to take advantage of a struggling Bears defense, while hoping their own defense shows signs of life. Chicago is looking to win their first playoff game since 2010 and will have the advantage of Soldier Field going crazy on Saturday night. Caleb Williams has been much improved in year 2, while he and Ben Johnson get more acclimated each week. The Bears are enjoying their most fun season in years and have been one of the best teams at taking the ball away. In terms of defensive quality, they are lackluster. So creating game changing plays against this talented Packers offense will be a key to victory. The Packers have been Chicago’s boogeyman for the better part of two decades now, so don’t be surprised to see Green Bay pull off the win. Despite that history, I think Chicago pulls this one off. In a game that could go either way, I’m going with the home team. The weather could get a little funky in Chicago, so creating turnovers and getting the Swift/Monangai duo going could swing a close game in the Bears favor.
Prediction: Bears 27 Packers 20
Bills @ Jaguars
Why Bills Win:
Team with playoff experience and success
Josh Allen makes clutch plays late
James Cook and the offensive line play
Why Jaguars Win:
Defense emerging at the right time
Lawrence’s comfort with Meyers and Washington flourishing
Stop the run and force Allen to connect with lackluster group of receivers
Key Matchups:
Bills O-Line vs. Jaguars Front 7
James Cook vs. Devin Lloyd
Anton Harrison and Cole Van Lanen vs. Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa
Game Preview:
In this matchup the Bills are getting a lot of talk due to the simple fact that they have Josh Allen. The former MVP is playing at the top of his game yet again and James Cook won the rushing title. Buffalo’s offensive line allows the offense to remain unpredictable and balanced in their attack. The Bills offense features a talented group of pass catchers that unfortunately do not have one singular go-to receiver. This causes Josh Allen to play hero ball when his teammates can’t get down the field. On the other side of the ball, the Bills have struggled to continually get stops late in the season. The combination of Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa need to come up big to create negative plays against the Jaguars offense. Other than that, holding the Jags to field goals opposed to touchdowns will be key. For Jacksonville, Liam Coen’s first season as head coach could not have gone better so far. They won the AFC South and won 13 games this regular season. Travis Etienne has returned to his early career play and Trevor Lawrence has had one of his best seasons under Coen. He has unlocked his rushing ability and the trade for Jakobi Meyers has greatly benefitted the Jaguars offense. When it comes to the Jaguars defense, this unit has been playing excellent football during the back half of the season. They have 3 players with 3 or more interceptions, Oluokon and Lloyd continue to be tackling machines, and Josh Hines-Allen been much improved after the bye week. I expect this game to be high scoring battle with Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence having incredible moments. In the end, I think the Bills get the job done. James cook will open up play action opportunities for the Buffalo passing game and Josh Allen will make a big time play when it matter most.
Prediction: Bills 34 Jaguars 31
49ers @ Eagles
Why 49ers Win:
Christian McCaffrey has 150+ rushing/receiving yards
Defense holds Eagles under 24 points
Brock Purdy continues to make magic happen
Why Eagles Win:
Eliminate rushing attack and force Purdy to be a drop back passer
Get Saquon Barkley to return to 2024 form
Sack Brock Purdy 3+ times
Key Matchups:
Christian McCaffrey vs. Nakobe Dean and Zack Baun in pass coverage
49ers OL vs. Eagles DL
AJ Brown vs. Deommodore Lenoir
Game Preview:
Philadelphia against San Francisco is a battle between two of the most consistent NFC teams over the past 5 years. These two squads matches up in the 2023 NFC championship and have appeared in a combined to appear in 4 of the last 6 Super Bowls. The 49ers have absolutely battled to make it to the playoffs. They played in arguably the toughest divisions in the NFL and persevered through injuries to defensive stars like Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Due to the injuries on the defensive side of the ball. this time has relied largely on their offense. Christian McCaffrey had yet another incredible season accounting for 1k rushing yards and nearly 1k receiving yards. He is an unstoppable threat and carried this offense through times when Brock Purdy and George Kittle were hurt. With Purdy and Kittle returning, this offense has been nearly unstoppable in games other than the the season finale against Seattle. Their opponent is the reigning Super Bowl champion, Philadelphia Eagles. Philly is made up the exact opposite as they rely on their defense to win them games. One of the NFL’s best units that has stars at all three levels of the defense. Stopping the run and pressuring Brock Purdy will be huge for this defense. This could cause Purdy to force the ball into tight windows and force some turnovers. This game will be decided when the 49ers offense and Eagles defense are on the field. I think the Eagles will make San Francisco earn their points offensively and Saquon will have a big game against a struggling San Fran defense. the 49ers put up a fight but the Eagles will march onward towards a potential repeat.
