The last week of the calendar is here and with it the opportunity to experience a historic day. There are seven more places to be determined for the Playoffs, nothing short of the highest number to be filled in the last weekend of the season in 31 years, after there were also seven in 1989.
A total of 18 teams, more than half of the league, are still pursuing their ambitions for a playoff spot. The NFL hadn’t involved that many teams on the last calendar date since 2006, when 20 teams came in with a qualification opportunity.
With all these implications per scenario, the experts at ESPN Deportes provide their analysis and their choices to keep the 2020 prediction race interesting.
NOTE: Each expert’s choices are in capital letters and bold.
ALFONSO MANCILLA / Twitter: @poncho_mancilla
– HOW HIGH IS THE CHANCE OF USING THE LATEST DREW BREES REGULAR SEASON GAME?
During this week, gamblers in Las Vegas, to be believed for having their money in, gave an 88 percent chance that the legendary New Orleans quarterback will not play the 2021 season.
If we focus on the fact that the last two seasons have indeed been very difficult for Drew Brees due to injuries, the opportunity to watch his final minutes on the field is very high; However, the NFL has also shown that age is not necessarily a factor determining quarterback continuity.
Brees, who is about to turn 42, appears to be in the same group as Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Ryan Fitzpatrick, who maintain a high level of competition despite more than 15 years in the league.
As if that wasn’t enough, the season finale also underlined that the team’s defense and Alvin Kamara’s role in the running game could give Brees the necessary backing to return in 2021. With all this in mind, it seems to me that the chance Brees’ return rises to 50 percent.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Deshaun Watson (Houston), 350 meters
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tenneesse), 145 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Indianapolis (12 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
ARIZONA against LA Rams
GREEN BAY against Chicago
Washington vs. PHILADELPHIA
TENNESSEE vs. Texans
======================
INDIANAPOLIS against Jacksonville
EDUARDO VARELA / Twitter: @LaloVarelaTV
– WILL THE CONTEST AGAINST CHICAGO BEARS SHOW THE REAL LEVEL OF GREEN PACKERS AND IF IT IS A BETTER VERSION COMPARED TO THE YEAR THE NFC FINAL WAS LOST?
Green Bay has improved a lot on both sides of the ball in the past month, especially in the running game that has yielded Aaron Rodgers a different perspective and open the game through the air. Likewise, the defense has been more aggressive and dominant towards the point this season.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Andy Dalton (Dallas), 300 meters
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 150 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Cleveland (10 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
ARIZONA against LA Rams
GREEN BAY against Chicago
Washington vs. PHILADELPHIA
TENNESSEE vs. Texans
======================
N. ORLEANS vs. Carolina
SEBASTIÁN M. CHRISTENSEN / T.whiter: @SebastianMCESPN
– WILL COACH BRIAN FLORES MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION TO BILL TUA TAGOVAILOA ON RYAN FITZPATRICK?
You made the right decision, of course. Not only does Tua Tagovailoa have a much higher ceiling than Ryan Fitzpatrick, but it also fits this particular Dolphins roster perfectly.
While Fitzpatrick he’s more vertical, and the attack has more hit with him behind center, the reality is that the dolphins were 3-3 with Fitz as the starting point.
Miami has an excellent defense and special teams have done their part, so a quarterback who limits mistakes is just what the doctor ordered. Having said that, Tagovailoa you have to take more risks and attack more vertically. Miami isn’t a real contender this year and experience with games like this will help Tua move forward.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Deshaun Watson (Houston), 402 meters
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tenneesse), 202 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Indianapolis (13 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
Arizona vs. LA RAMS
GREEN BAY against Chicago
WASHINGTON vs. Philadelphia
TENNEESSE vs. Texans
======================
Pittsburgh vs. CLEVELAND
CARLOS NAVA / Twitter: @TapaNava
– WHICH TEAM HAS BEST USED THE 2021 SEASON BETWEEN COWBOYS AND GIANTS, REGARDLESS OF WHICH OF BOTH RANGES AFTER THE SEASON?
The New York Giants made much more progress as they progressed in their schedule, growing on both sides of the ball, especially their quarterback Daniel Jones.
True, they had more lows than highs, but when you consider that they didn’t have an offseason schedule or preseason games under new coaching staff, they even exceeded some expectations in their rebuild. For the Cowboys, the season was a setback in almost every way.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Tom Brady (Tampa Bay), 382 meters
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tenneesse), 190 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Indianapolis (10 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
Arizona vs. LA RAMS
GREEN BAY against Chicago
WASHINGTON vs. Philadelphia
TENNEESSE vs. Texans
======================
Pittsburgh vs. CLEVELAND
PABLO VIRUEGA / Twitter: @PabloViruega
– DESPITE JARED GOFF’S BAD STRETCH AND INJURY LOSS, CAN RAMS PUNCH CARDINALS AND ENTER PLAYOFFS?
It won’t be enough to beat Arizona, but they can make it to the playoffs. Right now, the team that can support the Rams is the Packers and they’ll beat the Bears, which is very likely.
First, Ramming has a good defense, which has not played at the highest level for the past two weeks, especially against the Jets. That defense must keep Los Angeles in the game to have a chance against Arizona, which has already been eliminated but wants to end the season with a victory.
It’s only hard with the defense to win matches and more so when they go against a team with the attacking potential that Cardinals have. On the offensive side, they will have John Wolford, who will be the first quarterback to start a game in the past week (in the Super Bowl era, 1966) and where his team defines its pass to the Playoffs.
Wolford needs a great running and defense game that doesn’t seem enough to beat Arizona, which is why the Rams will depend on the Packers fighting to rest in the first week of the playoffs, and for that they need to beat Chicago.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) 300 yards
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tenneesse) 140 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Baltimore (16 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
ARIZONA against LA Rams
GREEN BAY against Chicago
WASHINGTON vs. Philadelphia
TENNEESSE vs. Texans
======================
Miami vs. BUFFALO
IVIS ABURTO / Twitter: @IvisAburto
– IS THE CHIEFS DECISION TO REST PATRICK MAHOMES OVER THE LAST WEEK, CONSIDERING THIS YEAR ONLY THE SEED OF EACH CONFERENCE ON THE FIRST WEEK OF PLAYOFFS?
It is a decision that can be seen from the perspective of the glass half full or the glass half empty.
Giving Patrick Mahomes and other starters such a long break doesn’t seem ideal, as two weeks seems too much in relation to the pace of play and competitive. Perhaps it helps to consider the game against the Chargers as a pre-season game, where the starters play a quarter or first half.
Just a cold fact: Mahomes he will be the seventh quarterback to rest in the final week of the regular season, after his team secures the conference’s first seed.
Of the six above, only one (Drew Brees with the Saints in 2009), won the Super Bowl.
On the other hand, it is not the case that the Kansas City attack is having its best moment after going through troubles in the last two games against New Orleans and Atlanta.
Considering how defending the Saints made it difficult Mahomes and their receivers and how they made various mistakes against the Falcons, the hiatus might not be so bad for the Kansas City assault to regroup and make it to the Playoffs with new strength.
FANTASY FORECASTS
QB with the most meters by air: Drew Brees (N. Orleans), 350 meters
RB with the most rushing yards: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 135 yardas
Defensive so that fewer points are possible: Baltimore (13 points)
CHOICES
Miami vs. BUFFALO
Arizona vs. LA RAMS
GREEN BAY against Chicago
Washington vs. PHILADELPHIA
TENNEESSE vs. Texans
======================
DALLAS vs. NY Giants