Somehow the NFL has somehow converted one fourth and one long after another over a treacherous 100-yard pandemic minefield. Now, the pandemic playoffs kick off on Saturday as 14 masked teams so desperate to stay socially at bay from a devil virus for centuries as they march to Tampa and Super Bowl LV for the ultimate game of ‘Survivor’.
The Browns, who haven’t seen the playoffs since 2002, were already in the solar plexus when coach / play-caller Kevin Stefanski and left-wing guard Joel Bitonio were placed on the COVID-19 list and spoke out for their wildcard showdown against the Steelers.
This is what the Serby Crystal Ball sees:
WILD CARD ROUND
Indianapolis Colts (7) at Buffalo Bills (2):
The pain of blowing up a 16-point lead in a loss of overtime for the Texans in last year’s wildcard round has the streaking division champions of coach Sean McDermott and the 6,772 members of the Bills Mafia allowed to attend.
Colts’ talented defense coordinator Matt Eberflus has a fast unit adept at takeaways and running attacks, but his 18th-placed pass defense will have his hands full with MVP-caliber dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen. He needs stallions Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner to impress.
Bills wide receivers Isaiah McKenzie and rookie Gabriel Davis will have to play a bigger role for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as WR Cole Beasley (knee) is limited or offside. Stefon Diggs and Xavier Rhodes argued as Vikings teammates, and they could soon be reconnected.
This is Philip Rivers’ last ditch effort to win that elusive first Super Bowl championship. He needs another hasty day of 253 yards from rookie Jonathan Taylor running behind bone-cracking guard Quenton Nelson, with Bill’s cornerback Tre’Davious White covering WR TY Hilton.
Forecast: Bills 27, Colts 21. Buffalo’s first playoff win since the 1995 season.
The Angels Rams (6) at Seattle Seahawks (3):
When Jared Goff (thumb surgery) can’t, Sean McVay turns to John Wolford, who couldn’t even beat Sam Darnold in 2018 training camp as an undesignated free agent. Regardless, WR’s Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are being devalued and the Seahawks field is number 5.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll’s defense needs safety Jamal Adams (shoulder) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (oblique), who scored two sacks in a 20-9 Week 16 win. When in doubt, let Russell Wilson cook against the number 3 -run defense, but if he avoids another throw at DK Metcalf against Jalen Ramsey, he has to contact Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks line of attack has reunited for the first time in week 14 to confront Aaron Donald.
Forecast: Seahawks 24, Rams 17. Russell Wilson finds a way.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) at Washington Football Team (7):
Just don’t expect from Bruce Arians doug-pederson Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of a close game for Blaine Gabbert. Washington rookie defensive end Chase Young wanted the soaring Brady, now he has him. WFT coach Ron Rivera and defense coordinator Jack Del Rio have a line of defense that could give Brady flashbacks of Super Bowl 42 against the Giants. And their secondary isn’t chopped liver.
Brady wants to get the ball to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and old friend Rob Gronkowski quickly. Even without budding linebacker Devin White, Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is conducting a No. 1 run defense that will slow RB Antonio Gibson and force Alex Smith to forcibly launch a one-dimensional attack. Smith will have to get the ball to WR Terry McLaurin and tight Logan Thomas. Rivera can alternate between Smith and Taylor Heinicke? A Heineken or three is recommended for the WFT fan.
Forecast: Buccaneers 28, Washington 17. Brady hopes Bill Belichick is watching.
Baltimore Ravens (5) at Tennessee Titans (4):
Hide the women and children. A rematch of last year’s division round, which was disrupted by the Titans in Baltimore, when Derrick Henry tumbled 195 yards and forced Lamar Jackson to catch up. Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams face off against the bully. But it could be a matter of picking your poison, with Ryan Tannehill targeting WR’s AJ Brown and Corey Davis – that’s where outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue and CB’s Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters have to make a difference.
The rise of rookie RB JK Dobbins gives Jackson a partner in crime. Jackson is driven to win his first playoff game in three tries. His 46 touchdowns without interception in the red zone speak for themselves, so beware TE Mark Andrews and WR Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Placekicker Justin Tucker is a weapon.
Prediction: Ravens 30, Titans 24. A massacre to the end.
Chicago Bears (7) at New Orleans Saints (2):
Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano’s pass rush has been slowing down lately, and Drew Brees was fired just once (Khalil Mack) in 41 passing tries in the Saints’ 26-23 OT victory in Chicago in November.
Nick Foles won’t be the opposite quarterback this time. That would be Mitch Trubisky, the one who preferred GM Ryan Pace to Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky and WR Allen Robinson won’t have an easy time against an elite secondary led by CB Marshon Lattimore and S. Marcus Williams.
Chicago RB David Montgomery represents the No. 4 run defense. Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle) will be back after a three-week absence, and RB Alvin Kamara (COVID-19 list) is expected to be cleared. What Taysom Hill tricks does Sean Payton have in store?
