Wild Card Preview

Chiefs v.s. Titans

Man, this is tough because I love the Titans. The first time they’ve made the playoffs since 2008. They haven’t exactly played like a playoff team this past month, and barely squeaked in on the back of their early season wins. Demarco Murray is out, and that may just be a blessing in disguise. Derrick Henry is an absolute monster, and has looked impressive when he gets a chance. For some reason Mike Mularkey just keeps going back to Murray, and it seems like his time has finally come. Henry could carry them on his back, because Mariota has not played well on the road. 5 touchdowns and 11 interceptions is not the sexiest stat, so for the Titans to succeed in a difficult Kansas City environment, Henry and Mariota’s feet have to carry them, most likely as well as Ryan Succops. The Chiefs haven’t been great either, but Andy Reid has plenty of playoff experience, and with the crowd on their side the Chiefs have the advantage. Final Score: Chiefs 17, Titans 13

Rams v.s. Falcons

Even with the scrap heap the Falcons have turned into this season after their super bowl loss, they still managed to squeeze into the playoffs. The Rams seem way too powerful for them though. The Falcons defense has been good, but Sean McVay has ripped apart good defenses from the inside out this season. Todd Gurley could not be much hotter, and that leaves Jared Goff with no pressure and time to rip up secondaries. If anyone knows how to blow a game, its Dan Quinn and Matt Ryan, and they’ll find a way to screw this one up. The Rams defense has done a great job of taking away teams number 1 options, and if they shut down Julio Jones, as well as holding Freeman and Coleman in check, they should take this game handily. Final Score: Rams 34, Falcons 20

Jaguars v.s. Bills

And in this preseason matchup…wait a minute…postseason? Yeah that’s right, the Jags and the Bills made the playoffs. As hell freezes over these two teams will play a game in Jacksonville. This could go one of two ways. If Lesean McCoy can play, and play like Shady, this will be a fun game to watch. If not, this Jaguars defense will make Tyrod Taylor’s head spin. He will not have a fun time without his star running back that is not only the leading rusher, but also the leading receiver. They have great man coverage corners that will take away his top two wide receivers, and a pass rush that even he can’t avoid every play. As bad as Blake Bortles is, at that rate he should have to do almost nothing to win this game. Let the defense and Fournette carry the load, and that your key to victory Jacksonville. Final Score: Jacksonville 38, Buffalo 21

Saints v.s. Panthers

This is the game I’m really waiting to see this weekend. These are the two best teams in wild card weekend, and meeting for the third time this season in a division rivalry. The Saints have absolutely flustered Cam Newton. They make him look silly by disguising blitzes, spying him and containing his running ability. The Panthers defense has been good this year, but the Saints offense has been great. Drew Brees doesn’t age, Michael Thomas is a beast, and the Alvin Kamara/Mark Ingram duo has been unstoppable. But you know what they say, it’s incredibly hard to beat the same team 3 times in one year. That’s what makes this game so fun. There is nothing better than when bitter division rivals meet in the playoffs. This should be an absolute slugfest, but I find it hard to see the Saints losing it. Final Score: Saints 27, Panthers 24.

Written By: Jake Kobierski (@TheRealKobe83)