Super Wild Card Weekend Preview

            What’s so “super” about Super Wild Card Weekend, you may ask? Well, football fans get to watch seven (!) playoff games over the course of three loaded back-to-back-to back days! Yes, we’re talking playoffs as many of the NFL’s elite teams battle it out this coming weekend. Some might say that this is the most wonderful time of the year, and I would agree with them. Without further ado, let’s dive into all of the great playoff matchups as the NFL playoffs begin.

Seahawks (No. 7) at 49ers (No. 2) on FOX (Saturday, 4:30 P.M. ET)

            Honestly, I would rather have seen the Lions in this matchup instead of the Seahawks. Don’t get me wrong, the Seahawks are a great team led by Geno Smith, but do they have what it takes to finally knock off the 49ers on the road after losing to them twice earlier in the season? Playing devil’s advocate here though, it’s difficult to beat the same team three times in one year. Deebo Samuel & Elijah Mitchell returned from injuries for the 49ers during last week’s game. Those two will surely provide a boost to an already loaded skill position group in this matchup. Will the Seahawks pull off the road upset, or will the 49ers defend their home turf on Saturday?

Chargers (No. 5) at Jaguars (No. 4) on NBC (Saturday, 8:15 P.M. ET)

            This is probably the best (and most balanced) matchup amongst all of this week’s games. It’s also the most exciting, as two young QBs (Herbert & Lawrence) make their playoff debuts. Trevor Lawrence looked shaky (20/32, 212 yards, 1 TD) in last weekend’s win over the Titans, while Justin Herbert (25/37, 273 yards, 2 TD) looked fantastic in the team’s loss to the Broncos.  Brandon Staley played his starters in last week’s meaningless game against the Broncos, and this decision will end up costing the team dearly as WR Mike Williams will miss the next two weeks. That’s simply coaching malpractice, and Staley’s future with the team appears to be on thin ice. That said, the Chargers coach could redeem himself by taking care of business on the road here. Will the Chargers continue their surge through the playoffs, or will the Jaguars win this contest?

Dolphins (No. 7) at Bills (No. 2) on CBS (Sunday, 1:00 P.M. ET)

            Without a doubt, this is the worst matchup of the weekend, or so it may seem on paper. Yes, the Dolphins upset the Bills earlier this season, but Week 3 feels like such a long time ago. Barring a surprising return to action from veteran Teddy Bridgewater, the Dolphins will once again turn to rookie Skylar Thompson as their starting QB in this monumental playoff game. That’s a recipe for disaster, and one that the Dolphins would surely like to avoid if possible. Meanwhile, the Bills continued to create magic in last week’s dominant win over the Patriots. I’m a huge believer in their ability to make a deep run through this year’s postseason tournament. We’ll see which one of these teams breaks the season series head-to-head tiebreaker on Sunday.

Giants (No. 6) at Vikings (No. 3) on FOX (Sunday, 4:30 P.M. ET)

            Two of the NFL’s luckiest teams once again face off on the league’s biggest stage here. These teams are evenly matched in terms of point differential, ranking 25^th & 26^th respectively. That’s not a good thing, as they’re ranked similarly to the Saints, Browns, & Jets in this statistic. Last time around, the Vikings stunned the Giants with a walk-off field goal from 61 yards to win. My guess is that we see some sort of minor miracle determine the outcome of this game as well. If you’re a fan of getting your heart rate up by watching football, tune in to this game on Sunday.

Ravens (No. 6) at Bengals (No. 3) on NBC (Sunday, 8:15 P.M. ET)

            Lamar Jackson is once again out for the Ravens due to injury, which means the team has no realistic shot at finally beating the Bengals this weekend, at least clearly not on paper anyway. With Tyler Huntley also a game-time decision, rookie QB Anthony Brown could make the start. That’s not an ideal scenario for the Ravens, but weird things can happen in divisional matchups. These two teams literally just played each other last weekend on the same field, which is strange. I’m sure these teams are getting tired of playing each other at this point, & this is the tiebreaker. Whoever wins this game wins the season series & advances through the AFC’s playoff bracket. Loser goes home & watches the rest of the playoffs from the couch. Which team will win here?

Cowboys (No. 5) at Buccaneers (No. 4) on ABC/ESPN (Monday, 8:15 P.M. ET)

            The Buccaneers (8-9) became the first team since the 2020 Washington Football Team (7-9) to make the playoffs despite having a losing record on their ledger in the regular season. Those teams historically haven’t done very well, but none of those teams had Tom Brady either. That’s a scary proposition for the Cowboys as they face the NFC South Champions on the road. Dak Prescott leads the league in interceptions with 15 of them in just 12 games played this year. Turnovers frequently determine the outcome of playoff games, so that’s a very concerning trend. I loathe both of these teams but if I must pick one to root for then I hope for the Cowboys to win.