Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos Sunday. Photo Credit: Buffalo Bills/Facebook
It all starts Saturday.
The National Football League (NFL) postseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), the top seed in the American Football Conference (AFC) are trying to become the first team in NFL history to three-peat as Super Bowl Champions.
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference (NFC) the Detroit Lions at(15-2) also earned a first round playoff bye.
Here’s a look at the first round playoff matchups, aka wild card weekend, starting with the Buffalo Bills.
The second seeded Bills (13-4) host the seventh ranked Denver Broncos (10-7) Sunday afternoon at 1 pm.
Buffalo hasn’t lost a game at home all season (8-0) and quarterback Josh Allen is the odds on favorite to win NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours after the Bills became the first team in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes (30) and 30 rushing touchdowns (32) in the same season.
The Broncos clinched their first playoff berth since 2015, and head coach Sean Payton has his club believing in themselves following a regular season finale 31-0 victory over a Kansas City team that was sitting a number of its starters including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
On Saturday, the early game at 4:30 pm sees the fourth ranked (10-7) Houston Texans home to the No. 5 (11-6) Los Angeles Chargers.
Houston won the AFC South for a second straight year, but the Chargers under head coach Jim Harbaugh won six more games than last season.
Saturday night sees the third seed Baltimore Ravens (12-5) home to the sixth seeded Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) in an 8 pm kickoff., in what should be a physical AFC North affair.
While Josh Allen is the favorite to be named league MVP, you simply can’t ignore Lamar Jackson’s numbers. Jackson became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 900 yards in the same season. Perhaps even more impressive, he’s the first player in league history with at least 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions in a season.
Pittsburgh on the other hand has lost four straight games, and perhaps the luster of quarterback Russell Wilson, who appeared to have rejuvenated his career in the Steel City, has worn off.
To the NFC now where wild card games will be played Sunday and Monday.
First up, the (14-3) second seeded Philadelphia Eagles entertain the (11-6) seventh ranked Green Bay Packers at 4:30 pm on Sunday.
And while you likely think of Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts when you mention Philadelphia, the Eagles also feature the NFL’s number one ranked defense.
It will be up to Jordan Love and the Packers offense to try and keep Barkley and company off the field, but it won’t be easy as news broke Monday that standout wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a season-ending knee injury in Green Bay’s 24-22 loss to Chicago on Sunday.
Sunday night (8 pm) third ranked, and the NFC South Champion, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) welcome the (12-5) sixth seeded Washington Commanders.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield still shows flashes of brilliance, while his Commanders counterpart Jayden Daniels is the favorite to win NFL Rookie of the Year.
And finally, the fourth ranked (14-3) Minnesota Vikings visit the No. 5 (10-7) Los Angeles Rams Monday night.
The Vikings are coming off a regular season ending humbling loss to Detroit that ended their nine-game win streak. Interestingly enough, Minnesota’s last loss before Sunday was in Week 8 when the Rams prevailed 30-20, However that game was played in LA.
Let the games begin. We’ll soon find out if NFL Wild Card weekend lives up to its name.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
