After 18 weeks of football, we finally made it to the postseason.
It is 18 weeks down with four weeks to go in the longest NFL season ever. We now turn our attention to the much anticipated NFL postseason. Here are my Super Wild Card predictions.
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1)
The Chiefs will host the Steelers for the second time this season. In their first meeting, the Chiefs throttled the Steelers 36-10. They did that without their All-World TE, Travis Kelce. But this is the playoffs, where anything can happen, and this could be Ben Roethlisberger’s last game in the NFL. With that said, I feel this game will be close, but, in the end, the Chiefs will prevail, 34-21.
- Buffalo Bills (11-6)
- New England Patriots (10-7)
Round 3, here we go! The Bills and Patriots have shared a win and a loss against one another this year. Who has the edge heading into their third and final meeting? I think it is the Bills. I like the way Buffalo has been using Josh Allen in the running game, and I think that will be the key factor on Saturday night. I have Bills winning 27-17. See ya later, Mac Jones!
- Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)
- Las Vegas Raiders (10-7)
The upstart Bengals and the tough-minded Raiders are set to clash, and what fun it should be! For Cincinnati, it’s going to come down to the play of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. For the Raiders, Derek Carr appears in his first playoff game, and I expect him to go all out to get his team to the second round. I have the Raiders winning 33-30 in a thriller.
NFC
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)
Tom Brady is still a terror on the field, and the Eagles stand in his way of another (his 8th) Super Bowl Ring. But Brady and his Bucs are shorthanded, which means the Eagles have a shot at an upset. While I expect Jalen Hurts to play his heart out, I see the Bucs winning 30-26.
- Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
Is this finally the year the Cowboys go to the Super Bowl? Probably not, but the second round isn’t beyond reach. But to get there, Dallas must get by one of the NFL’s most underrated teams. Let’s face it: Deebo Samuel could break a big play at any point in the game. Still, I have the Cowboys winning, 34-31.
- Los Angeles Rams (13-4)
- Arizona Cardinals (11-6)
The NFC West has been a battle all season long, and now that battle is extending into the postseason. The Rams and Cardinals split during the regular season, and after Monday night, one team will go home for good. It’s Kyler Murray’s and Kidd Kingsbury’s first appearance in the playoffs, and I’m going with experience over potential, taking the Rams over the Cardinals, 27-20.
