(Photo : Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) CLEVELAND, OHIO – DECEMBER 28: Joe Flacco #15 of the Cleveland Browns interacts with the followers after their win in opposition to the New York Jet at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio.
We at the moment are solely someday away from NFL Playoff Football! Heading into this yr’s NFL Wild Card Weekend we have now some thrilling matchups to uncover. Let’s kick issues off with a few of our Picks and Predictions all through these playoff video games.
Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: The Future is Now Old Man
Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Texans 24 – Browns 14
For our first sport of the weekend, we have now the Houston Texans internet hosting the Cleveland Browns. This is unquestionably a sport to be excited for. It appeals on many alternative ranges, headlining each quarterbacks and Cleveland’s high ranked protection. Let’s begin on the Houston facet of issues and provides our reasoning as to why we imagine they’ll edge out the Browns.
Last week we mainly witnessed how the Texans star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud will carry out underneath the pressures of playoff soccer. Well, he did not crack, truly he broke out much more. Starting the sport off sizzling with a 75-yard landing go to wideout Nico Collins on his very first play of the sport and persevering with to play glorious soccer all through the match. Finishing the sport with 264 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a 134.1 passer score.
This sport is essential to take a look at as a result of final week’s match in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts was a quasi-playoff sport, being that the loser was knocked out of the playoff race; additionally, the Texans received it on the Colts residence stadium.
This is not to discredit the Browns and what they’ve achieved this season, as their protection has been enjoying lights out all yr lengthy and Joe Flacco has appeared to have discovered the fountain of youth. But listed here are the components that we imagine will decide the end result. The final time Stroud performed a high protection was in opposition to the New York Jets, and the Jets made Stroud look each bit like a rookie earlier than he sustained a concussion and left the sport.
So if the Cleveland protection reveals out, they’ll run away with the win large time. Now on the opposite finish, Flacco has performed extraordinarily effectively with the Browns on this run, placing up tons of passing yards and touchdowns in addition. But there’s one flaw in Flacco’s sport, he nonetheless is popping over the ball. If the Texans can reduce Flacco’s manufacturing and capitalize on his turnovers, they’ll see themselves edging this sport out in the long run.
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Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: Tip of the Arrow
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Chiefs 20 – Dolphins 35
Our second sport on Saturday is huge receiver Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins heading over to Arrowhead to tackle the Kansas City Chiefs. In Hill’s return to his former group’s residence stadium, the Dolphins look to place up a greater battle in opposition to the Chiefs not like final time these groups performed one another. Tyreek had an underwhelming sport after they performed in Germany, however this time round we expect Hill goes to attempt to put a proof level on his return.
Both groups are heading into this sport a bit banged up on each side of the ball, but when it begins to show right into a shootout, Miami definitely has the higher hand in fireplace energy. The Chiefs offense has been slacking the previous few weeks. And truthfully, when watching their video games, they appear to be too reliant on penalties to bail them out or quarterback Patrick Mahomes to make a jaw dropping play, just for the receiver to in the end drop the ball.
Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: Bills on Parade
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Bills 28 – Steelers 14
On to Sunday, we have now the Buffalo Bills inviting the Pittsburgh Steelers to Highmark Stadium to play. Both groups have had an thrilling ultimate weeks of the season with the Steelers squeaking their means into the postseason and the Bills main a wonderful second half of the season cost in an eventual coup of the AFC East Division Title from the Dolphins.
Most have a look at this sport as one sided, particularly for the reason that Steelers will probably be with out star linebacker T.J. Watt; as if Bills quarterback Josh Allen wasn’t already a handful to include. The Bills sadly have an issue that they play right down to their opponents and allow them to cling round in video games. Even although they have been on the flip facet of this in opposition to the Dolphins final week, we nonetheless cannot absolutely belief the squad fairly but.
Pittsburgh prides itself on robust protection and sticking in video games lengthy sufficient to grind out a win. But we really feel as if the Bills could also be an excessive amount of to deal with and the Steelers offense will not be capable to match the output of the Bills offense. But even when the sport could look shut early, we are able to see the Bills finally pulling away with the win.
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Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: Love to Hate the Cowboys
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Cowboys 38 – Packers 21
As a lot as lots of people would really like for the Cowboys to lose, we extremely doubt they’ll let this one slip. The Green Bay Packers journey to Dallas to face their former coach, Mike McCarthy. McCarthy, who is claimed to be on the sizzling seat if the Cowboys have been to lose, will look to face his floor and defeat his former employer. The Packers come into this sport on a excessive as younger quarterback Jordan Love is proving to be the subsequent Green Bay quarterback for years to come back.
The Packers could have gone on a three sport win streak to shut out the season and a playoff spot, however the Cowboys group is to not be taken frivolously. Wide receiver Ceedee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott have been turning up the Dallas offense the previous few weeks, and may show to be an excessive amount of for Green Bay. At occasions it has regarded as if Lamb can run any route and get open at will. Love could run into a couple of issues on offense, and a kind of issues being Cowboys stud linebacker, Micah Parsons.
Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: Motor City Memories
Sunday, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Lions 21 – Rams 24
What shapes as much as be a twilight zone matchup with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff enjoying in opposition to their former groups. The Rams go to the Lions at residence in a particularly anticipated sport between the 2.
Stafford has been main the Los Angeles Rams to a narrative guide season, making the playoffs in a yr that the group was regarded as rebuilding. Goff and the Lions have made the bounce they meant, constructing off of final yr’s late success into this season. Both groups are kind of evenly matched, doubtlessly excessive octane offenses and middle-pack defenses ought to equate to an entertaining sport. In the tip, we are able to see Matthew Stafford successful the sport on a final second drive as he all the time did when enjoying in Detroit. This can be a tragic ending to the Lions season after lastly making it to the postseason as NFC North Division Title winners, however the script would simply be too good to go up.
Panzini’s Picks and Predictions: Philly is Hurts-ing
Monday 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time
Buccaneers 20 – Eagles 24
Finally to cap off the NFL Wild Card Weekend, we have now the Philadelphia Eagles touring to Florida to tackle the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Earlier within the yr, we’d’ve thought the Eagles would manhandle the Buccaneers on this matchup. But now on this state of the season, we have now the Eagles wanting very exploitable whereas Tampa Bay has caught fireplace within the later portion of the yr.
To emphasize simply how reverse the positions of those two groups are, the Eagles have misplaced 5 of their final six video games; in the meantime the Bucs have received 5 of their six final video games. This match can actually end in both group’s favor. The Eagles could also be banged up fairly badly on offense however have confirmed to change into a resilient group particularly within the playoffs. The Philadelphia protection goes to need to step up to be able to include quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, who can erupt for factors at any given second.
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