NFL Wild Card Weekend thread

[Cosmo]

All times EST

Saturday
L.A. Rams (-10/46.5) at Carolina, 430, FOX
Green Bay at Chicago (-1.5/45.5), 8, PRIME

Sunday
Buffalo (-1.5/51.5) at Jacksonville, 1, CBS
San Francisco at Philadelphia (-4.5/44.5), 430, FOX
L.A. Chargers at New England (-3.5/46.5), 8, NBC/The ****

Monday
Houston (-3/39.5) at Pittsburgh, 815, ABC/ESPN

And for fun, here's one person's ranking of the quarterbacks remaining, based mostly on play this year with a bit of playoff experience sprinkled in. Quibble away!
1. Josh Allen
2. Drake Maye
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Trevor Lawrence
5. Justin Herbert
6. Brock Purdy
7. Sam Darnold
8. Caleb Williams
9. Bo Nix
10. Aaron Rodgers
11. Jordan Love
12. Jalen Hurts
13. C.J. Stroud
14. Bryce Young

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Still confused about how Houston got out of the Saturday window.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I'd take the Niners and the under in that game. I don't see Philly reaching 20 points in any playoff game unless they get like five turnovers. Also, I think the Pats cover 3 1/2 without too much difficulty. I am sorry to say that due to one thing or another, I did not see the Jaguars play at all this season. Therefore, I wouldn't touch that one.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

The Eagles have been the ****tiest looking 11-6 team I've seen. They needed a blown two-point conversion to beat Buffalo and they should have lost week one to the Cowboys. The offense has been inconsistent at best and I don't trust the secondary.

 

[MileHigh]

Still confused about how Houston got out of the Saturday window.

Their ninth playoff appearance -- and first time not in the early Saturday slot.

 

[outofplace]

Still confused about how Houston got out of the Saturday window.

Look who they are playing.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Still confused about how Houston got out of the Saturday window.

Serious answer. Monday ngiht game is often a 4-5 matchup plus Pittsburgh played Sunday night.

 

[MileHigh]

Serious answer. Monday ngiht game is often a 4-5 matchup plus Pittsburgh played Sunday night.

Since the playoff expansion to seven teams in each conference, the Monday night game has to be a 4-5 game. Because the winner of that game plays on Sunday in the divisional round and if lower-seeded teams win on Saturday or Sunday, they can get slotted into a Saturday divisional game.

Seattle likely will play a Saturday game. If the Bills win the early Sunday game or the Chargers win the late Sunday game, then Denver will play on Saturday because both of those teams are seeded lower than the Steelers and Texans. IF New England and Jacksonville win, then Denver will get a Sunday game with Jacksonville at New England on Saturday. It's to ensure teams get at least six days between playoff games.

 

[Cosmo]

Serious answer. Monday ngiht game is often a 4-5 matchup plus Pittsburgh played Sunday night.

This is it. I might be wrong, but I think the priority is given to the networks with the primetime games to select who they want in their windows. As noted, it's been a 4-5 matchup for logistical purposes since MNF was added to the rotation. ESPN was sure as hell not taking the 8-9 NFC South winner in any circumstance, so it was obvious early that the AFC North winner was going to be in the MNF window, especially since that AFC North game was on a Sunday night.

As for quality of game, I thought Buffalo-Jacksonville might have gotten a night slot. But you can't blame NBC for taking a LA-Boston market matchup for that slot. That stuff still matters.

 

[MileHigh]

Good background here. The league sets the schedule and who gets what, but there's lots of lobbying. All five partners wanted Packers-Bears or 49ers-Eagles but Packers-Bears went to Prime to promote streaming. Fox has two wild card games this year so it got stuck with Panthers-Rams in the early Saturday window but got 49ers-Eagles. Since Ravens-Steelers was essentially a playoff game last weekend, NBC was kind of on the outside on landing one of the top games.

Why NFL chose Packers-Bears wild-card game for Prime Video

 

[Michael_ Gee]

They got Pats-Chargers, which is two big markets. On paper, Jags-Bills is a better game, or at least less predictable game. I guess CBS got last pick, though.

 

[MileHigh]

Guessing with CBS getting the early Sunday slot and the AFC title game is early this year, CBS will get the late Sunday divisional game.

 

[HanSenSE]

I'd take the Niners and the under in that game. I don't see Philly reaching 20 points in any playoff game unless they get like five turnovers. Also, I think the Pats cover 3 1/2 without too much difficulty. I am sorry to say that due to one thing or another, I did not see the Jaguars play at all this season. Therefore, I wouldn't touch that one.

I doubt the Eagles will bring as much pressure defensively as the Seahawks. But the 49ers defense has been shaky the last few weeks. And the Warner Watch is still on, especially with his replacement, Tatum Bethune, out for the rest of the season with a torn groin.

 

[HanSenSE]

 

[Cosmo]

The good thing about it being on Prime rather than Peacock is that any bar/restaurant that carries the DirecTV NFL package has a dedicated channel for Prime included. Would assume the same is true of YouTube TV. No such channel exists for Peacock, so people have to get creative.

 

[playthrough]

The Rams traveling east and laying double-digits is wild, even if it is Carolina.

 

[BTExpress]

I'm fine with "promoting streaming."

Not fine with "streaming I don't subscribe to because I'm not going to dish out money to 10 streaming providers."

 

[MileHigh]

The Rams traveling east and laying double-digits is wild, even if it is Carolina.

And they lost there in Week 13.

 

[dixiehack]

Even without the 4-5 issue, no way were the Steelers ever falling to the Saturday afternoon ghetto. They are enough to lift Houston out of the mud.

 

[qtlaw]

The Eagles have been the ****tiest looking 11-6 team I've seen. They needed a blown two-point conversion to beat Buffalo and they should have lost week one to the Cowboys. The offense has been inconsistent at best and I don't trust the secondary.

If Pearsall doesn't play, the Eagles' secondary could be 4 Tom Brookshiers and it wouldn't matter.

IMHO, what's more telling is that the Eagles' OL is going to maul the Niners up front. The Niners have 4 lightweights up front who were/are constantly getting pushed back and aside; run or pass.