Jalen Hurts has pulled double duty as both quarterback and the team’s leader in rushing yards (784 yards) and rushing touchdowns (10). Interestingly enough, Tampa’s just 12th in rush defense DVOA, which is still good but well off from when they were #1 in 2020. Philly’s best (only) chance at an upset is if their elite rushing attack can actually break down Tampa Bay’s vaunted run defense. In their first meeting, Tampa Bay held off the Eagles in Philly 28-22, but that was so long ago that Zach Ertz was still an Eagle and the Buccaneers still had all of their receivers. Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 10 AM PT, FOX
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If the Bills get the lead and force Mac Jones to win it with his arm, it’s theirs to lose.įor some reason I suspect we’re going to see some crucial Josh Allen turnovers, and Belichick is going to get a playoff win in year two of his post-Tom Brady rebuild. If the Patriots get the early lead they’ll be as inclined to run it as they were back in the first Buffalo game. New England hasn’t played well from behind and Buffalo has no wins in games decided by one possession.
This sounds simplistic but whichever team can build any sort of a lead is going to win. Bill Belichick is a master tactician and I can’t imagine that he’ll let Allen torch him twice, but what’s the solution? Keeping Allen in the pocket is not that easy and Stefon Diggs seems to have JC Jackson’s number on the field. I think this matchup boils down to whether or not the Pats have anything for Josh Allen. Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson are a formidable 1-2 punch and Buffalo’s run defense is not as good as it’s otherwise elite pass coverage. With temperatures in the single digits it seems logical that Bill Belichick will once again establish the ever-losing shit out of the run. No rookie quarterback since Russell Wilson has won a playoff start, so Mac has a chance to end the rookie drought. At Foxboro, Josh Allen destroyed a very good Patriots defense and the Bills never punted, while Mac Jones struggled. In Buffalo, the Patriots refused to throw the ball and won thanks to a defense that shut down the Bills offense. New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills - 5:15 PM PT, CBS Cincinnati’s offensive line is a liability which makes this matchup a bit tricky, but the Raiders defense as a whole has struggled and I expect Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase to send the Raiders home. Wright and Quinton Jefferson to have stellar performances, the Raiders really can’t keep this up forever.
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Joe Burrow threw for just 148 yards on 20 completions, but Joe Mixon rushed for over 100 yards and the Raiders offense didn’t crack 300 total yards of offense. The Bengals were up just 16-13 with about 6 minutes to go before a late explosion of points put the game out of reach. They had four overtime victories and Daniel Carlson was the game-winner a whopping five times.Ĭincinnati blew out the Raiders 32-13 in Vegas back in November, but it’s a deceptive looking blowout. Their -65 point differential is the worst of all of this season’s playoff participants, and their biggest win all season was just 11 points. Somehow, someway, they won their final four games by a combined 12 points, which is on brand given how many former Seahawks are on the team and coaching staff. Turmoil surrounding the organization began with the firing of Jon Gruden, then the release of Henry Ruggs II for his fatal car crash, and their 5-2 start turned into a 6-7 record. There’s no way the Raiders should be here.
Either the Raiders will win their first postseason game since the 2002 AFC Championship, or the Bengals will end the NFL’s longest playoff drought at 31 years.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals - 1:30 PM PT, NBCĪ long playoff drought is about to end. Let’s do some predictions!Īll odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Six playoff games, five regular season rematches, and one double-digit underdog. Yeah the Seattle Seahawks aren’t in it and we’re not used to that feeling over the past decade, but it’s still postseason football and there are 13 more games left in the season for us to enjoy before it’s time to head to the offseason.