The NFL playoffs are here and the goal is clear.
Win or go home!
Super Bowl 57 is on the horizon, but only two teams will punch their ticket. Three wins are required to secure the exclusive invitation. This weekend, 12 teams begin their postseason slate during Super Wild Card Weekend.
Each team will face an opponent they have already played this season.
The NFC West rivalry resumed Saturday afternoon. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks for the third time this season, while the Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off the third-largest postseason comeback in NFL history against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Follow each game. The latest NFL scores and schedules
Two more divisional games will be played on Sunday. The Buffalo Bills will host the Miami Dolphins in an early slate. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are set to renew their AFC North rivalry in prime time.
The remaining matches feature teams looking for payback. The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens hope to get out of the way. Can the Cowboys ruin another Tom Brady playoff run?
TOP HONOUR: NFL stars Travis Kelce, Justin Jefferson lead NFL All-Pro teams
CHOICES. When the playoffs begin, do the Cowboys or the Buccaneers advance?
FLOWERING TABLECLOTH. Alabama stars lead an exciting list of eligible college athletes
Here’s a rundown of all the wild card action around the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers 41, Seattle Seahawks 23
Briefly: Despite a tough first-half battle, the Seattle Seahawks couldn’t hold back in their wild-card opener against the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. Brock Purdy led San Francisco’s potent offense with four total touchdowns and 332 passing yards. Christian McCaffrey added 136 total yards and one score. Despite the loss, Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf had 10 receptions for 136 yards and caught two Geno Smith passes. San Francisco’s defense stymied them in the second half, led by Dre Greenlaw’s 11 tackles and Charles Omenihu’s two sacks.
An important point to know. With 2:31 left in the third quarter and the 49ers up 23-17, the pocket collapsed around Smith and Omenihu sacked him. The quarterback lost the football on the fumble, and NFL sack leader Nick Bosa jumped on the ball for a quick recovery. The play crushed any momentum the Seahawks had.
Next: The 49ers advance to the divisional round and will host the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys. The Seahawks’ season is over.
Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Los Angeles Chargers 30
Briefly: The Chargers appeared poised to clinch the division after five first-half plays, but Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to a 27-point comeback to beat the Chargers 31-30, the third-largest comeback in the NFL. in the playoffs. the story. For Lawrence, it was simply a tale of two halves. He had 77 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in the first half, but Lawrence finished with 288 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. “You couldn’t write a crazier script,” Lawrence said afterward.
One important point to know. Trailing 30-28 with 3:09 left in the game, Lawrence led the Jaguars with a 61-yard game-winning drive. The Jaguars made it a pivotal fourth-and-1 play with Travis Etienne’s 25-yard run, setting up Riley Patterson’s 36-yard field goal as time expired.
Next: The Jaguars lived to fight another day. Their divisional playoff opponent and destination will be determined by the results of Sunday’s AFC fixtures. The Chargers, however, are going home.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
Start. 1:00 pm ET (Sunday)
Television. CBS:
Betting information. Odds, money line, etc
What to know? Bill doesn’t just play for football. With teammate Damar Hamlin moving on from a horrific Week 17 collapse, the Bills enter the postseason with a renewed spirit and mission. The Dolphins also have some confidence. They beat Buffalo in Week 3 and lost by a field goal in Week 15. While both rivals know each other well, the elephant in the room is Dolphins rookie Skylar Thompson. A lot will be on his shoulders in his first playoff start. Expect the Dolphins to rely on the running game to alleviate early pressure. However, it will be up to Thompson to play in time if Miami has any hopes of a huge upset.
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings
Start. 4:30 p.m. ET
Television. Fox:
Betting information. Odds, money line, etc
What to know? Which Vikings team will show up on Sunday? This is the million dollar question about dating. Minnesota looks like a Super Bowl contender this season. The star trio of Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook is dominant at times. However, the Vikings can suffer greatly from setbacks. The Giants should be well rested as the starters got a good break in Week 18. Expect the Giants to stifle the Vikings’ pass defense, which ranks 31st in the league. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones completed 30 of 42 passes for 334 yards last game. He added one touchdown and one interception.
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Start. 8:15 p.m. ET
Television. NBC:
Betting information. Odds, money line, etc
What to know? The Ravens are expected to be without quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday. That’s a big blow to their wild-card chances against the Bengals. Backup quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown are serviceable. However, the Bengals are a different entity. Week 18 provided a draft of the current reality of both teams. The Bengals were outshot 27-16 and forced four sacks and four turnovers. Bengals star Ja’Mar Chase had eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. It could be a similar story on Sunday night.
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Start. 8:15 p.m. ET
Television. ESPN, ABC
Betting information. Odds, money line, etc
What to know? Tom Brady has one more chance to win his eighth Super Bowl title. Despite a torrid season that resulted in an 8-9 losing record, Brady still has the Buccaneers in prime position. Tampa Bay has a home playoff game against a tough Dallas team. Brady is 7-0 in his career against the Cowboys. Still, Dallas comes in confident. Key players are back after their Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay. Expect the Cowboys to rely on the running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard to man the line of scrimmage. This could be a close match where a mistake could affect the outcome of the game.
Comments