Scrap everything you think you know…PLAYOFFS ARE HERE BABY!!!!
It’s a whole new ballgame now that these 14 teams have punched their ticket to the next round of competition. Through 17 games, these professionals have battled, endured injury, overcome setbacks, and are now prepared for glory. It’s the second year of having an additional wildcard matchup coupled with just one team from each conference getting the Bye and boy did that create some major Week 18 drama.
The two fan bases most affected, I say, were Pittsburgh and New Orleans. At the start of the week, basically no one gave the Steelers much of a chance as Big Ben was on his media farewell tour. Then you had New Orleans who had a prime matchup against the Atlanta Falcons and all they needed was the Rams to take care of business at home against San Fran and they’re in.
One inexplicable Jaguars victory later and everything was in a frenzy. Not only did you have Baltimore slugging it out with Pittsburgh in OT, we also were an ill-fated timeout from our second tie of the season which would have eliminated the Steelers from contention. There was no shortage of drama on the NFC side either as the Rams-49ers also went into OT after a last second Jimmy G scoring drive. You couldn’t ask for a more exciting ending to the season than 3 OT games deciding the last 3 playoff spots.
We all know how things played out. Stafford under-threw Beckham Jr. and destroyed Saints fans hopes. Najee returned to the game for Pittsburgh and ran them into the playoffs off a Boswell FG, and the Raiders once again turned to Daniel Carlson for his 5th game-winning FG of the year, sending Justin Herbert home and extending Big Ben’s retirement run for at least another week. That is where this week’s choices will begin!
Kansas City MOLLYWHOPS Big Ben out of the league!
Why?
Ben Roethlisberger said it himself, “We don’t stand much of a chance.”
I couldn’t believe the words this future Hall-of-Famer was spewing out of his mouth. Now I know there’s a chance he could be trying to play up that underdog mentality and motivating his teammates, but when you’re the weakest link of your team that seems counterproductive. This is the team that just blew the doors off Pittsburgh just two weeks prior. That has to still be fresh on players’ minds and acting like it’s a foregone conclusion doesn’t inspire confidence in my humble opinion.
Therefore, I’m inclined to agree with the man who is the X-factor of this game. We know what to expect from Patrick Mahomes and company. The Steelers defense deserves a gold medal for putting this team on their back but can they continue to do so is the question. There’s a chance Juju makes a return and that should bolster this offense that will need to score TDs. I don’t believe it makes a difference and KC gets an easy win.
Bengals show out for first playoff victory in text-messaging era!
Why?
When I saw a meme that said that there has NEVER been a text message sent about Cincinnati winning a playoff game, I thought the internet was fibbing again. Two google searches later, I was laughing so hard I peed a little. Apparently Text Messaging was created in 1992 and the last Bengals playoff victory was 1991. You can’t make this type of humor up!
I, for one, will attempt to be the first human to send a text saying “Bengals Won” as it occurs live Saturday afternoon. Perhaps there is a record book my name can appear in somewhere. All I know is while this Bengals team is the one I would want to play the least as a Titans fan, I can’t see a way Las Vegas contains this air attack AND Joe Mixon. Last time these two teams played, it was Mixon who had his way with the Raiders rushing for nearly 200 yards.
Cincinnati rested their starters while Vegas had to fight for their spot late in OT. Derek Carr would need to have the best game of the season as the Bengals have been pretty good at shutting down the run. He’s had an immaculate season to get them this far considering everything the Raiders have survived through but all good things must end at some point. I’m rooting for Vegas with all my heart though!
The remaining four games all contain teams that matchup supremely well. Two include divisional rivals going at it for the 3rd go round this season. Who triumphs?
Bills outrun Pats!
Why?
I’m banking on the better QB in this matchup. Josh Allen is clearly the superior player at the position and he got some good playoff experience the past two seasons. The Bills are missing their best defensive player in CB Tre’Davious White but when your opponent is Mac Jones, you have to still feel confident in your odds.
The real reason I think Buffalo pulls this off is because they FINALLY started feeding Devin Singletary. Over the last month, He is averaging over 100 scrimmage yards and 15 carries giving the Bills a balanced offense for the first time in Josh Allen’s career. That is bad news for New England that has struggled to stop the run. I mean they just gave up 120 yards to Duke Johnson. The weather report says it’ll be another freezer so the run game will be a deciding factor but there’s zero chance Mac Jones wins another game only throwing 3 passes. I got him throwing an INT or two and sending Belicheck back to the drawing board.
