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The NFL Playoffs are finally here. The road to the Super Bowl begins as the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers enjoy their first-round bye weeks. Then, the rest of the teams receive their first playoff action test, and for some teams, it will be their most challenging game of the year. These are all the matchups for this weekend’s Super Wild Card Weekend.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Cincinnati Bengals – Saturday at 4:30 pm
After dramatically eliminating the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football, the Las Vegas Raiders head to Cincinnati to take on the AFC North Champion Bengals. The Bengals have had a red-hot passing game all year long, with Quarterback Joe Burrow and Wide Receiver Jamar Chase building solid chemistry. The Bengals passing game will test the Raiders defense, who have had to deal with some formidable passing offenses in their division all season long. If the Raiders can limit the Bengals’ passing game and keep Joe Burrow off the field, they could move on. The Bengals have also not won a playoff game in over 20 years.
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills – Saturday at 8:30 pm
The battle of the AFC East continues as these bitter rivals take to the playoffs to settle their regular season standstill. Each team managed to win a game against the other, and with their final matchup of the season looming, something has got to give. The Bills should be a given to win multiple games these playoffs and move on to a potential Super Bowl. But, this season has shown time and time again, Buffalo fails to match the hype. The Patriots, however, come into the playoffs with all the optimism in the world led by their Rookie Quarterback Mac Jones. The last time a promising young Quarterback led the Patriots to the playoffs, Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl.
Philidelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sunday at 1:00 pm
Speaking of Tom Brady, here is the old man still playing today, defying the laws of aging at 44. Brady is coming off a season where he was the leagues leading passer. He broke all sorts of records for playing at his age and has shown he is still a deadly threat in the playoffs. The Buccaneers are the defending Super Bowl champions, and they also are just as good as they were last year. So expect this game to be a bad time for the Eagles. The Eagles barely made the playoffs, but I suppose getting beat by one of the best Playoff performers of all time isn’t that bad, right? But, the last time Brady played the Eagles in the playoffs, they defeated him in the Super Bowl. So could another miracle be coming true this Sunday night? Probably not.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys – Sunday at 4:30 pm
The 49ers against the Cowboys is a matchup as old as the Super Bowl. These legendary franchises have battled for decades and have always delivered a stellar showing. The Cowboys come into this game with one of their best seasons in recent memory, and for once, they are healthy. Quarterback Dak Prescott is coming off a fantastic comeback season, showing why he is the Comeback Player of the Year. The 49ers, however, come into this game just barely reaching the playoffs. This game will most likely be closer than you think but expect the Cowboys to win a playoff game for once.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday at 8:15 pm
Every NFL great has their final game. Unfortunately, this game could be the end for Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger is a living legend, leading the Steelers to two Super Bowls over his storied career. He has made a name for himself with his toughness and dedication to the Steelers. His legacy will live on as one of the greatest Steelers of all time. Sadly, it seems his final defeat will come at the hands of the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. But, miracles have happened, and top teams have lost in the first round before in the NFL Playoffs. It is just going to be tough to see the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs struggle at all in this game. The only possible weakness is if their defense lets them down. It will take a big day from Big Ben to keep the Steelers alive.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams – Monday at 8:15 pm
In what is likely going to be the closest matchup of the weekend, the Rams and Cardinals meet in a stalemate game that is too tough to call. At one point in the season, the Cardinals looked like a Super Bowl team. But then they got injured and racked up a few losses. This opened the door for the Green Bay Packers to take the number one spot in the conference. If the Cardinals were healthy, they would not be playing this weekend, but here we are. The Rams are another team that failed to capitalize on their opportunities losing four straight games after acquiring star Linebacker Von Miller. This cost them their chance at the top spot. Both teams are playing at a top-tier level, and both were in contention for the top spot, but something has got to give. Either of these teams could easily end up in the Super Bowl so expect this to be one of the best games all year. You will not want to miss this one, for sure!
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