Prediction: Eagles 27 49ers 23
Chargers @ Patriots
Why Chargers Win:
Make this a low scoring game
Win the turnover battle
Keep Hampton/Vidal involved throughout the game
Why Patriots Win:
Put constant pressure on Justin Herbert
Target Stefon Diggs 8+ times
Drake Maye plays at MVP level and avoids that one bad mistake
Home field advantage
Key Matchups:
Patriots Tackles vs. Chargers Edge Rushers
Chargers OL vs Patriots DL
Ladd McConkey vs. Marcus Jones
Game Preview:
In this matchup, we have two star quarterbacks looking for their first postseason victory. For the Chargers, Justin Herbert is 0-2 in the postseason with two catastrophic losses. He has been playing at an elite level despite having a banged up offensive line protecting him. Led by energetic coach Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are at their best in gritty, low/average scoring games. If they try to get into a shootout with New England on Sunday, they likely won’t be able to catch up. On defense, expect Derwin James to have his normal impact on the back end. A key turning point in the game will be the performance of the Los Angeles edge rushers. The emergence of Tuli Tuipulotu has sparked this group with Khalil Mack having his dominant moments per usual. For New England, this season has been better than almost anyone could imagine. Drake Maye has been a true MVP candidate and looks like the franchise quarterback the Patriots have been looking for since Tom Brady left. While New England has been the beneficiary of a favorable schedule that does not mean they haven’t had a fantastic season. This team loves to establish the run making this Josh McDaniels runs offense unpredictable. This defense won’t wow you but they play great team defense. Similar to the Chargers, the Patriots need to put pressure on Herbert to make life more difficult. This is another game that I can see going either way as neither quarterback has a ton of playoff experience. In the end, I think the home field advantage for New England will play a big factor. The Patriots team doesn’t beat themselves and I think the pressure from New England will be a massive factor. This pressure could cause a turnover that changes the game and gives New England a short field.
Prediction: Patriots 23 Chargers 17
Texans @ Steelers
Why Texans Win:
Put constant pressure on Aaron Rodgers
CJ Stroud plays turnover free football
Feed Nico Collins
Why Steelers Win:
Hold the Texans to under 20 points
Get 2/3 chunk plays downfield to DK Metcalf
Stop the Texans run game
Monday Night game in Pittsburgh
Key Matchups:
Steelers OL vs Texans DL
DK Metcalf vs. Derek Stingley Jr.
Nico Collins vs. Joey Porter
Game Preview:
This game features two teams that are going to struggle to score points on offense. At this point in the season, that doesn’t really matter. Both offenses self scout enough to know what their strengths and weaknesses are. For the visiting Houston Texans, their identity relies on their elite defense. All three levels of this defense has playmakers. From Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter rushing the passer, to Azeez Al-Shaair manning the middle, and the Stingley/Pitre duo creating turnovers on the back end. They will look to make life miserable for the Pittsburgh offense. Houston’s offense has struggled to get the running game going all season, which put a lot of pressure on CJ Stroud. When given time, Stroud deals downfield to his receivers and picks apart opposing defenses. The problem is that he’s under pressure more often than not. For Pittsburgh, their offense also has games where they really struggle to run the football. This offense prefers to throw short, quick passes and methodically work their way down the field. Getting DK Metcalf back from suspension is a huge help because he is the game breaker for the Steelers offense. The Texans defense is elite, so getting a few chunk plays to Metcalf could give Pittsburgh the edge they need. Pittsburgh's defense will need to do the opposite and prevent big plays from Nico Collins. A ton of money has been invested into this Pittsburgh defense so players like TJ Watt, Patrick Queen, Jalen Ramsey, and Cam Heyward will need to come up big. I’ve gone back and forth here, but I think the Texans defense is the best unit in this game and they’ll be the reason Houston moves on. Aaron Rodgers is going to want to throw the ball quick, but if the Texans go up he’ll need to throw further down the field. This would allow the Texan’s pass rush to tee off and change this game.
Prediction: Texans 20 Pittsburgh 13
There we have it! All these games have the potential to be classics and I’ll be absolutely locked in to all of them. I will obviously be rooting to have a solid record in my predictions. However, more importantly, let’s get a few close games and clutch moments out of this weekend. In the meantime, let’s all sit back and watch like the 1-seed Seahawks and Broncos get to do. Enjoy the games and I will see you all back here for the Divisional Round preview.