The other divisional rematch is a true toss-up. My choice?
Cardinals upset Rams!
Why?
I’m sticking with my original Super Bowl choice in Titans-Cardinals because I’m a Man of Resolve. I also have been saying all year the two QBs I don’t want to see in the Super Bowl are Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers. I should now clarify that I think LA is the better team all-around here but the Rams give me real Cowboys vibes. I love the unpredictability factor of Kyler here and can’t wait to watch this game Monday night.
I have no clue how this game script plays out but if it’s a close one, Stafford showed he may not be the QB you trust to go and win you a game late. He’s thrown 7 INTs in the last 3 games including a game ending against San Francisco. Whichever team can get out to the quicker start has a huge advantage here. At this juncture, I have more faith in this Cardinals offense over the Rams but the Rams defense over Arizona so this game will come down to one or two momentum-shifting plays which I have advantage Cards.
JJ Watt is walking momentum, trust me I know firsthand ☹
The final two games taking place Sunday have upset alerts written all over them. Can both these NFC wildcard teams pull off the miraculous?
Eagles take Bucs to the brink, but experience prevails!
Why?
I love this matchup for a multitude of reasons. You have the number 1 passing offense vs the number 1 rushing offense. You have two stout front 7’s capable of taking over a game. I’m sure Brady is still aware of this Eagle’s squad that outdueled him in Minneapolis. I love Darius Slay against Mike Evans out wide. Both these guys are game changers at their positions and will dictate the flow of the game. Then you have Jalen Hurts, who I think is primed to be a superstar in this league. He’s no stranger to big games or having to put a team on his back thanks to his time at Alabama and Oklahoma.
The Buccaneers are reloading on the defensive side as Shaq Barrett, JPP, and Lavonte David are in line to start. The old adage is, “YOU DO NOT RUN ON THE BUCS” so it will be a battle of the minds as Sirianni and Todd Bowles battle it out for ground supremacy. This one will come down to how healthy Leonard Fournette is and can G.O.A.T Brady make plays with the likes of Tyler Johnson, Scotty Miller, and Breshard Perriman. I have learned to not doubt Tom in these situations so I’m rolling with Tampa to pull this off but if you are an old-school football fan, this game should be on the top of your list this weekend.
Then you have the Dallas Cowboys back in the postseason for the 1st time since 2018. Will they make noise?
Cowboys choke.
Why?
Now I want to preface this by saying this pick has nothing to do with talent. Dallas has a wealth of blue-chip talent on both sides of the football. Micah Parsons is an All-Pro as a rookie along with his compatriot Trevon Diggs. They have Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory doing work up front to make this team a force at every level. My doubt comes in because of the offensive side of the ball. Dak Prescott has been the NFC equivalent of Justin Herbert this year having some phenomenal showings mixed in with some performances with much left to be desired. That is precisely why I feel this game will come down to whomever wants it more and after last week’s performance, I gotta say it’s the 49ers.
The Rams have a comparable if not superior defensive entourage to Dallas but the 49ers still found a way. The difference between that Rams team and this Cowboys team is the backfield. Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard will have to win them this game. Sadly, stopping the run has been what this San Francisco team does best. Once the ball is kicked, I’m paying attention to which team can establish the run first. Dallas can get after the QB but Trent Williams is back in action and we all know what Kyle Shanahan wants to do.
I say Cowboys choke because in all honesty, this game shouldn’t be close. Dallas should go in there and dominate with the likes of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb out wide but somehow, they find a way to make these games close. That doesn’t bode well for a team with a history such as theirs. Kyle Shanahan waits until the Super Bowl to pull his choking effort so I’ll stick with what I’m familiar with and say that both teams’ streaks continue.
That’s all she wrote for Super Wildcard Weekend. Above is who my football IQ tells me wins but my inner Titans fans are praying for Buffalo and Las Vegas to get a dub. I don’t really think it matters what happens in the NFC because it’s gonna come down to who can go into Lambeau and beat Rodgers on his turf. I am also praying Matt LeFleur screws him over again for the sake of avoiding a Titans-Packers bowl that pits me against my homie and idol.
Make sure you have that Tiger Communications App, follow ya mans on Instagram @brotherbearblanchard and Twitter @TheDenChillin. There’s a ton of content coming following the conclusion of the NFL season that you don’t want to miss. Lastly, my new and improved show Dinner Time with Bear Blanchard is up and running 6-10pm Monday-Thursday. Thanks again to my guy Jovan Cutler for all he does and being the chillest kid in school!
