The NFC was pretty much set before Week 18 but one major game changed some things. With the 49ers beating the Rams, the Niners clinched a playoff spot and made it harder for Sean McVay’s team. If the Rams won, they would have clinched the 2nd seed and played the Eagles but since they lost, they dropped to the 4th seed and will now play the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards are a team they know well and it’s not fun to play a division team in the playoffs. That was the only change to the NFC playoff picture.
The 1st NFC game is the Philadelphia Eagles vs Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. The Bucs were given a big boost by the Rams loss and now play a team they’ve played before. In my opinion the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will beat Philly 34-18. Tom Brady even without Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin is such a good quarterback. Against the Panthers, he used what he had in Gronkowski and Evans. I don’t believe the Eagles will be able to stop this Tampa Bay team which is on fire. For Jalen Hurts on the Eagles side, he’s going to have to play his best to beat the Bucs defense. He can use his legs, his running backs, and use his receivers to hopefully get some offense. The Eagles keep on getting better but I don’t think they can match the reigning Super Bowl Champs at Raymond James Stadium. This game will be televised on FOX.
The next NFC game of Sunday is the San Francisco 49ers visiting AT&T Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys. I feel this game is going to be really close and really competitive. For the Niners, they should feel good about themselves all around. Their defense against the Rams racked up 5 sacks and two interceptions. Dak Prescott has to be wary of Nick Bosa and the defensive core up front. San Fran’s offense did enough in that game and I was most impressed by that 88 yard drive which took about 90 seconds. Deebo Samuel was amazing in that game and I’m sure he’ll find a way to make things happen even with Trevon Diggs covering him. I think the two biggest players in this game for the 49ers are Eli Mitchell and Jimmy Garoppolo. If Mitchell can get the run game going against Micah Parsons, that is going to help Garappolo with more options instead of just passing.
I think the two most important players in this ballgame for Dallas are Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Prescott sometimes is off but can’t be in this game. He has to be accurate and play like he has been playing in the last few games. On the other side, Parsons can finish this game if he plays exceptionally. He is undoubtedly the best rookie defensively and can cause turnovers.
I believe the 49ers are going to upset the Cowboys 30-27 in OT. They are a resilient team and I think they have what it takes to play spoilers in Dallas. They find ways to win and are going to play to the final whistle in this game. It’s going to be a good one on Sunday afternoon from the Cowboy’s home. This game will be televised on CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.
The final Wild Card game will be a Monday Night game for the 1st time ever. This game will be a division clash between the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are coming off losses and have their 3rd meeting of the season. In the one at Sofi, the Cards won but the one at Arizona, the Rams won. I anticipate the Rams will win 33-27 in OT in a very close game. These teams are very similar but I feel the Rams are in a better place right now. Even though the win in Dallas gave the Cardinals a lot of confidence, the Rams seem to be playing better. One thing that could cost the Rams is turnovers. Stafford has thrown too many interceptions and has to end that in this game. I feel he will be the reason this team wins or this team loses. This game is going to be fantastic and a lot of fun from Inglewood, California. This game will be televised on ESPN and ABC.
These NFC games are going to be amazing and hopefully we get a few twists. From early Sunday to late Monday Night, this Wild Card Round will be phenomenal. Which team will come out of the weekend feeling good about themselves?
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