A Wildcard Weekend: Our Staff Predictions

Starting off the wild card weekend we have the Seahawks and 49ers playing in San Francisco. This is a pretty easy bet, as we think the 49ers will sweep the Seahawks. The 49ers are hot and their offense is unstoppable, with a defense that is historically dominant, only letting up 20 points in the past three games. The Seahawks have had a surprisingly good season after losing Russel Wilson, but Brock Purdy and his offensive weapons will slide past the Seahawks’ 12th-ranked defense.

The next wild card weekend game is the Chargers vs. Jaguars, playing in Jacksonville, Florida. Our prediction is the Chargers taking a win, but in a close match as the Jaguars are coming in hot, off a long 5 game-winning streak. Jaguar quarterback Trevor Lawrence has stepped up his game this season, but Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert still has major weapons in the wide receiver position. The Jaguar’s defense is ranked 26th, so the Charger’s offense will walk all over them, leading most likely to a big win.

Starting off on Sunday afternoon, the Bills host the Miami Dolphins in Buffalo, New York. After the devastating Damar Hamlin injury, we predict the Bills will be coming off strong, wanting to win for him. Also, with starting quarterback for Miami, Tua Tagovailoa being ruled out with a concussion, third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson will be starting. With the Bills’ unstoppable offense featuring wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and quarterback Josh Allen, we believe the Bills will win on home turf. 

Following the Bills-Dolphins game, the Vikings take on the New York Giants on home field. Although the Giants aren’t favored, the Vikings are not very reliable when it comes to pressured games. Even though the Vikings have a home-field advantage, if the Giants come off strong we believe there could be an upset. In the past couple of games, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been getting clamped by the opposing teams and has not been producing as much as he normally does. This game could go either way, but we are hoping the Vikings come out on top!

Finishing off Sunday Night Football is the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Bengals in Cincinnati, Ohio. Quarterback for the Ravens, Lamar Jackson has been injured since week 13, and it’s unlikely he’ll be returning for the Bengals game. Joe Burrow and his three elite wide receivers will likely have an easy win; however, the Ravens’ defense won’t make it easy on them. The Ravens have no strong wide receivers, and mostly rely on the run game; they most likely won’t be able to survive the hungry Bengals who want to win the Superbowl after last year’s loss.

Ending the wild card weekend the Dallas Cowboys take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Tampa. The Cowboys are coming off a terrible loss from week 17 vs. the Washington Commanders, meaning they will need to prove themselves and their capabilities in this matchup. We believe the Cowboys will win in a very intense and close game. Quarterback Tom Brady for the Buccaneers has never lost to the Cowboys in his career, and we believe he’s planning on keeping that streak alive. With that, the Cowboys could snap that streak as their run-and-pass game has been incredible most weeks. Running back duo Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliot complement each other very well with their balance of speed and strength, and the Cowboys will be feeding star running back Elliot, all game. Cowboys Wide receiver Ceedee Lamb has also been playing amazing putting up more than 100 yards a game recently, creating a great connection with his quarterback, Dak Prescott. The Cowboys can pull off an upset against the Buccaneers who have home-field advantage, with an offense that puts up over 30 points a game, and an elite defense that forced the most turnovers this season with 33, led by Micah Parsons.