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The NFL went through all 256 games, tenuous as they were, ending the regular season. Now, an expanded squad of 14 teams enter the playoffs with a chance to advance to Super Bowl LV, which is scheduled to be held Feb. 7 in Tampa, Florida. The format, designed to balance the pandemic issues of the season, has resulted in six games scheduled this weekend, instead of the usual four. He also left just two teams with first-round byes, which was terrible news for the Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints, both of whom could have missed out on this round in a typical season. .
Here is an overview of the wild card trick. Unlike the regular season, these picks are not made against the spread.
Saturday games
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills, 1:05 p.m., CBS
Line: Bills -6.5 | Total: 51
One of those teams finished in the NFL top 10 in offense and defense, and it wasn’t the Bills (13-3). The Colts (11-5) were extremely inconsistent, barely qualified for the playoffs (Buffalo’s resounding win over Miami in Week 17 helped considerably) and had a bad habit of wearing out as games progressed. Despite that, they finished with the stats of a solid contender and the franchise’s best record since 2014.
It could quickly collapse against Buffalo.
The Bills’ success begins with quarterback Josh Allen, who has grown from a mistake-prone shooter to a legitimate contender for the Most Valuable Player award, leading Buffalo to his Premier League title since 1995. A much of that improvement has to be attributed to the arrival of wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whose presence opened the pitch for Cole Beasley and John Brown. Buffalo was second in the NFL in points and closed the season with a six-game winning streak in which the team averaged 38.2 points per game.
The Bills’ defense wasn’t as statistically high, but cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds led a unit that was tied for the third-most NFL takeaway after a start of A tough year, Buffalo’s defense was particularly impressive. late in the season prevails over the Chargers and Steelers.
The most important factor in this game will probably be the weather. It is expected to be around 30 degrees at Orchard Park, New York on Saturday afternoon, and Indianapolis quarterback Philip Rivers hasn’t won with a starting temperature below 35 degrees since Week 12. from the 2013 season. A squeaky 39-year-old quarterback who has spent most of his career playing in hot weather or in domes isn’t a recipe for January success in western New York. To choose: Invoices
Los Angeles Rams to Seattle Seahawks, 4:40 p.m. Fox
Line: Seahawks -4 | Total: 42.5
The fact that we’re discussing quarterback Jared Goff’s ability to play is a testament to medical advancements or his toughness, or both. Goff underwent thumb surgery on his throwing hand on Dec. 28 – that would only allow 11 days of recovery and rehabilitation. Coach Sean McVay said Goff is going into training and “getting ready to play” but if he is ruled out the Rams (10-6) would look to John Wolford again, pride and joy of the Alliance of American Football and the surprise winner of his first start in the NFL, which took place in Week 17.
Whether Wolford or a limited version of Goff, the Rams should be overlooked against the Seahawks (12-4). Seattle’s offense was never in question – Russell Wilson is a threat to throw a touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf in almost every game – but after a brutal start to the season, the Seahawks’ defense has gone. is significantly improved. The only solace for Los Angeles is that Seattle could be without safety Jamal Adams and defensive tackle Jarran Reed, which would considerably weaken the Seahawks’ pass rush.
At full power, it would probably have been a formidable game between the NFC West heavyweights. And you can’t count the Rams as long as defensive tackle Aaron Donald – one of the best players in the NFL at any position – is there. But taken in its reduced form, this game tilts in the direction of Seattle. To choose: Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team, 8:15 p.m., NBC
Line: Buccaneers -8 | Total: 45
Winning your division is important. The Footballers (7-9) have the worst record of any playoff team – they tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks for the worst playoff record in NFL history – but they can set up a game against the Buccaneers (11-5) by way of Tampa Bay being a wildcard participant. It may seem unfair, but it’s not Washington’s fault that the Buccaneers lost both of their games to division rivals New Orleans (by a combined score of 72-26).
The home court advantage shouldn’t be ignored and Washington’s defense should give it a bright future, but Tampa Bay should win easily. Tom Brady and the Bucs offense got into a rhythm, ending the season with a four-game streak in which they averaged 37 points per game. And the Tampa Bay defense, which specializes in getting the quarterback, should have a day on the field thanks to the limited mobility of Alex Smith, who is not 100% after a calf injury to the same. leg that almost ended his career.
