NFL Playoffs Preview – Wild Card Weekend

The first week of the playoffs in the 2015 NFL season is Wild Card Weekend. With the top two teams in each conference having a bye this week, and already looking ahead to Divisional Weekend, seeds 3 through 6 in both the AFC and NFC face off to try and reach that stage.

There are four big games this week, with the AFC playing on Saturday and the NFC on Sunday. The biggest game of the week is the late Saturday kickoff as the Steelers travel to Cincinnati in an AFC North match-up.

 

AFC

(#5) Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) @ (#4) Houston Texans (9-7)

The first playoff game in 2016 sees the Kansas City Chiefs travel south to Houston. The Texans won their division with a final-day victory over Jacksonville, which saw them finish with a 9-7 record in the AFC South. The Chiefs may not have won the AFC West, but they have won their last ten straight games and are the form team in the NFL. They also beat the Texans in their only win in their first six games as they started the season 1-5. They have won their last two matches against Houston, but both have been with 7 points.

The Texans come off a great win against Jacksonville last week which saw them not concede a TD. The victory secured the AFC South title for them, and the #4 seed. Despite having just a 9-7 record, they have the capabilities to go a long way in this playoff season, but this will be a tough match, trying to stop the freight train that is the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

(#6) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) @ (#3) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)

The biggest clash of the Wild Card Weekend round sees the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cincinnati to face their divisional rivals, the Bengals. The Steelers got in to the playoffs in Week 17, thanks to the New York Jets losing their big game against the Bills. The Steelers won, and took the #6 seed in the AFC because of it. They have had an on-off season, but the Ben Roethlisberger-Antonio Brown connection is capable of destroying any secondary in the NFL.

The Bengals host this one, but they will still be without their main man, Andy Dalton. However, backup QB, AJ McCarron, has done a stellar job of guiding this team into the #3 seed. Under McCarron, though, Cincinnati lost to Pittsburgh in Week 14. They will be hoping to turn the tide around in this one.

 

NFC

(#6) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) @ (#3) Minnesota Vikings (11-5)

The first game on Sunday sees the Minnesota Vikings host the Seattle Seahawks. The Vikings took top spot in the NFC North by beating the Packers at Lambeau Field last week in the division decider. They will be on a high after that, and with the league’s rushing leader, Adrian Peterson at their disposal, their run game is one that can open up opportunities for the passing game. However, they have not beaten Seattle in their last three attempts, including losing 38-7 in Week 13, in Minnesota.

The Seahawks will come into this one after thrashing the Arizona Cardinals, who are the #2 seed in the NFC. That will give them a boost going into this one, and knowing their current form against the Vikings, it is hard to see past them. A blow for the NFC West side, however, is that Marshawn Lynch has been ruled out of this week’s game, as the star RB is not fit enough to make a return from injury.

 

(#5) Green Bay Packers (10-6) @ (#4) Washington Redskins (9-7)

The finals game of the weekend sees the Green Bay Packers travel to Washington to take on the Redskins. After 12 weeks, the NFC East was anyone’s to play for, but the Redskins took control in the last few weeks to clinch the division title in Week 16. In the last few weeks, they have been playing well, with Kirk Cousins becoming the first ever Redskins QB to throw a TD in every regular season game in a year.

They come up against a Green Bay team that will be reeling from that divisional-deciding defeat last time out. They have been inconsistent this year, and teams have worked that out, but they have the firepower to defeat Washington, despite being away from home. They also won the last time these two sides met, back in 2013, so that could be a good omen for the Wisconsin side.

 

Saturday

21:35 – Chiefs @ Texans

Sunday

01:15 – Steelers @ Bengals

18:05 – Seahawks @ Vikings

21:40 – Packers @ Redskins