Wild Card weekend is quickly approaching, so let's dive into three bold predictions for the upcoming slate of NFL postseason action. It's crazy to think that the postseason is already upon us. The 2024 NFL Season has flown by, and we'll soon make our way to free agency and into the 2025 NFL Draft.
There are now six Wild Card games ever since the NFL expanded to a seven-team playoff format. This has also meant that the no. 2 seed in each conference does not get a by week anymore. As we approach Wild Card weekend, there are some ultra-competitive matchups on paper, and that usually does not happen in the first round of the postseason.
Let's dive into five bold predictions for Wild Card weekend.
5 bold predictions for Wild Card weekend in the 2024 NFL playoffs
1. CJ Stroud wakes up and picks apart the Chargers defense
CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans just haven't been all that good this year. They did again win 10 games and the NFC South, which is impressive in a down year, but they have some serious concerns to take care of this coming offseason along their offensive line.
Well, the Texans did win a playoff game at home last year in the Wild Card Round, and given that this team is actually a bit more experienced in the postseason than the Los Angeles Chargers are, the Texans will get the last laugh.
CJ Stroud is going to throw it back to his rookie season this weekend and will pick apart the LA Chargers' defense in a shocking Texans' victory.
2. Russell Wilson and the Steelers get shutout
The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost four games in a row headed to the postseason and now have to travel into Baltimore to face the Ravens. It's not clear if we may actually see some Justin Fields in this game given how poorly Russell Wilson has played over the last month. I am not sure what the Steelers have going for them right now. In fact, the Ravens are going to take care of business in this game in a big way and shutout the Pittsburgh Steelers in what could be a franchise-altering loss for the Steelers.
3. Bills need a walk-off field goal to beat the Broncos
The Buffalo Bills should beat the Denver Broncos, but Denver does match up quite well with Buffalo, and while it's clear Denver is playing with house money and Buffalo has Super bowl aspirations, the game is going to come down to the final seconds. Buffalo will need a walk-off field goal to win this Wild Card matchup in a close battle.
Denver has the best defensive line in football and play some efficient offense that the Bills will have to respect. This isn't some cute story in Denver - the Broncos are a legitimate football operation and did go into Buffalo in 2023 and win on their own walk-off field goal.
4. Commanders go into Tampa Bay and upset the Buccaneers
Week 18 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a fun time for them. They were able to wrap-up the NFC South and also got Mike Evans his 11th-straight 1,000-yard season, but the Washington Commanders are coming into this game with a ton going for them and a more complete team if you ask me.
While the popular thing to do here is to pick the higher seed to take care of business at home, I am not sure the Bucs are a slam-dunk victor here. Dan Quinn, the Commanders' head coach, has been able to lead a team through the playoffs and into the Super Bowl before. He and his team will go into Tampa and notch the upset victory.
5. Sam Darnold sees ghosts again as Vikings flounder against Rams
The Minnesota Vikings not being able to earn the no. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs might be a huge deal. The one Wild Card with this team is the QB, Sam Darnold, who just seemed too amped-up for their Week 18 showdown against the Detroit Lions. If that's the kind of Darnold that shows up in the Wild Card Round against the LA Rams, the Vikings will be one-and-done.
And honestly, I think it'll happen. Darnold and the Vikes lost to the Rams in LA earlier this year, and with this game being way more high-stakes, I would take the steady presence of Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay to get out of this game with a win.