After 17 long, grueling weeks, the NFL enters the NFL playoffs starting with Wild Card weekend. In the NFL playoffs, 12 teams will battle it out for supreme glory to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. But, before we get there, the festivities begin with the Wild Card Weekend on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5 with a pair of AFC and NFC contests, respectively.
Before we all sit down to see who will move on to the Divisional Round, let’s take a look at a quick history of the two teams playing one another and what the game might come down to when the clock reaches triple zeros in these NFL playoffs.
Wild Card Weekend Breakdown
AFC Saturday
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
Last Regular Season Meeting: Bills 13 – Texans 20, Oct. 14, 2018
Last Playoff Meeting: N/A
This is the first postseason meeting between the two clubs — and despite that, the two teams match up pretty evenly. Both teams boast a defense that can get after the quarterback and defend the ball well. What’ll it come down to is which offense will find its footing first.
While the Houston Texans are no strangers to postseason play, this Buffalo Bills team will feature a lot of players with little to no playoff experience, prior. With the big one being Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Playoff jitters are a real thing and they often rear their ugly head at the worst times. For as great as a season Buffalo has had, they have to stay the course with who they are: big plays and defense. Expect points to be hard to come by in this one.
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots
Last Regular Season Meeting: New England 10 – Tennessee 34
Last Playoff Meeting: Tennessee 14 – New England 35, Jan. 13, 2018
For the first time in a decade, the New England Patriots will play in Wild Card Weekend and host a formidable Tennessee Titans team looking for the upset. New England has cause for concern knowing their offense hasn’t wowed anyone this year. Combine the fact that Tennessee will throw the rushing king Derrick Henry at them, and this could be a scary matchup for the defending Super Bowl champions.
New England’s greatest strength will no doubt be their stout defense to keep Tennessee at bay behind a rejuvenated Ryan Tannehill. Tennessee knows they’re playing with a loaded deck, but the question will be if they can grab the lead and step on New England’s neck.
NFC Sunday
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Last Regular Season Meeting: New Orleans 30 – Minnesota 20, Oct. 28, 2018
Last Playoff Meeting: New Orleans 24 – Minnesota 29, Jan. 14, 2018
It’s pretty impossible to not think of the “Minneapolis Miracle” when looking at the matchup on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints will have a prime opportunity to exact their revenge on the Minnesota Vikings at home — albeit with a slightly different Vikings roster. Nonetheless, the Saints haven’t forgotten about it.
For Minnesota, they’ll have to find a way for Kirk Cousins and Co. to match the explosive power of the Saints in this one. On paper, the game could be a shootout contest or a dominating Saints win. Minnesota will enter this game on a two-game losing streak and cannot afford to fall behind in a hostile environment.
Fortunately, Minnesota should have the services of Dalvin Cook, who missed the last few games due to injury. Cook should take some pressure off of Cousins, but the world will be ready to dissect Cousins should they lose this game.
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
Last Regular Season Meeting: Seattle 17 – Philadelphia 9, Nov. 24, 2019
Last Playoff Meeting: N/A
The Seattle Seahawks were at the one-yard line looking to beat the San Francisco 49ers and win the NFC West — neither of those things happened in the final game of the 2019 regular season. Instead, they’ll travel east play a Philadelphia Eagles team that’s gaining confidence each passing week.
Philadelphia won the NFC East with a bunch of no-names and come into this one heavily banged up. However, it’s Philly that has momentum in this one. This game is an interesting one given how injured Philadelphia is and how mentally-damaged Seattle might be.
Both teams have an equal shot at winning this game — even if their two records might indicate otherwise. Can Philadelphia continue to get impressive results from its unknowns? Or will Seattle prove that they’re still a contender in the NFC?
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
