Written by: Tyler Deakin
“Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?!”- Jim Mora. Football fans rejoice, as we’ve finally reached the 2021-2022 NFL playoff tournament! This is the beginning of a new season for NFL teams, as it doesn’t matter what your record was to get here but instead whether you can beat your opponent & other teams on your journey to Super Bowl LVI. We’ve got a jam-packed weekend of football ahead of us, as games are played on Saturday, Sunday, & Monday. Let’s dive in to discuss all of the action from what will be an entertaining weekend of football.
Saturday Games
Raiders at Bengals (4:30 ET, NBC)
Two new teams to the playoff tournament square off to begin Super Wild Card weekend. The Raiders are coming off a thrilling win over the Chargers in overtime last week, while the Bengals rested their starters & lost to the Browns. Joe Burrow & Derek Carr make their long-awaited playoff debuts this weekend. I’ve doubted the Raiders all year, but I’m now a firm believer in them after staying up to watch their exciting game against the Chargers on Sunday night. Playing defense against the Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase connection will be challenging, but the Raiders have dealt with plenty of adversity all year to earn their spot in the tournament. I’m glad that the NFL decided to feature this game first, as it should be a great one to watch.
Patriots at Bills (8:15 ET, CBS)
These two teams know each other quite well as they split their head-to-head series 1-1 this year. I’m going to be honest here in saying that this game projects as kind of a boring one, with wind chills below 0 degrees, a light chance of snow, & 5-10 mph winds in the forecast. Fans who love watching defensive slugfests are sure to enjoy this matchup. The Patriots are built to win these kind of games, and I believe that they will run the ball relentlessly until the Bills stop them. Will Josh Allen be able to counter with enough offensive scoring to beat the Patriots?
Sunday Games
Eagles at Buccaneers (1:00 ET, FOX)
The Eagles have absolutely no chance at winning this one, right? I just can’t see it happening, not against playoff legend Tom Brady in the 1st round of the tournament. That said, this year has taught me that on any given Sunday these types of upsets can happen. It’s fitting that I’m writing this immediately after the Bucs almost lost to the lowly Jets last weekend. What also helps the Eagles case for an upset is the fact that they are 1st in the league in rushing yards per game (160), which should allow them to keep Brady off the field at times. That’s easier said than done though, just ask the Falcons how that plan worked out for them in Super Bowl LI.
49ers at Cowboys (4:30 ET, CBS)
An old-school rivalry takes on a new flavor as these two NFC powerhouses square off. Both teams are similar in that they like to establish the run & play great defense to back it up. One of the interesting storylines to watch here is Kyle Shanahan facing off against Dan Quinn. Quinn was Shanahan’s boss in Atlanta before both guys found new coaching roles elsewhere. Deebo Samuel vs. Trevon Diggs will be the in-game matchup to watch as it could decide the game’s outcome. Will Diggs shadow Samuel all over the field, or will Samuel be allowed to roam free? Tune in to find out as this promises to be a very entertaining game to watch.
Steelers at Chiefs (8:15 ET, NBC)
This one could get ugly in a hurry if the Steelers 36-10 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 16 has any bearing on the outcome of this game. I’m feeling a strong defensive game here, as it’s tough for any NFL team to beat the same opponent twice much less in blowout fashion. Stopping TJ Watt will be the top priority for the Chiefs, as he tied the NFL single season sack record last weekend with 22.5 QB takedowns. Meanwhile, the Steelers will be tasked with containing DT Chris Jones who has 9 sacks of his own this year. His return after missing a few games earlier in the year due to injury has been a huge boost for the Chiefs defensive unit. I’m tempted to believe that the Chiefs will pull this one out; however, they’ve shown some chinks in the armor recently including their loss to the Bengals & narrow win over the Broncos last week.
Monday Night Game
Cardinals at Rams (8:15 ET, ESPN)
It’s the first Monday night playoff game in NFL history as two division rivals face off. Much like the Patriots-Bills series, these two teams split their head-to-head series 1-1 as well. Both teams are coming off of crushing divisional losses to the Seahawks & 49ers respectively. This matchup will be decided by which team can regain their old form as both teams struggled mightily down the stretch. Matt Stafford needs to stop turning the ball over and the team needs to feature Sony Michel more in the running game if the Rams are to emerge victorious. Meanwhile, the Cardinals need to show more consistency on both sides of the ball but especially on defense. The Chargers-Raiders thriller on Sunday night was an exciting game to watch, so football fans should plan on staying up on Monday night to watch the finale of Super Wild Card weekend.
Looking forward to this weekend's games. Thanks for the insights!