Six games last week were pretty exciting, but meh due to five of them resulting in blowouts. Then again, it’s called the “Super” Wild Card weekend for a reason. We must see who stands out before taking on the next opponent or overall seeds. You must play hard for the right to be in the Super Bowl. The ones that stood out to me were CJ Stroud, missed tackles by Miami and Patrick Mahomes’ cracked helmet, Dallas’s defense doing absolutely nothing against Jordan Love and the offense, the Lions getting a massive win to break the curse and conclude their history with Matt Stafford, Bills fans throwing snowballs at or towards the endzone to disrupt receivers from catching (which no one mentioned!), and Baker Mayfield and the defense looking like a brigade in the kitchen pan-frying the Eagles all night in Tampa. The Cowboys’ loss left 31 other teams happy (sorry Cowboys fans), and the Eagles loss turned their own fans’ focus on their own organization wanting Sirianni and anyone else the heck out of town. The Packers and Bucs are playing with nothing to lose, the Ravens and Niners wake up from their bye week, the Lions’ expectations rose to Super Bowl contenders, the Texans could be world beaters if they take down Baltimore, and the Chiefs and Bills are ready for a “cold” war that could end all wars in Buffalo this weekend. The Divisional Round overall should be very interesting.
UPCOMING MATCHUPS
4) #4 BUCCANEERS VS. #3 LIONS
WEEK 5 REMATCH: THE BATTLE OF FORMER RAM QBS
The Bucs avenged their Week 3 loss in a big way over the Eagles while the Lions broke the curse and closed the book on Matt Stafford’s Lion history with a huge win. Both teams look great after that week and come in with plenty of motivation and momentum moving forward. We know for sure these are the Brand-New Lions while Tampa Bay looks reformed and like themselves again, even without Tom Brady. The last time both teams met, the Lions bested them. Jared Goff and “Sun God” St. Brown dominated the defense while the Bucs didn’t have much to respond to. Baker Mayfield and Tampa just avenged their loss to Philly and look to repeat against the Brand-New Lions from Week 5. With the Lions’ pass coverage as a glaring weakness, Tampa could attack the coverage with an improved receiving core led by Mike Evans.
3) #4 TEXANS VS. #1 RAVENS
WEEK 1 REMATCH: THE STROUDS VS. THE JACKSONS
Houston rookies of all aspects CJ Stroud, Will Anderson, and DeMeco Ryans proved to the world that they’re ready to compete. Stroud avenged their loss to Cleveland earlier when he was out with a concussion. He’s a lethal quarterback that’ll punish opposing defenses no matter how good they are. He showed it against Georgia and now against the Browns despite injuries across the board. They return to Baltimore where they were handed their first loss of the season and first for CJ, Will, and DeMeco as new leaders of Houston. The Ravens proved to be one of the best teams in the NFL after Lamar Jackson took a step further in his production under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The team’s weaponized with plenty of skills players to use in Jackson’s arsenal. Most importantly, the defense is playing their best football with a mix of young and veteran players. We never expected both to collide again after Week 1, but it feels like unfinished business for the entire Texans team. They face their second straight AFC North opponent and look to avenge their loss to Baltimore too.
2) #7 PACKERS VS. #1 49ERS
THE PURDY-LOVE MATCHUP
One of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend between two rivals of both regular season and playoffs. Two well-known coaches that worked together in Washington collide once again along with two young quarterbacks, two stout running backs, and two teams with a bevy of pass catchers across the board. I want to say both teams have great defenses involving Rashan Gary and Nick Bosa, but they will be spotlighted the whole entire night. Joe Barry’s still not trustworthy despite three quarters of success and the 49ers front four/pass rushers must set the example for the majority of the game. Jordan Love and Brock Purdy along with Christian McCaffrey and Aaron Jones are major threats in the backfield that not even great defenses can keep up with. It comes down to the pass rush and who can stifle the run successfully. Otherwise, it’s one of those underrated matchups that could make for a great weekend.
1) #3 CHIEFS VS. #2 BILLS
WEEK 13 REMATCH: THE GREATEST SHOW ON COLD TURF!
We all expect some sort of vengeance by Kansas City after a botched offsides call that made Patrick Mahomes lose his mind…and potentially lose trust in the refs lol If we’re talking vengeance, which team’s really looking for it? Buffalo hasn’t forgotten about losing on a coin toss in overtime two seasons ago. Gabe Davis had a historic touchdown night while the Chiefs worked on a 13-second drive to tie and force overtime. Now, the Bills surged late down the stretch after defeating the Chiefs, won their way into the postseason with help by the Titans upsetting the Jags to drag them out, defeated the Dolphins to steal away the division and the two seed, and took care of Pittsburgh a day after the winter storm. Both teams meet again in the cold bowl of Buffalo if another storm clears out in time. Kansas City should be relieved to be in positive temperatures (great for shorts and tank tops in my opinion). While K.C.’s poised for another Super Bowl run, this is Patrick Mahomes first road playoff game and Buffalo’s looking to spoil it while overcoming another week of…yes…the Madden Curse!
WHO ADVANCES
#3 LIONS
Detroit seems built for an NFC title appearance and potentially a Super Bowl appearance. They fought hard against some of the toughest teams this season, victory or defeat. I’m willing to bet on them for sure with their offense doing the job and their defense coming up big. They will play hard for a conference title appearance. A lot may be put on Jared Goff if the run game can’t break the wall of Vita Vea and company.
#1 RAVENS
It’s possible that Houston plays a different game unlike last time. CJ Stroud excelled in his first NFL regular season game of his career but failed to capitalize in the endzone. They have a chance to chalk up some points to keep Baltimore on their toes. The magic number is 20 points while staying within one score to potentially upset Baltimore. Otherwise, the Ravens are still the better team, and this defense’s pass rushers should pressure Stroud.
#1 49ERS
I’m not saying it’s guaranteed. The Niners played their best football this season, but they had glaring issues that could work in Green Bay’s favor. If San Fran’s offense capitalizes on the ground early and often with CMC overcoming a calf injury, this may be an early exit for Green Bay. But if the defense fails to pressure Love and stifle the run, expect a close game with plenty of points. I’m heavily bullish on the defensive line that’s supposed to be intimidating with Nick Bosa leading the way. If there’s any position on San Fran that must set the example for the entire game, it’s no question the defensive line.
#2 BILLS
I won’t stop saying the Madden Curse will stop Buffalo, but I don’t feel it’s necessary this weekend. Let’s focus on the postseason rivalry between the Bills and Chiefs for a moment. I know the Bills are beat up on defense and Josh Allen’s reckless productivity is still in play. However, I don’t see it happening. Yes, maybe a turnover will take place and yes, the Bills defense is in a bit of a pickle against Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Isiah Pacheco. However, this team’s consistent when their defense plays well and Allen protects the ball. In six wins before the bye, they allowed 11 points per game. In six losses before the bye, they allowed 26.8 per game. After the bye, they’re currently on a six-game winning streak just allowing 16.8 per game while taking down the Chiefs and Dolphins to win the division and claim the number two seed. Honestly, their defense could have the advantage against a shaky receiving group. If Terrell Bernard is active, this helps Ed Oliver and the rest of the front seven against Mahomes and Kelce. The magic number is 20 points. They must score that or more to win their way back to their first AFC title game since the 2020-21 season.
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