For the first time in 13 years, neither Tom Brady nor Aaron Rodgers reached the preliminary round of the playoffs.
Not a problem. The NFL still has plenty of exciting football matches this weekend featuring Patrick Mahomes, Galen Hurts, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, and many other superstars.
The action kicks off on Saturday with the Jacksonville Jaguars visiting the Kansas City Chiefs. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson confronts his mentor, chairman coach Andy Reid. Pederson played with and coached under Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City. He also beat him to the Lombardy Cup.
The No. 1 seed Chiefs (14-3) come from a bye and aim for their fifth straight trip to the AFC championship game.
The Jaguars (10-8) weren’t supposed to be here. They won five straight games to capture the AFC South, then had to come back from a 27-0 deficit against the Los Angeles Chargers in a wild game. Trevor Lawrence followed up four first half interceptions with four touchdown passes as Jacksonville won 31-30 again.
“Whether it’s our money or the house’s money, we’re here,” Pederson said. “It’s a credit to those guys in the locker room and the coaching staff for believing in each other and working hard. What we did until the end no matter what the incidents are, we’re here. I try to block out the best I can do with the team, you just block out the noise, block out the negativity, block out if It’s out of disrespect or something. We have a young quarterback, whoever he is. We’re one of four players in the AFC, and that means a lot. That says a lot about these guys, and we’re excited about the opportunity.”
The Jaguars are the biggest underdog team on the agenda this weekend. The Chiefs are favored by 8 1/2 points, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Best bet: Chiefs, 31-20
New York Giants (plus 7 1/2) in Philadelphia
The No. 1-ranked Eagles are looking for a three-game sweep of the Giants, who beat Minnesota 13-win on the road last week.
With Jalen Hurts healthy, the Eagles were able to defeat the Giants 48-22 on the road in Week 14. Hurts returned after missing two games with a shoulder injury, and the Eagles struggled in a 22-16 win over the Giants in the regular season. Conclusion. New York (10-7-1) rested many of his starts in that game and stayed close.
Daniel Jones played one of the best games of his career in the 31-24 win over the Vikings. He will face a ferocious passing rush on Saturday night. The Eagles (14-3) led the NFL with 70 sacks and had four players with at least 10.
Since the NFL-AFL merger, teams that have swept a regular season opponent are 15-10 against them in the third meeting in the playoffs, 14-6 when that game is at home.
“They know us well, and we know them well,” Eagles coach Nick Siriani said. “You know the staff really well. You know the schemes really well. So, there are advantages and disadvantages to both ends of that.”
Eagle, 27-21
Cincinnati (plus 5) at Buffalo
The Bengals and Bills meet in a rematch of Monday’s game that was suspended when Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field. The game was later canceled despite the playoff fallout. The Bengals (13-4) led it 7-3 at the time of Hamlin’s collapse, and the win meant they would host the Bills (14-3) on Sunday.
Both teams struggled in the wild card round. The Bills blew a 17-0 lead against Miami and stormed out to win 34-31. The Bengals were about to go down with a score against the Ravens when Tyler Huntley fumbled the 1st and Sam Hubbard returned it 98 yards for the decisive touchdown in the 24-17 victory.
Cincinnati’s offensive line has been modified after being revamped due to injuries over the past month. Left tackle Jonah Williams injured his left knee against Baltimore, so the Bengals may be without three-fifths of their primary offensive line.
Josh Allen hit three turnovers in Buffalo’s victory over the Dolphins. Joe Burrow was unable to direct Cincinnati’s offense in the second half against the Ravens. The Bengals finished with three consecutive kicks and only one start on a punt.
The Bengals have won nine straight while the Bills have an eight-game winning streak. One streak will end on Sunday.
Special alert: Bengal, 30-29
Dallas (plus 3) in San Francisco
Brock Purdy and the 49ers (14-4) have won 11 straight games. Dak Prescott was brilliant in leading the Cowboys to a 31-14 victory over Tampa Bay.
Purdy, a rookie third-string quarterback, faces his toughest test when he takes on Micah Parsons and his relentless defense. The Cowboys (13-5) dominated Tom Brady and the Pirates. But the 49ers have far more offensive options, including Christian McCaffrey, Debo Samuel and George Kittle.
Dallas is at a disadvantage after playing on the road Monday night. Meanwhile, the 49ers played last Saturday, so they have two more days of rest.
49ERS, 24-20
2022 record
Last week: Straight: 4-2. Against the spread: 2-4.
Season: Straight: 175-101. Against the spread: 138-133-5.
Best bet: Straight: 11-8. Against the spread: 9-10.
Special upset: Straight: 6-11. Against the spread: 8-8-1.
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