Although the NFL playoffs begin next week, for some teams, the playoffs are here this weekend. There are still two playoff spots up for grabs, and fortunately, the schedule-makers scheduled matchups between the four teams vying for them.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the upstart Carolina Panthers for the NFC South title. While in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens go to Pittsburgh to battle the Steelers. The losers go home, while the winners will get the No. 4 seeds in their respective conferences and play a game next week…against a team with a better record. In the case of Tampa Bay, if they win, they’ll make the playoffs with a sub-500 record, ending the year 8-9.
There’s another game this week with huge playoff implications. Both teams are safely in the postseason, but the winner will earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a bye. They will also have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In San Francisco, they would play at home all the way to the Super Bowl, since the game is being played at Levi’s Stadium. For the Seahawks, if they can go into Santa Clara today and walk out with a victory, the NFC playoffs will run through the Pacific Northwest. The loser of this game will enter the playoffs as a wildcard team and go on the road next week.
There are other games this weekend that will determine who plays whom and when. For Denver, the task is simple: win and get the No. 1 seed. The Patriots need Denver to lose and the Dolphins to defeat them to secure the first-round bye and the No. 1 seed. The Bears host the Lions to secure the no.2 seed in the NFC, with the Lions already eliminated and nothing but pride to play for. If the Bears lose and the Eagles defeat the Commanders, the two teams will flip-flop, with the defending champs getting the no.2 seed.
With all of these permutations, and a dozen more, I’m here to sort it all out for you.
The Broncos defeat the Chargers: This is the safest bet on the board. The Chargers are resting up for the playoffs. They have secured a wildcard spot and know they will be on the road next week. They have a banged-up team, led by Justin Herbert. HC Jim Harbaugh has determined that resting Herbert, RB Omarion Hampton, and many other starters is the way to go heading into the postseason.
The Patriots and Jaguars hold court: The Dolphins surely don’t want to be in freezing Foxboro this weekend. Rookie QB Quinn Ewers may show some fight, but the Payrios have come too far this season to lose this game. The Jaguars have won seven in a row and are one of the hottest teams in the league. They are at home, playing the lowly Titans… they aren’t losing.
Baltimore Prevails: As of today, the Ravens are not in the playoffs. They are playing the last regular season game Sunday night…game 272 of the season, for the right to win their way in. They will. John Harbaugh learned his lesson against the Patriots. In that game, Derrick Henry rushed fewer than 20 times; the following week, he rushed over 30 times, gaining over 200 yds and scoring four TDs. Henry is the single biggest weapon on the field, and he will be a workhorse again on Sunday night. The Steelers already got their requisite .500 season. A loss makes them 9-8…and a loss is what they will have when the clock strikes zero.
Not ready for primetime yet: In the matchup between the Panthers and Buccaneers, the Bucs will prevail. Overall, they have more talent on the team. Amazingly, both teams have given up more points than they’ve scored this year. Tampa Bay’s gap is much closer than Carolina’s. Carolina has given up 67 more pts than they’ve scored, while Tampa Bay has given up 33 more pts. Tampa Bay is on an awful four-game losing streak, playing their worst ball of the season, at the worst time, and they are below .500 at home this season. Baker Mayfield has been dealing with a left shoulder injury, and his receivers have been banged up for much of the year, but they are mostly healthy and will play this weekend. The Panthers are a nice little team led by Bryce Young, but experience will prevail in this game, with Tampa Bay winning.
The Seahawks are just the better team: The Niners are a great team, playing in a great division…the Seahawks are just better. The Seahawks have scored more points than San Francisco and have given up fewer. Their point differential leads the league at +181. On average, they score 10 more points than their opponents. Each team is on a six-game winning streak, but I just trust Seattle more than the 49ers. I trust their HC and QB more. In a big spot, Brock Purdy is a bit too reckless with the ball.
The Lions still have their pride: The Bears have everything to play for, while the Lions have nothing to play for. But do you think a Dan Campbell-led team will fold? This has been a rough year for the Lions, and to Campbell, this is the Super Bowl. Aside from that, the Bears really have nothing to play for other than seeding. They’ve clinched the division and will have a home game next week.
Based on these results, this will be what the playoffs look like on Sunday night:
AFC:
- Denver Broncos
- New England Patriots
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Baltimore Ravens
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC:
- Seattle Seahawks
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Chicago Bears
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Green Bay Packers
In the AFC:
The Patriots will defeat the Chargers.
The Bills will defeat the Jaguars.
The Texans will defeat the Ravens.
The Bills will defeat the Broncos.
The Texans will defeat the Patriots.
The Texans will defeat the Bills to go to the Super Bowl. They have the best defense in the league, and in a year of such parity, it will not be a shock for a Wildcard team to get to the Super Bowl.
In the NFC:
The Eagles will defeat the Packers.
The 49ers will defeat the Bears.
The Rams will defeat the Buccaneers.
The Seahawks will defeat the 49ers.
The Eagles will defeat the Rams…(the winner of this game will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl).
The Eagles will defeat the Seahawks to go to the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. These Eagles are a resilient bunch.
The Eagles will repeat as Super Bowl Champions, defeating the Houston Texans in a low-scoring affair 23-21.
The Eagles are currently +950 to win the Super Bowl. The odds of an Eagles-Texans Super Bowl matchup are 35/1.
Let the games begin…the Playoffs are upon us.
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