The NFL postseason gets underway and we take a look at what we’ll see in the Wild Card Round on Saturday
The NFL playoffs kick off this Saturday with a tripleheader from the Wild Card Round, after seven teams advanced per conference for the first time in history, leaving only the No. 1 seed at rest.
The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs have a week off at the American conference while the Green Bay Packers they rested on the NFC.
These are the reasons why you shouldn’t miss the three games on Saturday:
The plot to follow: The Bills haven’t won a playoff game since Jim Kelly was quarterback and Bryce Paup won defensive player of the year in 1995. Sure, Buffalo has made it to the post-season in three of the past four years, but the current version of the team seems like the best chance for the franchise to end one of the longest droughts of active playoff success in the entire league .
The following figure: The progress of Josh Allen It was equally astonishing and unexpected. It’s impressive to go from less than 60 percent of completions in his first two years to nearly 70 percent in 2020, plus he increased his average yards per pass attempt by more than a yard, and nearly doubled his total touchdown passes. Even playing in one of the NFL’s lesser media markets, Allen is on the eve of superstar, and a win in the playoffs would put him in that direction.
The following statistics: Keep an eye on the number of carriers with the rookie running back Jonathan Taylor. In four games this season, the Colts gave him at least 20 carries, of which Indy won them all. In three of those games, he surpassed 100 rush yards, and in three of those games, he scored a touchdown, five in total. If Indianapolis feeds Taylor, it means they didn’t let Buffalo come off the scoreboard, giving them the best chance of starting the cold Bills house.
The prognosis: No team in the AFC finished the regular season any hotter than the Bills, and while the home advantage factor is reduced with empty or semi-empty stands, Buffalo should benefit from hosting a team used to playing in one of the most inhospitable stadiums in the league. The Bills are the favorite with -6.0 points and the high / low line is 51.5 for the game. I think Buffalo wins by beating both numbers. – Rafael Zamorano
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Pablo Viruega analyzes Seattle and Los Angeles in view of their match for an NFC wildcard.
Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks They are measured for the third time in the campaign to determine once and for all who is the best representative of the National Conference as they split the regular season wins with victory for the team that served at home.
It’s the second time they meet in the playoffs and the only antecedent dates back to the same round, but in 2004 when the then St. Louis team won at Qwest Field 27-20 when the quarterbacks were still Matt Hasselbeck and Marc goods. Bulger.
The plot to follow: While there are many things we should not lose sight of, we need to focus our attention on them Jared Goff and his ability to play after surgery a few days ago for a broken hand. Sean McVay will decide up to the last minute whether he is Goff or John Wolford who manages the offense, but even if the California graduate does, the joke will be to see how limited it will be, despite the fact that Seattle’s defense isn’t the headache it used to represent and the Rams, who used to boast spectacular attack , they now finished as the No. 1 defense of the season in points and yards.
The following figure: Jalen Ramsey. It was difficult to choose the cornerback over the defense Aaron Donald – both are named after the All-Pro team – but the high school member will have his hands full DK Metcalf, receiver limited to 87 yards and eight receptions in two meetings when the second-year player had four games of 100 yards or more and one of his worst presentations was right against Ramsey when he had two catches for 28 yards. In only two games he had fewer yards (week 7 against Arizona Cardinals and week 7 before San Francisco 49ers). It is not without reason that the Rams were the No. 1 defense over the air in the 2020 season and No. 3 against the flight.
The following statistics: Russell Wilson (5-0) in home playoff games. The Seahawks have had 10 consecutive home wins – their last loss was the aforementioned loss to the Rams in 2004 according to ESPN Stats & Info – and five of them were No. 3 on the controls. In the current season, they suffered only four losses, only one of which was at the now Lumen Field when they succumbed to the New York Giants 17-12. For their part, the Rams were 4-4 in someone else’s yard in the 2020 season.
The prognosis: Pete Carroll’s team shows up as a four-point favorite in the casinos and is arguably the Wild Card Round’s best match simply by seeing another compromise between division rivals like the Cleveland Browns in the Pittsburgh Steelers. which offers more arguments to think it will be in the last possession defined with a low point clash that will eventually tilt again for the locals.
The Seahawks advance to the Division Round with a score of 17-14. – Luis Miguel Vasavilbaso
Tom Brady He led the Buccaneers to the playoffs in his first year with the team, and now the next challenge is to lead them to their first postseason victory since 2002 when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.
Despite playing on the road, Tampa Bay is a firm favorite to overtake Washington, which becomes the third losing division champion since the 1982 strike, joining the 2010 Seattle Seahawks and the Carolina Panthers From 2014.
The plot to follow: Brady. The veteran quarterback threw for 1,137 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in his last three games of the season. If the Washington defense can stop the Bucs’ running game, it will have to face Brady’s arm, and that may not be good news.
The following figure: Alex Smith. Yes, it’s true, Brady is the man who will be in the spotlight, but we can’t put Smith aside, who returned from 17 operations to become Washington’s starter and led the franchise to its first playoff appearance in five years . . Whatever the outcome, Smith will be the winner of the evening.
Statistics to follow: Since 1982, only three teams have won their divisions with a losing record, with the top two (Seattle and Carolina) winning at least one postseason game. This trend may not be as significant if Brady has not lost in his last two Wild Card Round appearances and it will be the first time in his career that he has played on the road in this case.
The prognosis: Logic says you don’t have to bet against Brady and I intend to follow that maxim. The Buccaneers will win and advance to the Division Round, but it won’t be a walk in the park, Washington has a pretty good defense and their running game can cause a lot of headaches. – Erick Cervantes