The NFC this season has the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers primed and ready to go on another run, plus the reigning (and potentially soon-to-be back-to-back?) MVP Aaron Rodgers riding high off the Green Bay Packers’ third consecutive 13-win season. Will one of those teams go all the way through the NFC or can seeds No. 3-7 do something about it?
Wild-card action begins Saturday but fans specifically interested in the three NFC matchups will require some patience with NFC games getting underway Sunday and wrapping up Monday.
The trio of games feature a battle of the No. 1 rushing offence vs. the No. 1 rushing defence in the conference, a meeting of two top-ranked offences and a pair of first-overall picks going head-to-head as they seek their first playoff victory.
Let’s take a closer look at the three NFC wild-card round games.
*All betting figures below current as of publication.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2)
Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 16 @ 1 p.m. ET/ 10 a.m. PT
Betting lines: Buccaneers favoured by 8.5 | O/U: 46
Can Eagles run on Bucs, limit Brady’s time on field?
This matchup, on paper, can be summed up with the following stats: the Eagles led the NFL with 159.7 rushing yards per game, while the Bucs gave up an NFC-low 92.5 rushing per game and no team was run on fewer times this season than Tampa. Whichever team wins that battle at the line of scrimmage, in theory, should advance to the divisional round.
Philly doesn’t have a bell cow starter, instead they rely on a committee of Miles Sanders, who returned to practice this week, Jordan Howard, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and starting quarterback Jalen Hurts whose 784 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs both ranked first among QBs.
That strong ground game has helped Philly control the clock and win the time of possession battle in recent weeks. Every minute Tom Brady spends on the bench is a win for Nick Sirianni’s team.
It won’t be a cakewalk thanks to Vita Vea & Co. Linebacker Lavonte David, plus includes edge rushers Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul returned to practice this week and could be key difference makers. Fun fact: JPP’s teams are 8-0 in playoff games when the two-time Super Bowl champ suits up.
Despite all the Eagles seemingly have going for them, it isn’t outrageous to say they didn’t have one good win all season. Seriously, go back and look at the teams they beat. They were 0-6 against teams that ended up making the playoffs.
(Re)matchup to watch: Slay vs. Evans Part II
Darius Slay limited Mike Evans to two catches and 27 yards on four targets and most importantly didn’t allow the red zone monster to get a touchdown back in their Week 6 matchup. The Eagles star cornerback will need to have another strong showing on Sunday. Similar results will allow potential double coverage on tight end Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady’s other top weapon.
Even without the injured Chris Godwin and recently-released Antonio Brown, Brady is going to be dangerous playing behind that offensive line. Running backs Leonard Fournette and Giovani Bernard could also potentially return for Tampa this week and those additions would obviously alleviate some pressure off the passing game.
The Eagles allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards per game on the road this season, but they may struggle in limiting Brady converting first downs and picking them apart.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (3)
Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 16 @ 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m. PT
Betting lines: Cowboys favoured by 3.0 | O/U: 51
Which offence will reign supreme?
This game is a potential shootout with the highest total of the week. It’s not surprising either with the Cowboys being the highest-scoring team this season overall and at home where they averaged a whopping 36.4 points playing at AT&T Stadium, while the 49ers averaged an NFL-best 6.1 yards per play.
These teams have plenty of similarities: two of the best offensive lines in the NFL anchor high-pace offences capable of dominant drives. Both teams also happen to be among the most penalized in the league, so there could be some pending “wait, there’s a flag on the field…” drama.
San Fran gets a six-foot-five, 320-pound boost in confidence with the return of perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. No one should be happier about this than Jimmy Garoppolo. The Niners QB, despite some clutch drives against the Rams, has thrown multiple interceptions in back-to-back weeks and the Cowboys led all teams with 26 picks this season.
On the other side of the ball, it’ll be up to Dak Prescott to avoid the Nick Bosa-led 49ers D and spread the ball around to his playmakers.
Let’s ignore the Cowboys’ electric highlight-reel and impressive box scores for a moment, take a deep breath and be honest and objective. Dallas was short on quality wins on their road to the post-season. They were first in yards, points and touchdowns but they went 6-5 against non-NFC East opponents and of those six wins the Patriots were the only playoff team they managed to beat. The 49ers, meanwhile, beat the Rams (twice) and Bengals as they went 7-2 down the stretch.
You can’t quantify confidence, though, and Dallas scoring 50-plus in two of the final three weeks of the regular season is a positive sign regardless of the competition they faced.
Two more things potentially in the Cowboys’ favour? Prescott has never lost to the 49ers and head coach Mike McCarthy has beaten Kyle Shanahan in each of the past two seasons – once while still with Green Bay in 2019 and again with Dallas in 2020.
Matchup to watch: Deebo & Kittle vs. Parsons & Dallas D
Are there two non-running backs that inflict more damage when they have the ball than Deebo Samuel and George Kittle? The WR who can double as a tailback when called upon and the talented tight end both frequently break tackles and turn short throws into long gains.
It’s essential the Cowboys, led by outstanding rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, corral at least one of Samuel or Kittle. Parsons is a shoo-in for defensive rookie of the year after 84 combined tackles, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles in his 16 starts. He’s more likely to be in coverage against Samuel, depending on personnel and situation, but even if Samuel is limited, who stops Kittle?
Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse says he’s up to the challenge.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (5) AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (4)
Kickoff: Monday, Jan. 17 @ 8:15 p.m. ET/ 5:15 p.m. PT
Betting lines: Rams favoured by 4.0 | O/U: 49.5
Can Cardinals continue thriving as road underdogs?
Pessimists might focus on the fact Arizona has dopped four of the past five, including one 30-23 to the Rams, but the optimists out there could counter by pointing out the Cardinals are the NFL’s best road team.
Arizona went 8-1 and averaged a full touchdown more on the road this season by posting close to 30 points per game in those nine contests away from State Farm Stadium. The Rams are the betting favourites but went just 4-3 laying home chalk, while Arizona went a perfect 6-0 as road underdogs.
The Rams are well aware of what these Cardinals can do on the road. They got a taste in a 37-30 Week 4 loss in which the Cards had more than 200 total rushing yards and Kyler Murray spread the ball around to seven different targets. Two of James Conner’s 18 touchdowns were scored that game but his health is currently an issue.
J.J. Watt hasn’t played since Week 7 but did return to practice this week. Probably not what Matt Stafford wanted to hear considering Arizona went 7-0 with him in the lineup.
Also worth noting: L.A.’s Matt Gay was the best kicker in the NFC this season. How will that factor into Monday’s outcome?
Matchup to watch: Ramsey vs. Murray
With DeAndre Hopkins done for the year, Jalen Ramsey will be free to roam around the field instead of being in lockdown mode. That means Murray will have his head on a swivel. In addition to Aaron Donald chasing him down, he must be aware of where Ramsey is at all times. The Rams don’t have an incredibly deep secondary — they just brought Eric Weddle out of retirement after Jordan Fuller got placed on IR — but Ramsey is a rare talent and a game-changer.
If Murray is under pressure he’ll have a number of quality safety net options on which to rely. Zach Ertz in particular has been steady with Hopkins out.
NFC Wild Card Preview: Do Cardinals continue road underdog magic?
Source: Pinas Ko Mahal
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