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Chris Dailey's NFL Wild Card predictions

1/3/2020

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The NFL playoffs are upon us, and millions amongst millions of americans will be tuning in to see if their bracket is correct. In this article, Chris Dailey will share with you his Wild Card predictions and give an in depth look on each game. Scroll down for some bold predictions that may make you rethink your original choice.

PATRIOTS VS TITANS

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The Tennessee Titans will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots in what on paper looks like a very one sided game. However, the Titans have been on a hot streak, going 7-3 in the last ten games of the season. This stretch includes a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, where the Titans managed to pull out a 3 point victory. Ever since Ryan Tannehill took over, the Titans have been a different team. Rookie wideout, AJ Brown, has become a star, averaging 20.2 yards a catch, the second best number in the league. Derrick Henry was this year's leading rusher, and he has been playing like an MVP in the final half of the season.

Meanwhile, the Patriots are coming off of a 12-4 season, that could’ve been 13-3 have they not lost to the Dolphins in week 17. Tom Brady has regressed, and their 12-4 title may be misleading. New England has played 10 teams under .500 this year, and they hold a 9-1 record against them. However, the Patriots are only 3-3 against winning teams, all of the wins were decided by one point. New England has also cracked under pressure when the light shined the most on them, losing to Baltimore in week 9, and then losing to Kansas City (who the Titans beat), and Miami, in weeks 14 and 17 respectively. All proving that this season may be the start of the fallback era for Brady and the Patriots.

This is a match that surely has the potential for an upset. Despite New England’s home field advantage, the Titans have the tools to win this game. Titans head coach ,Mike Vrabel, played under Belichick for seven years, where he was an integral part of a Patriots team that won three Super Bowls. Many of Belichick's students and ex players have done well against him. The mastermind behind the Patriots dynasty is 1-4 against former assistants the past two seasons, one of these four losses is from the hands of Vrabel and the Titans last season. In addition to that, Ryan Tannehill has a historically good track record against the Patriots, holding the highest winning percentage amongst AFC East QBs against the Patriots in the Brady/Belichick era. 

I have a feeling that the Titans are going to narrowly escape the dungeons of Gillete with an upset win, and advance to the divisional round where they will meet Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. 

TITANS 34
PATRIOTS 31

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​BILLS VS TEXANS

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The Buffalo Bills travel to Houston where they will play the Texans in the second AFC Wild Card game. Buffalo, led by second year QB, Josh Allen, has had quite a turnaround in recent years. This game will for sure be a hard hitting, tough match between two teams looking to make a statement this postseason. 

The Bills are a very underrated team. Buffalo has a very strong defense, ranking top 5 in the league in nearly every statistical category, that will make it hard for Deshaun Watson to put up a big game. The Bills have a very well constructed offense that has a great flow between a passing and a gritty running game. It will be interesting to see how Allen does in his first playoff game, which will be the biggest game of his young and bright career. On the flip side of things, NRG Stadium will be loud and rowdy, and the Texans will surely benefit from that. 

The Texans will also benefit from the pure connection Deshaun Watson has with Deandre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Watson tends to attack deep down the field, where Hopkins and Fuller make routes that leave many defenders hopeless. The two receivers have combined for 1,835 yards and 21 touchdown receptions. However, when Watson played the Baltimore defense he was a mere shadow of what he truly is. Baltimore has one of, if not the best defense in the league, and Buffalo is right behind them in terms of defensive efficiency.

As the old saying goes, offense wins games, and defense wins championships, and I think Buffalo’s defense will carry them to a Wild Card win and increase their hopes of a Super Bowl victory. Go crazy, Bill Mafia!

Buffalo 21
Houston 14

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Seahawks vs Eagles
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The two most injured teams in the playoffs will meet in a game between two well-coached sides. The most optimistic quarterback in the league and MVP candidate, Russell Wilson, has been on a tear this season, despite the squad around him not even being close (talent and durability wise) to the team he had during his Super Bowl victory. Wilson has passed for 4,110 yards this season and has tossed 31 touchdowns. Rookie wide receiver, DK Metkalf, has become an important part of the Seahawks offense. On the flip side of the ball, the Eagles have been on a roll this year despite almost all of their wide receivers being injured, similar to the Seahawks running situation.

The Seahawks are a run first, pass second, team, however this may just change as the Eagles have a very good run defense, however they are very vulnerable through the air. If the Seahawks can adjust to this, they have a shot at this game. I think the Seahawks will pull out a win against the beat up Eagles, and Seattle will move onto the divisional round.

Seattle 27
Philadelphia 17

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Saints vs Vikings
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The Vikings are coached by one of the best in the NFL under Mike Zimmer. However, Minnesota hasn’t been quite to convincing in recent weeks, losing to the Packers and Bears. New Orleans is one of the toughest places to win. With this being said, Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, and Adam Thielen, could all make this a close game. 

Drew Brees in one of the best QB’s in the whole league, and he is hunting down another Super Bowl, which would be the cherry on top to his Hall of Fame career. Meanwhile, Michael Thomas is one of the most efficient wide receivers in league history, and he can make a huge impact in this game. The two create one of the most unstoppable duos in the NFL, and the Vikings need to lock Thomas up if they want a shot at winning this game.

Sean Payton and his team will be ready for battle against the Vikings, as they are trying to prove why they are the best team in the NFL, and there's no better place to do it then against a solid Vikings team. They also want to get revenge on the Vikings after one of the most memorable plays in recent NFL history, the Minnesota miracle. 

Overall, I see this being a high scoring, fast paced game that will be fun to watch. My prediction is New Orleans comes out on top, and continue their quest for the Lombardi Trophy.

New Orleans 37
Minnesota 31

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Chris Dailey

Founder, The Sports Court

Photos via
https://www.patspulpit.com https://www.dailynorseman.com ​https://www.bleedinggreennation.com ​https://www.buffalorumblings.com
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