We went 2-1 yesterday thanks to the Rams' upset of Seattle...so let's continue the Super Wild Card Weekend love with Sunday's games!
Without further ado, let's get to Sunday's picks!
Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Sunday, 1:05 EST
Line: Ravens - 3
A shame a game this good will be played in the first round. Last year, the Titans sauntered into Baltimore and strutted out with a shocking win over the 14-2 Ravens, ending their Super Bowl dreams before they began. They did it with a whole lot of Derrick Henry, and they host this game with Henry tearing holes into defenses, gaining over 2,000 rushing yards this year. He's also good at gashing the Ravens, and was the key force behind last year's playoff upset and this year's win on Nov. 22.
The only team in the league with a better overall rushing attack than Tennessee, however, is Baltimore, whose 1,337 yards over the last five games is the most in NFL history over such a span. While Ryan Tannehill adds depth to the Titans' running game, he's not exactly Lamar Jackson, the scary dual-threat weapon on the warpath. Jackson and the Ravens will want revenge, and Lamar may get it through the air, as the Titans have surrendered 36 passing touchdowns - tied for most ever for a playoff team. Jackson will finally toss a few clutch TDs and win his first playoff game in his third try.
Prediction: Ravens, 34-30
Chicago Bears (8-8) at New Orleans Saints (12-4)
Sunday, 4:40 p.m. EST
Line: Saints - 9.5
On paper, at least, this is the worst game of the weekend, simply because no one expected the Bears to be here or expects them to do anything now that they are.
They keep fiddling with Mitchell Trubisky to convince themselves that he's the future franchise QB, yet still blew their last game, at home against Green Bay, when the Packers had much less to play for.
This is, however, a familiar spot for the Saints, who seem to win double-digit games every year and then stumble short of the Super Bowl. This team may be a bit better than the standard Saints squad, particularly on defense, which means they don't have to win shootouts every week in order to advance. That's a good thing for Drew Brees, the future Hall of Fame QB, who doesn't have that many throws left in his right arm. Tailback Alvin Kamara, already considered lethal, scored six (6!) rushing touchdowns on Christmas. No team can really defend him, or Michael Thomas, who may play on Sunday after missing most of the season. The Bears have David Montgomery and Allen Robinson on offense and a nice defense, but it’s not enough to bag a win in the Big Easy.
Prediction: Saints, 30-16
Cleveland Browns (11-5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EST
Line: Steelers - 5.5
There couldn't be a bigger historical contrast in teams and towns. The Steelers are the gold standard of the Super Bowl era, while the Browns have never played in a Super Bowl, haven't reached the playoffs since 2002, and haven't won a playoff game since 1994. The Steelers have been owned by one family - the Rooneys - since the beginning of the league, while the Browns fled to Baltimore, then came back, sort of, under new owners.
It says Jimmy Haslam owns the latest iteration of the Browns, but you could just as easily argue that Ben Roethlisberger, who is 23-2-1 against Cleveland over his career and 2-0 this year, owns them. That said, these Steelers started this season 11-0 before coming dangerously close to blowing the AFC North, but they had just enough to secure the division. They’ll have just enough to win one home playoff game, too, especially against the Browns, whose head coach, Kevin Stefanski, is banished from the field after testing positive for COVID-19.
Prediction: Steelers, 27-26
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