If there is a path to victory for footballers, it would start with turnovers caused by Chase Young and the upstart defense from Washington. Young, a rookie defensive end, appears to have gone from promising player to superstar. His day for playoff success will likely come, but not this week. To choose: Buccaneers
Baltimore Ravens to Tennessee Titans, 1:05 p.m., ABC and ESPN
Line: Ravens -3 | Total: 55
Only two road teams are favored this weekend, and if Tampa Bay got this distinction thanks to the ineptitude of Washington, the Ravens (11-5) did it by looking almost unbeatable in the last five weeks of the season.
Slightly written off after a midseason lull, Baltimore took advantage of a loose schedule to get it right, winning five straight games with an aggregate score of 186-89. The formula was familiar, with the Ravens rushing over 230 yards in four of the five games, but it was clear that a fire had been started under quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had largely taken over the form that made him the Most Valuable NFL Player of 2019.
Tennessee’s offense is just as intimidating thanks to a not-so-different formula than Baltimore’s. Running back Derrick Henry is an almost unstoppable force – he’s only become the eighth NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in one season – and quarterback Ryan Tannehill is making teams pay to stack the box with deep hitting to wide receiver AJ Brown.
The Titans (11-5) are nowhere near as capable as Baltimore in defense, but making them underdogs at home ignores the fact that the Ravens haven’t had anything that looks like a dominant win over a good team since the week. 9. It’s possible Baltimore. would have had similar success late in the season against any opponent, but pushing up the scoring against teams like Jacksonville and Cincinnati is not enough to support such a bold choice. To choose: Titans
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints, 4:40 p.m., CBS, Nickelodeon and Video premium
Line: Saints -10 | Total: 47
The most interesting part of this game is that Nickelodeon will broadcast it for kids. There will be animated graphics, guest reporters, onscreen filters and, of course, slime.
They couldn’t have picked a better game to inject some distraction into, as the Bears (8-8) have little playoff business, let alone playing the Saints (12-4), who were among the top five in the NFL. teams this season.
Chicago started the season 5-1, then looked so bad in a six-game losing streak that coach Matt Nagy’s job seemed to be on the line, then surprised everyone with three wins. to return to the playoffs. On the last day of the season, the Bears were blown away by Green Bay, but fell back into the playoffs due to Arizona’s loss to the Rams.
It’s hard to imagine Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky winning a playoff game, but the Saints, who can dominate both sides of the ball, have reminded us time and time again that anything can happen in the playoffs. The Vikings shocked New Orleans in the 2017 season division round with a touchdown from Stefon Diggs who will live on forever. The Rams earned an undeserved victory in the NFC Championship game of the 2018 season thanks to one of the most brutal cases of uncalled-for pass interference you’ll find. And Minnesota once again ruined the Saints’ season last year, with Kirk Cousins marching his 75-yard team in nine overtime games, throwing a touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph before Drew Brees could even touch. the ball. To choose: The Saints
Cleveland Browns to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m., NBC
Line: Steelers -6 | Total: 47.5
Only 11 teams in the 16-game era started a season 11-0, and none of the others finished with a record as bad as this season’s Steelers (12-4), who were 1-4 in the home stretch. Several factors contributed to Pittsburgh’s collapse, including the team that played the season without a proper week off, injuries to crucial defensemen and the decision to rest quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and several defensive starters in Week 17. But it’s also worth wondering if the Steelers were ever as good as their franchise best start suggested.
This is a rematch of the teams game in Week 17, which the Browns (11-5) won, 24-22. But the close result was to be worrying for Cleveland given the departure of Mason Rudolph for Pittsburgh in place of Roethlisberger. Cleveland’s defensive struggles can largely be attributed to the fact that three of the team’s four starting defensive backs were knocked out due to coronavirus protocols, but the game was still far more competitive than it should have been. being.
Pittsburgh will have players like TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Roethlisberger this weekend, and although the Browns are expected to recover from high school, they will be significantly weakened by removing their head coach, Kevin Stefanski, after he tested positive. for the coronavirus. Defensive end Olivier Vernon will also be eliminated after suffering a late-season injury in last week’s victory. Of all of this weekend’s games, this one seems to be the most unpredictable, but a narrow victory in Pittsburgh is the most likely outcome. To choose: Steelers.
All hours are Eastern.
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