SATURDAY

#4 JAGUARS AT #1 CHIEFS

1:30PM PT/4:30PM ET [NBC/PEACOCK]

There was never a thought of the Jaguars clashing with Kansas City again until next season, but here we are. The last meeting was dominated by Pat Mahomes and company that left Jacksonville with little to respond, but things changed after that game and the bye week. They won six of their last seven games with some surgency from the team finally coming together and finding their groove. That was the example with their amazing comeback win against the Chargers. Everyone knows what to expect from Kansas City with the assumption that they’ll advance to the AFC championship again, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. While the Chiefs are running the table, they haven’t always been consistent and sometimes mistakes happen. Whether it’s Mahomes turning the ball over or the defense not playing up to their standard, there is inconsistency somewhere. If they don’t take these Jaguars seriously, they could be on upset alert. The Chiefs should win, but they must play mistake-free football and not let Trevor Lawrence turn it on at the right time.

MY PICK: CHIEFS

#6 GIANTS AT #1 EAGLES

5:15PM PT/8:15PM ET [FOX]

The unlikely, but probably expected third round matchup between NFC East rivals in the divisional round. Danny Dimes, Saquon Barkley, Brian Daboll, and Wink Martindale led the Giants to a massive victory over Minnesota and are looking for more. Jalen Hurts was given valuable time to get healthy before New York arrives at Philly. The Eagles were virtually unstoppable for most of the season. The offense runs through Jalen Hurts 100% before anybody else. New York must bring that same grit they did against Minnesota by letting Daniel and Saquon run the field with the offense and hope the defense puts Jalen Hurts on ice. The Eagles swept New York, but the Giants figure to keep the game close, even with Hurts starting. It’ll probably be a one possession game, but Philadelphia survives their ordeal against their NFC East rival.

MY PICK: EAGLES

SUNDAY

#3 BENGALS AT #2 BILLS

12PM PT/3PM ET [CBS/PARAMOUNT+]

Expect some emotional beginnings before the game gets underway. We were expecting the first meeting to have playoff and overall seeding implications, but the world stopped after what happened to Damar Hamlin. I’m very glad that he’s making full recovery.

Now, we should be fine with tuning into this most anticipated game of the weekend next to the Cowboys vs. 49ers right after. The Bills and Bengals both survived the ordeal against their division rivals, and it nearly put them on the brink of big upsets of the weekend. Both come in facing some issues on their respective offenses, such as Josh Allen’s turnovers and the Bengals’ injuries along the offensive line. However, it doesn’t discount Joe Burrow and Jost Allen being on display for one of the best quarterback matchups thus far. The Bengals could push the Bills’ backs against the wall, but with two injured offensive linemen out, it might not last for Cincy as Buffalo fights to the end and moves on the AFC Championship.

MY PICK: BILLS

#5 COWBOYS AT #2 49ERS

3:30PM PT/6:30PM ET [FOX]

The rematch we all have been waiting for. Dallas versus San Francisco Round 2. The first meeting was the most exciting, the most intense, and the most emotional game that we’ve ever seen in years. It looked like Dallas was about to finish off San Fran on the last drive, but Dak Prescott’s run without realizing what little time they had left cost them the opportunity. It’s definitely on his mind and he hopes to equalize it in San Fran’s home of comfort. The 49ers continue rolling on with Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy being the hottest players and biggest reasons for their 11-game winning streak. Both CMC and Purdy could be the missing pieces/the guys to take the team over the edge for a potential Super Bowl opportunity. I’m throwing stats and all that crap out the window and into the snow of Nevada where I reside. It means nothing when you have one of the greatest rivalries in history. Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy both played solidly, and their skill players and defense were on it as well, but someone’s got to break. Dallas could upset the 49ers to set up a rematch with one of their NFC East rivals in the NFC Championship next week. I believe San Francisco will take down their second straight rival thanks to the run game and the defense.

MY PICK: 49ERS