Welcome back everyone, this week on Pondering Thoughts I´m going to make my predictions for the wild card weekend in the NFL. The first game I´ll be going over is Browns v Texans, I feel like this game is going to be one of the closer games this weekend. They just played each other about two weeks ago with the Browns coming out on top, 36-22. However, the Texans were missing their star rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, and he is without a doubt a game changer. Some other game changers in this game would probably be the Browns’ receiver Amari Cooper as he had 11 catches for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns, however he is coming fresh off an injury.
Some other factors in this game would be the Browns’ stingy secondary, and CJ Stroud has shown to struggle against strong defensive teams. I think this game is going to have to come down to whether or not CJ Stroud can carry the team to win. I think the Browns’ defense will be too much for Stroud and the Texans. I’m taking the Browns to win, (24-17).
Next game up is Dolphins v Chiefs, as of right now the expected weather of the game is going to be -9 degrees. That’s going to be a huge factor as the Dolphins are used to warm weather in Miami. However, the Chiefs haven’t been as explosive on offense, as receivers have been having multiple drops on crucial downs. Chiefs Defense has been the bright spot on that team being top 5 in sacks and top 10 in pass defense. Dolphins have one of the most explosive offenses this season whether it’s on the run or pass. If the Dolphins game plan is good for the cold I can see them outscoring the weak chiefs offense, 27-10.
The next game is going to be Steelers V Bills, this game is easier to call as the Steelers barely squeezed into the playoffs and the Bills won their division. This game is going to blowout, I’m picking the Steelers.
Next game is Packers V Cowboys, both teams are coming in hot with wins, the Cowboys winning to clinch their division. Both teams have strong offenses with a strong air attack and decent running game, Packers have a slight edge on the running department, Cowboys have an edge on passing. The Cowboys have a stronger defense than the Packers overall but the Packers do have a solid secondary.
The Cowboys have lost 3 straight playoff games, possibly even more if you look further back and especially against the Packers. The Packers haven’t lost a game in the Cowboys’ stadium since 2009. This game is going to be close but I think the Cowboys will pull through for the first time in years and move on to the divisional round.
Next up is Rams V Lions, now this game is going to have some bad blood. As in 2021 there was a trade that traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams and Jared Goff to the Lions, and the Rams won a super bowl. These are very, very similar teams as they both have very explosive offenses with not that strong of a defense. I’ll predict that this is going to be the highest scoring game of the wildcard weekend. I would say Lions may have a better defense overall but it’s close. I think the Rams are going to outscore them 38-31 as their offense just looks unstoppable right now.
Alright, last but not least, Eagles v Bucs. The Eagles started the year off on fire at 10-1 and just completely collapsed at the end of the year finishing 11-6. The Bucs have been on and off this year winning. On paper this should be a one sided beating for the Eagles but because of that last skid experts are lenient on how to pick this one. I personally believe the eagles are going to bounce back and win a comfortable 31-21.
