Wild Card Weekend is sooner than ever and for the AFC, there were twists from Sunday afternoon to the Sunday Night Game between the Chargers and Raiders. It started with the Colts losing and getting eliminated by Jacksonville who also got the 1st overall pick. Then, Big Ben and the Steelers beat Baltimore to have a chance at the playoffs. Finally, Las Vegas surprised the Chargers with a last second game winning field goal in overtime to lock up the 6th seed in the playoffs. With the Raiders win, the Steelers clinched a spot in the playoffs.
The 1st game of the weekend is the Raiders against the Bengals, in Cincinnati. In their last meeting, Joe Mixon ran the ball 30 times and had 123 yards with a pair of touchdowns as well. Las Vegas got blown out 32-13 and for them, it’s going to be to force Joe Burrow to throw the ball. Another thing they have to keep an eye on is rookie sensation Ja’Marr Chase who has had a fabulous year. Even though the Bengals won their division and had a positive year, I’d consider them an underdog just because these players haven’t been to the playoffs in a while. They’ve had losing seasons going all the way back to the 2015-16 NFL seasons. Joe Burrow, Chase, and most of their team haven’t been in the playoffs.
I think the Bengals are going to win this one 30-20 at Paul Brown Stadium. Their team overall seems better than the Raiders and their players will be rested well as the starters did not play in the finale. The Bengals beat the Chiefs with a thrilling offensive performance by them. They went toe to toe with Mahomes and deservedly won that game. If Ja’Marr Chase has another crazy afternoon, the Raiders are going to get crushed. The Raiders have to cover him well and can’t give the big play unlike what Kansas City did. Cincinnati is feeling good about themselves and are on a roll. This game will be televised on NBC and Peacock.
The next AFC game of this Super weekend is a Primetime game between division rivals the Patriots and Bills. Both teams have won in this game this season and are looking to break the tie on Saturday night. I believe the Bills are going to win 27-24 in this division battle. They are on a four game winning streak and have gotten going and ever since that terrible loss to the Pats back in December, they’ve played better. Thankfully, this time the weather will be more clear and easy to play in. If Josh Allen plays to his best on Saturday, the New England defense will have a hard time containing his legs and arm. This seems like the most evenly matched game of the weekend and it sure will be a good one from Highmark Stadium in Buffalo. This game will be televised on CBS and Paramount+.
The last AFC Wild Card game of 2022 is the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Chiefs again. I hope it is not a blowout again and this time it is more of a contest. The Steelers turned the ball over four times in that 36-10 loss and kept on giving the ball back to Mahomes. I believe the Chiefs are going to win 31-17 and end the Steelers season. This Kansas City defense can play good and make it tough on the opposition. They won the game against Denver with a 86 yard scoop and score fumble return late in the 4th quarter. Steve Spagnuolo is a smart and experienced defensive coordinator who knows the game really well. On the other side, I’d say the Chiefs offense is more open. They don’t just use Hill and Kelce anymore but also use Hardman and Pringle plenty. Those two were the leading receivers in their win against the Broncos. This opens up things for Mahomes and makes it much harder on the defense. I feel Andy Reid will outduel Mike Tomlin from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in the Chiefs home. This game will be televised on NBC and Peacock.
The AFC three games of the weekend are sure to impress as the Titans await the highest seed left for the Divisional Round game. Half of the AFC teams did not make the playoffs last year which is pretty interesting. Will we have any upsets, any blowouts, any thrillers?
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