Saturday, January 4, 2020

2019 NFL SEASON: WILD CARD ROUND




Here is an expanded explanation for my wild card picks as explained from a previous post.

Times are MT



BILLS AT TEXANS, SATURDAY 2:30PM ABC/ESPN

The Bills are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and are hoping for a longer stay than their last appearance. Their 10-6 record is their best in 20 years. Buffalo’s return to the playoffs has been helped by their defensive giving up the second fewest points and fourth fewest pass yards per game.

The Texans have won their sixth division title in franchise history. 10 wins tied for their third best finish in franchise history. Like the Bills Mafia, the Houston faithful are hoping for a longer stay in the NFL playoffs unlike last season.

This is not the first time that Houston and Buffalo faced each other in the playoffs.


Losing that game was the start of the end of the Oilers in Houston. Even though they made the playoffs the following season, the Oilers were bounced out of the divisional round by the Joe Montana led Chiefs. Bud Adams made good on his promise to blow up the team if they failed to make the Super Bowl, and the Oilers won 17 games over the next three seasons. Fan support for them pretty much evaporated, and when Adams tried to ask Houston for a new stadium, the city told him to take a hike.

The Bills kept their streak of appearing in consecutive Super Bowls intact until it ended with a second consecutive loss to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII. Only two teams have come close to matching the Bills streak of consecutive Super Bowls: Dolphins (1971-73), and Patriots (2016-18).

I am impressed with what the Bills have done. Cornerback Tre’Davious White is tied for the league lead in interceptions with six and running back Frank Gore is at third among all-time rushers thus solidifying his case for a bust in Canton.

But… I’m going to go with Houston in this game. And it is not out of any Lone Star State loyalties.

The Bills offense is… average on a good day. They only cracked 24+ points five times this season and two instances were against the openly tanking Dolphins. All of them were against teams that did not make the playoffs.

Meanwhile the Texans scored 24+ points nine times, going 7-2 in such games with the losses being to the Saints in Week 1 and a Broncos team reinvigorated by Drew Lock leading them to a 4-1 finish. The offense is led by the quarterback-receiver duo of Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins and that could be enough to send the Texans to the divisional round.

TEXANS 24, BILLS 14



TITANS AT PATRIOTS, SATURDAY 6PM CBS

New England started the season 8-0 but it was mainly buoyed by non-playoff teams. When facing playoff teams, the Patriots were 3-3 with two of those wins being against the Bills.

Still, the Patriots were in position for the AFC 2-seed.

Then Week 17 happened


If you happened to be watching Chargers at Chiefs, you heard Kevin Harlan provide play-by-play for both games.


So instead of having this week off, the Patriots are playing this week and their route to defend their championship is similar to their path in 2005. The last time New England played on Wild Card Weekend was 10 years ago, and the Ravens went into Foxboro to thump them convincingly. The deepest the Patriots went into the playoffs after playing on Wild Card Weekend was in 2006 ending with a loss to the Peyton Manning led Colts in the AFC Championship.

Tennessee’s season was saved when Marcus Mariota was benched over Ryan Tannehill. The Titans won 7 of their last 10 to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Running back Derrick Henry won the league rushing title on the last week of the season by running for 211 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Texans to clinch the last playoff spot in the AFC. When Henry rushed for over 100 yards this season, the Titans were 6-0; five of those wins were in the team’s final seven games of the season.

Over the final six games, the Patriots looked mortal going 3-3 with back-to-back loses to division winners Houston and Kansas City and their previously mentioned Week 17 home loss to the Dolphins. Over that period, Tom Brady only had a completion percentage over 60% in one game and threw for over 300 yards once though most of that was accumulated in garbage time in their Week 14 loss at Houston. Part of that has to do with the Patriots’ receiving corps is not the same as it once was, the other has to do with Brady’s age.

Tennessee could pull off the upset, but the one thing going for the Patriots is they have given up the fewest points per game, fewest yards, and the best turnover differential. It might be enough to get a win the playoffs.

PATRIOTS 20, TITANS 10


VIKINGS AT SAINTS, SUNDAY 11AM FOX

A hand injury to Drew Brees in their Week 2 loss caused a collective gasp in Who Dat Nation. Teddy Bridgewater with a 5-0 record as well as the Saints defense kept their playoff aspirations alive. The Saints were the first team to clinch a playoff berth with their win over the Falcons on Thanksgiving night. Michael Thomas backed up his contract by setting the single-season reception record.

Normally a 13-3 record would be good enough for a bye week, but unfortunately the Packers edged out the Saints due to better conference record and so New Orleans is playing Wild Card weekend.

The Vikings are going to be judged by how Kirk Cousins preforms in this game. Cousins is 0-9 on Monday Night Football and winless in 15 games against teams with a .700 or better win percentage. This is Cousins’ second playoff start. The Vikings are looking to reverse their playoff road woes. The last time Minnesota won a playoff game:


The last time these two teams faced each other


The Saints the last two seasons have suffered catastrophic losses in the playoffs, the most recent being in last season’s NFC Championship where a non-pass interference call late in the fourth quarter caused the NFL to change its rules to make the penalty reviewable.

Playing in the Superdome in the Payton-Brees era is a rather daunting task and that should help launch the Saints into the next round.

SAINTS 35, VIKINGS 17


SEAHAWKS AT EAGLES, NBC 2:30PM SUNDAY

The final game of Wild Card Weekend is in Philadelphia. The Eagles needed to win their final four games to become king of the trash heap win the NFC East. It helped that those final four games were against the Giants, Washington, and the perpetually underachieving Cowboys. As I mentioned in my post reviewing my pre-season picks, Doug Pederson knows how to get the most out of the talent at his disposal. The Eagles piecemealed their team after injuries ravaged them and somehow made the playoffs.

Seattle came within INCHES of hosting a playoff game


Instead, they are going cross country to play the Eagles. Seattle used to be known for its homefield advantage but this season it hasn’t been to its advantage having gone 4-4 at Qwest Field including losing their final two home games. What has buoyed the Seahawks is their road record, going 7-1 away from Seattle which includes a 17-9 win at Philadelphia in Week 12.

Like Philadelphia, the Seahawks have seen their share of injuries. Specifically, running back Chris Carson (1230 rush yards, 4.4 per carry, 7 rushing TDs) being lost to the season due to a hip injury in Week 16. Other injuries at the position forced the Seahawks to coax Marshawn Lynch out of retirement. Lynch might provide The Twelves some fond memories of him going Beast Mode, but he will not be the reason the Seahawks make a deep run into the playoffs.

Quarterback Russell Wilson made his sixth Pro Bowl and is starting his 14th career playoff game (8-5 record, 62.0% completion, 3010 yards, 21 TDs-11 INTs). Carson Wentz will be starting his first playoff game. The experience edge is why I expect the Seahawks to move on.

SEAHAWKS 21, EAGLES 20

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