Getty Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints
The first day of the NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend gifted us with some of the most exhilarating football that we’ve witnessed all season long. Things started off with a nearly 70-minute overtime thriller where Deshaun Watson willed his team over a feisty Buffalo Bills team. Not to be outdone, the Tennessee Titans took on the dynasty known as the New England Patriots in Foxborough and knocked off the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
Today’s lineup of games has a lot to live up to if they want to have the same lasting effects as Saturday’s standout showings did. Yet, when the first game to kick off on your Sunday slate of games is a rematch of the Minneapolis Miracle, a stellar day of football certainly seems inevitable.
The NFL has us covered for a jam-packed day of Wild Card football, all for our viewing pleasure.
Kirk Cousins Looks for First-Ever Playoff Victory
- Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
- Time: 1:05 pm ET
- Date: Sunday, 1/5 (Today)
- Place: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, LA)
- Coverage: FOX
- Spread: New Orleans (-8)
Kirk Cousins will take his 0-1 playoff record on the road into the Superdome to take on a New Orleans Saints team who has won six of their last seven games.
New Orleans’ offense has been on a tear of late, averaging an absurd 40 offensive points per game over their last three contests. Running back Alvin Kamara has emerged from his seven game scoreless slump to find the endzone four times over his last two games.
Per usual, expect a big day from Michael Thomas, who will likely draw Xavier Rhodes more times than not today. Rhodes has seen his production take a massive dip in recent seasons, finishing 2019 with just a 46.4 PFF grade.
The Vikings offense will get the added benefit of Dalvin Cook’s return to the starting lineup after a two-game absence. Cook rushed for the 10th-most rushing yards and the fourth-most rushing touchdowns this year.
Carson Wentz Set for Playoff Debut
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- Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
- Time: 4:40 pm ET
- Date: Sunday, 1/5 (Today)
- Place: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
- Coverage: NBC
- Spread: Philadelphia Eagles (-1)
- Carson Wentz’s journey to make Eagles faithful forget about Nick Foles (at least for the short-term) kicks off today at 4:40 pm ET against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite the Seahawks finishing the regular season with two more wins than the Eagles, Seattle’s crucial Week 17 loss, matched with Philly’s inept division of play, grants the Birds home field advantage this afternoon.
The fact that the Eagles will be playing at home today is a major factor. Seattle lost their three top leading rushers over the final quarter of the regular season. The team was so desperate for bodies in their backfield that they decided to kick the tires on retired Seahawk’s great Marshawn Lynch. Unfortunately, in his first game back in uniform Lynch looked a bit too much like a guy who’s enjoyed the retired life. Another week of practice under his belt should help, however, the Eagles run defense is ferocious, especially at Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia allows the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL this year, including a minuscule 77.2 rushing ypg average when playing at home.
The Eagles offense has now scored 31+ points in three of their last five games. They’ll also be gifted with the services of Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz, both of whom were dealing with injuries, but will indeed be active and ready to go come kickoff.
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