Prediction: Saints 27, Bears 13. Brees (24 touchdowns, six interceptions), recovered from his 11 broken ribs and a punctured lung, sets off on a final Super Bowl run.
Cleveland Browns (6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3):
The visitors lost 17 times in a row in Pittsburgh, not that Baker Mayfield cares. But he will care that Stefanski and Bitonio are not on the sidelines. Is Jim Brown available to name plays? Johnny Manziel, maybe? Good luck, Mike Priefer!
Myles Garrett keeps his helmet on but doesn’t want a bookend Olivier Vernon (torn ACL) to chase Ben Roethlisberger. Watch out for Diontae Johnson, wiping the butter off his fingers, and Chase Claypool. When Mayfield isn’t trying to keep Big Ben on the sidelines with a healthy dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, he’ll likely target Steeler CB Cam Sutton, a likely replacement for Joe Haden (COVID-19 list). TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are playmakers.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Browns 24. Big Ben and Mike Tomlin know how to win these games.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Baltimore Ravens (5) at Kansas City Chiefs (1)
The Chiefs own the No. 21 rush defense, which could pose problems for Jackson if he can keep Patrick Mahomes on the sidelines. But the defending champions will be equipped after the bye, while the Ravens can be worn into a frazzle of the wildcard game. The raven’s defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale couldn’t stop Mahomes (385 yards and four TDs) from outwitting Jackson (97 yards past, rushing 83 yards) in a 34-20 Chiefs victory in September.
Prediction: Chiefs 30, Ravens 24: Kansas City coach Andy Reid is 5-2 after bye weeks in the playoffs and 18-3 in the regular season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4) at Green Bay Packers (1)
A rubber match between Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay RB Aaron Jones will have a tough sled against this pair, and the loss of left-wing elite tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) could make Davante Adams less dangerous. A reviving Packers pass rush, an arctic Lambeau Field and the brilliance of A-Rod make all the difference.
Forecast: Packers 27, Buccaneers 24. Belichick exhales.
Pittsburgh Steelers (3) at Buffalo Bills (2)
Doubt Juju Smith-Schuster will be dancing to the Bills logo this time. Leslie Frazier’s Buffalo defense crammed James Conner (rushing 10-18) and intercepted Big Ben twice, a pick-six by lock angle Taron Johnson, in a 26-15 home win last month. Tomlin would need Haden because Stefon Diggs (received 10-130) dominated last time.
Prediction: Bills 26, Steelers 24. Allen makes his men believe.
Seattle Seahawks (3) at New Orleans Saints (2):
Wilson threw for 406 yards and two TDs and rushed for 51 yards and two TDs in a home loss of 33-27 early last season against the Teddy Bridgewater-led Saints. Adams gives the Hawks a growing Legion of Boom mindset and a swagger on defense. Rookie LB Jordyn Brooks could be stalking Kamara. Trey Hendrickson and Cam Jordan provide the heat, but Wilson could still be Houdini.
Prediction: Seahawks 27, Saints 24. The last time Brees, Thomas and Kamara played a full game together came in week 9. I see an upset.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo Bills (2) at Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Dream quarterback match. The last with the ball wins. There goes Tyreek Hill. There go Diggs. A no-look Mahomes passing to Travis Kelce. Has anyone seen John Brown?
Prediction: Bills 35, Chiefs 33. Allen has the ball last.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Seattle Seahawks (3) at Green Bay Packers (1):
Eight years after the Fail Mary. A rematch of last year’s 28-23 Packers victory in the division round at Lambeau, in which Davante Adams and Lockett were unstoppable. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon give Rodgers the balance that Wilson will not have. Adams beware of Packer’s Robert Tonyan tight side.
Forecast: Packers 28, Seahawks 23. When it snows, Rodgers benefit. If not, benefit Rodgers.
SUPER BOWL 55
Buffalo Bills vs Green Bay Packers:
Jim Kelly shares a suite with Marv Levy and to the right are Scott Norwood and his socially aloof wife. Rodgers is quick to throw TD passes at Allen Lazard and Marques Valdes-Scantling, and Kelly and Levy are wearing that look-we-go-again. But these bills refuse to be haunted by their haunted Super Bowl history.
Allen responds with TD passes to John Brown and Dawson Knox before Rodgers finds Adams in the end zone. Allen yawns and responds with a TD bomb to Diggs. Jones catches a TD pass. Allen connects it to a TD run. Mason Crosby shoots a field goal. The last with the ball wins. And it’s Allen – with a last-second, tackle-eligible TD toss to Dion Dawkins. Kelly sobs tears of joy.
Prediction: Bills 35, Packers 31. Wings for the Bills Mafia and a Lifelong Prayer Answered.