I’m back and it’s time for the NFL Playoffs! After one of the most eventful seasons in recent memories, there are 14 teams left, who will compete for the ultimate prize, the Lombardi trophy. Remember, these are my opinions/predictions, and I could likely be wrong. Without further do, let’s not waste any time and dive into my Wild Card Round predictions!

NFL WILD CARD ROUND

Game 1: Cleveland Browns (5) @ Houston Texans (4): C.J. Stroud has had an excellent rookie year and has led the Texans back to the playoffs. The Texans have won the division for the first time since 2019 and also this is their first year with a rookie Head Coach in DeMeco Ryans. Overall, the Texans are a well-rounded team from top to bottom from C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins to a very underrated defense. However, he will clash against the Browns defense, which has been dominant all year long. Since Joe Flacco became the Browns starting QB, he has played flawlessly and very similar to his prime self in the early 2010s when he won a Superbowl with the Ravens. These two teams faced off against each other in week 16 where the Browns won, but it’s important to know that C.J. Stroud was injured and did not play in that game. Even though the Texans will have the home-field advantage since the game will be in Houston, the Browns have more experience, which will give them the upper hand in this game. The game will be close, but in the end, the dominant Browns defense, who were the best in the NFL this season, will slow down the Texans’ offense and prevail. This is a hard game to predict and I won’t be shocked if the Texans pull it off and defeat the Browns. (Winner Prediction: Cleveland Browns)

Game 2: Miami Dolphins (6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (3): This is an intriguing matchup as Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is returning to Arrowhead to play against his former team, where he won a Super Bowl and developed into one of the best WRs in the game today. Expect both teams to be motivated. After leading their division for almost the entirety of the year, the Dolphins blew their chances to win the AFC East after losing to the Buffalo Bills last week. The Chiefs have been inconsistent this year and dealing with so many controversies such as the non-existent WRs, Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce fiasco, issues with the refs, etc However, the harsh weather in Kansas City could make this game one of the coldest and brutal weather games of all time. The max temperature will be 0 degrees Fahrenheit, yes, FAHRENHEIT, with temperatures dipping to the negatives. Traveling from the warm weather in South Florida to Kansas City will impact the Dolphins significantly, specifically, Tua Tagovailoa to pass the ball to his receivers. Tua has slowed near the end of the season and has not been himself as of late. He needs to limit the turnovers and the Dolphins will also need big games from Tyreek Hill and De’Vone Achane to have a chance. The Dolphins will need to rely on the run. Even though the Chiefs’ offense has been disappointing, they have one of the best teams on defense who have carried them to big wins this year. It will be ugly, but due to the Chiefs having more experience as they have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, they will find a way to beat the Dolphins and advance to the divisional round. (Winner Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs)

Game 3: Green Bay Packers (7) @ Dallas Cowboys (2): After winning their last couple of games, the Packers secured the final NFL Playoff spot. Packers QB – Jordan Love has been one of the best players in the league the last month of the season. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL and no one expected Jordan Love to be the next franchise QB or the Packers to make the playoffs in the first place. Cowboys coach, Mike McCarthy will coach against the Green Bay Packers, which was the team he coached from 2006 to 2018. During his time with Aaron Rodgers, the Packers ended up winning the Superbowl, which was ironically held at AT&T Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most dominating teams in football this season and their QB Dak Prescott has been playing at an MVP level all season. The Cowboys are undefeated at home at 8-0 and one of the best teams overall on both sides of the ball with Ceedee Lamb and Tony Pollard on the offensive side and Micah Parsons and the dominating defense on the other side. The Packers will need to rely on Aaron Jones and the run game since they have found the most success when they do that. However, in the end, the Cowboys are too good and a much better team overall than the Packers. This will be a close game, but the Dallas Cowboys will come out on top. (Winner Predictions: Dallas Cowboys)

Game 4: Los Angeles Rams (6) @ Detroit Lions (3): This is one of the most anticipated games of the year as the Lions, who have not won a playoff game in over three decades, will host a playoff game at Ford Field for the first time. Ever since becoming head coach in 2021, Dan Campbell has changed the culture of the Lions and transformed this team. As if things aren’t already exciting, the Lions will welcome back and play against Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who played in Detroit for the first 12 years of his career from 2009 to 2021 when the Rams and Lions agreed to a blockbuster deal where the swapped their quarterbacks. Lions QB Jared Goff will also face off against his former team, the Rams. Emotions will certainly be high for the high-stakes game. No one expected the Rams to be anywhere near competing for a playoff spot, but here they are now. The Rams will be well-rested and healthy and will have their core of Matt Stafford and WRs Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua alongside a great RB in Kyren Williams. This will be an entertaining, high-scoring affair between these explosive offenses. The Lions might not have their TE Sam LaPorta, who has been one of their favorite targets on offense. He will be an X-factor depending on whether or not he plays this game. Regardless, they will still find ways to score points as they have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds, and David Montgomery on the offensive side. However the Lions’ secondary and defense will have a hard time containing the Rams receivers and stopping the passing game of L.A., which I believe will cost them the game. To add on, Aaron Donald and the Rams’ defense have a chance of slowing down and containing the explosive Lions offense. In the end, I have Matthew Stafford returning to Detroit and eliminating his former team from the playoffs in a thrilling offensive showdown. (Winner Prediction: Los Angeles Rams)

Game 5: Pittsburgh Steelers (7) @ Buffalo Bills (2): The Bills were 6-6 and everybody counted them out, saying that they would miss the playoffs. Now fast forward two months later, the Bills have won the AFC East and are the 2-seed in the playoffs. On the other hand, Mike Tomlin once again has led the Steelers to the playoffs and has a winning record. The Steelers had a resurgence towards the end of the year, especially since Mason Rudolph became the starting QB, potentially saving the Steelers’ season. The Steelers’ Defense has been solid all year and is a huge reason why the Steelers won games this year. They will have a tough task at hand against the juggernaut Bills offense led by Josh Allen, and things will only be harder as they will be without their star player, T.J. Watt, which will limit the Steelers pass rush. The Bills when they get hot are one of the most unstoppable teams in the league, but on the other hand, they tend to occasionally make sloppy mistakes, which eventually cost the game. They are currently one of the hottest teams in all of football heading into these playoffs. A Mike Tomlin-led team will never go out without a fight and will try to make things interesting, but the Bills will find a way to win this game in an ugly fight and move on. (Winner Prediction: Buffalo Bills)

Update: This game was postponed to MLK Day due to the ongoing weather emergency in the western NY area.

Game 6: Philadelphia Eagles (5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4): That brings us to the final game of Super Wild Card Weekend taking place in Tampa, FL on MLK Day. Ever since the start of December, the Eagles are 1-5 while the Buccaneers are 5-1, clearly showing that these teams have gone in two completely different directions. The Buccaneers finished one game above .500 and barely made the playoffs by playing in the worst division in the league. They were not expected to get this far. After starting 11-1, The Eagles have been in a downfall and have lost 5 of their last 6 games, especially due to Jalen Hurts being inconsistent and A.J. Brown and others dealing with injuries and limping themselves into the playoffs. The Eagles have not looked good and were heavily inconsistent this season, but they do have playoff experience as they made it to the Super Bowl last year. This game is a perfect opportunity for both teams. The Eagles can get momentum and try to revive themselves can go anyway as I feel like either team can find a way to win this game. The Eagles need to focus on the run game if they want to have a chance. Like I said before, no one expected the Buccaneers to be here, which can potentially lead them to come out and play freely. In the end, I believe the Eagles will win in an ugly and low-scoring game. (Winner Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles)