Saturday, January 14, 2023

Wild Card Weekend Preview

Wild Card weekend has finally arrived in the NFL. Fourteen teams are left standing after an insane regular season. We have four weeks to figure out who will be the last team standing as champions of the football world. So lets not waste any more time, wild card weekend is here. Here's how we see the games going down.

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers 1/14 4:35PM

We start it off with an NFC West matchup between Seattle and San Francisco, with the 49ers taking both games during the regular season. Yes its going to be a test for the 49ers, with Brock Purdy having to try and get the Niners a playoff win. Same thing can be said for Geno Smith on the other side, as this is his first playoff start. He having a career year, setting the Seahawks record for passing yards in a season. This is a Seattle team that came into this season as a team that was predicted to be a bottom feeder in the NFL. Now they're a playoff team.

But they facing a San Francisco team riding a ten game win streak to close out the regular season. The 49ers offense is more balanced than what your seeing in Seattle. oh and the 49ers have a dominating defense as well.

Pick: 49ers 35, Seahawks 21

Los Angeles Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars 1/14 8:15 PM

This is going to be an impressive battle of two of the hot young QB's in the league. Justin Herbert taking on Trever Lawrence. Both teams are balanced on both sides for the ball. Herbert had been banged up at the start of the year but is now finally healthy. Problem is, Mike Williams and Joey Bosa are both dealing with a nagging injury.

Right now the Jacksonville running game has been more on point the last few weeks then what your seeing in Los Angeles

Pick: Jaguars 30, Chargers 14

Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills 1/14 1PM

This game is going to be the story of the weekend, given what has gone on for the Bills the last few weeks. Damar Hamlin's teammates are going to be playing at a higher level for him. There's no team in football right now that has more support around it than Buffalo. And not only that, but the Bills have been one of the more dominating teams this season, on both sides of the ball.

They going up against a Miami team that surprised a lot of people this season coming into the playoffs. Problem here is, Miami is still without a healthy Tua. Yes they have Jalen Waddle and Tyreek Hill catching passes, but with Skylar Thompson making his first playoff start, its not the same thing.

Pick: Bills 40, Dolphins 21

New York giants vs Minnesota Vikings 1/15 4:054PM

This is going to be a tough test for the Minnesota offense. What the Vikings have managed to do most of the year is pull off wins late in games. They have great weapons to work with in Justin Jefferson in the pass game. Then they also have thousand yard ground man in Dalvin Cook, who's been good for the Vikings all year. The defense holds up well.

What wonders me is how well that offense can work when pressured, which the Giants like to do 43%of the time. They know how to turn up the pressure. New York can run the ball just as well, with their own thousand yard man in Saquan Barkley. Difference is the pass attack isn't as dominating with the Giants, which will end up hurting them at the end of the day.

Pick: Vikings 27, Giants 20

Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals 1/15 *:15PM

Another divisional matchup heading into the end of wild card weekend, this one doesn't have as much luster to it. Why? Because Lamar Jackson isn't playing for the Ravens. Baltimore doesn't operate quite the same way that they do when Lamar is under center, which shows something about Lamar character and fighting through the pain come playoff time. Itt leaves the Ravens a little thin at QB and won't help really propel that offense very far. The Ravens defense might be able to keep them in the game, but it won't last long. Why?

The Bengals offense, led by Joe Cool, is just too we;ll balanced and good to really be held down. Solid running game with joe Mixon, but its the pass attack that's going to carry Cincy. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both had thousand yard years and are going to be hard to keep down

Pick: Bengals 27, Ravens 10

Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1/16 8:15PM

Dallas has been a long struggeling team come the playoffs. Haven't won a playoff game since 2018, haven't gone deep in teh playoffs since 1995 and haven't won a playoff game on the road since 1992. Those numbers are going to stick with Dallas fans for a long time and it won't get any easier this year. Sure they have Dak and Zeke leading the charge. Tony Pollard out rushed ZSeke and CeDe Lamb had a thosuand yard season but he the biggest threat. Take him away and its slim pickings through the air for the boys. Trying tp cpmtrp; tjheir run game won't be easy, as they were held to under a hundred yards rushing in a game four times. One of those games was first week of the season against these Bucs.

Tampa has Vita Vea back and healthy and its going to cause even bigger problems for Dallas. But tTampa hasn't had much of a run game with Fornette under 700 yards rushing on the year. Sure they had two thousand yard receivers in Evans and Godwin, but it leaving a little to desire. Dallas might be able to keep this game close.

Pick: Bucs 21, Cowboys 17

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