It is time to kick off the National Football League playoffs.
The NFL’s appropriately named Wild Card Weekend is at hand with four tantalizing matchups that every football fan can’t wait to feast on.
The action begins Saturday afternoon when the Buffalo Bills (10-6) visit the Houston Texans (10-6) followed by the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots (12-4) hosting the Tennessee Titans (9-7) later that night.
On Sunday, the NFC grabs the spotlight when the New Orleans Saints (13-3) entertain the Minnesota Vikings (10-6) before the Seattle Seahawks (11-5) travel to Philadelphia to tangle with the Eagles (9-7).
Let’s start in Houston, where the Texans and Bills lock horns for the first time ever in the post-season. Houston is getting All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt back from the injured list but Buffalo’s defence is heads and tails the better unit here and Bills quarterback Josh Allen does just enough to help the club win its first playoff game since 1995. Bills 20, Texans 17
Many people are jumping off New England’s bandwagon after the Patriots were upset by Miami in their regular-season finale last week, which cost the defending champions a bye into the second round of the playoffs. Six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and the Pats offence may look ordinary but their defence remains stellar and that will lead them past Tennessee. Patriots 27, Titans 17
The best game of the weekend pits the Saints and Vikings against each other in a rematch of the Minneapolis Miracle in 2018. Drew Brees and the New Orleans offence will prove to be too hot to handle for Minnesota. Saints 34, Vikings 23
The Eagles and Seahawks are both limping into their matchup in Philadelphia as both teams have been forced to shuffle their lineups due to the injury bug. Seattle won their regular-season meeting in Philly this year and I think Russell Wilson outplays Carson Wentz and gets the win. Seahawks 23, Eagles 20
I am super confident in my predictions, but if there’s one thing that I am 100 per cent certain about, it’s that the Wild Card Weekend games are as unpredictable as they come.
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