The Chicago Bears utterly annihilated the Packers twice this season by 56-28 and 60-28 margins! These is little evidence to make anyone believe this third meeting will be any different. The Bears have rolled into the playoffs winning five straight, while the Packers have never recovered from the lopsided defeats and crawled into the post-season losing three in a row and four of their last five. Chicago Head Coach Matej Orazem is one of a quartet of Slovenian team leaders who have dominated the league in every way this year. Only legendary coach Mike Kleinknecht realistically seems capable of slowing down any of the clubs the European foursome are running. Orazem engineered a spectacular campaign that concluded with his squad pacing the NFC averaging an incredible 39.3 PPG! QB Caleb Williams had an MVP caliber season throwing for an NFC tops 6,076 yards and a league leading 54 touchdown passes. Perhaps an even more astounding number is the fact Williams dropped back at least 797 times and threw a meager 11 interceptions!  WR DJ Mooore hauled in 106 balls for 1,495 yards and 18 touchdowns as part of a quartet of targets that exceeed 1000 yards in receptions, WR Rome Odunz snared 95 pigskins for 1,333 yards and 8 scores, WR Luther Burden added 81 catches for 1,119 and 8 more scores and TE Cole Kmet got his mitts on another 85 passes for 1,051 yards and 4 touchdowns! And, if that does not impress you, add in the fact HB D'Andre Swift was second on the club with 11 touchdown receptions! Speaking of Swift, the 5'9" 215 lbs 5-year veteran rushed for 1311 yards and 10 additional scores bringing his total to a stunning 21. And, one would might wonder, just what was the defense doing during all of these pyrotechnics? How about racking up 96 sacks and some 29 takeaways? The sack total was second only to the Arizona Cardinals' 103. Left Edge Montez Sweat made his bid for DPOY piling up 30 traps on the season which, amazingly, was just 1.5 sacks behind another Sweat (No relation), Josh, who led the league playing for the Cardinals. Fellow Edge Za'Darius Smith, MLB Tremaine Edwards, and DT Grady Jarrett rolled up 15,15, and 13.5 traps respectively.

   The Packers, as stated, stumble into the post-season and, for the third consecutive year, find themselves battling just to escape the opening round. The team was the only franchise to not record a single fumble recovery the entire season. The lack of takeaways has led to too many long-field situations. QB Jordan Love was one of the least sacked (37) in the PFL, but he has thrown six of his fifteen interceptions over his last three games. A second major concern is the general lack of a running game. Plodding Josh Jacobs simply has not been able to stretch defenses enough and the offensive line has not been able to open holes for him. Jacobs exceeded the 100-yard plateau just three times all year long and found paydirt a mere six times. TE Tucker Kraft had a marvelous season with 108 receptions for 1011 yards and 9 TDs. WR Jayden Reed had 1,032 yards and 8 TDs.  Edge rusher Micah Parsons missed three games, but still finished with 20 sacks.

   Final Analysis: This is a serious mismatch and it would take a minor miracle for the Pack to go into Soldier Field and upset the Bears. Chicago 51-21.

#5 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-3) AT #4 TENNESSEE TITANS (10-7) 

Another AFC South Champ Finds Itself in Familiar Role

   For quite some time now, the winner of the AFC South has entered the post-season hosting a first round playoff game as a distinct underdog. The Titans come into this matchup with the best record an AFC South team has owned over the past three seasons! Tennessee has been led by rookie sensation QB Cam Ward. The Ex-Miami Hurricane compiled a 113.8 QBR throwing for 5,548 yards and 42 touchdowns. Yes, he was sacked some 78 times, but his 70% completion rate and very low 13 interception number revealed a signal caller who will not make the big mistake and give the ball away. Ward can beat you with his legs as well. He ran some 71 times for 445 yards and a stunning 8 touchdowns! Backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears combined for 1,533 yards and 10 rushing scores. WRs Calvin Ridley, WR Chimere Dike, and TE Chigoziem Okonkwo have stacked up 1,288, 1,159, and 1,128 yards receiving respectively. Okonkwo has been an all-time target in the PFL and is certainly one under HC Aljosa Slovnik. The veteran tightend has been a major weapon inside the red zone with an eye-popping 16 touchdown receptions! He finished tied with New England Patriot Hunter Henry for the most by a tightend. Right edge Arden Key and Left Edge Oluwafemi slammed opposing quarterbacks into the turf a combined 39 times and got help from interior DT Jeffrey Simmons and his 12 additional traps. The secondary features a group of ball hawking DBs. FS Quandre Diggs picked off 6 balls on the year with SS Amani Hooker and CB Roger McCreary each plucking off 3.

   New England could very well be the biggest challenger to the New York Jets this post-season! They ended the Jets' bid for a perfect 17-0 season with a, 44-25, week 17 victory and they come in with the AFC's second best overall record. Sophomore QB Drake Maye had a sparkling campaign under Slovnik posting a 5,761 yards, 47 touchdowns, just 11 interceptions, and 113.8 QBR stat line! He had 2 or more TD passes in every game this season except in week 1! Similar to a number of other quarterbacks in the PFL, Maye would absorb 75 sacks with little to no impact on his performance. The game, as mentioned above, will feature two of the league's very best tightends. New England will counter the Titans' Okwonko with Hunter Henry. Henry also hauled in 16 TD passes this season, while leading the team with 105 receptions! WRs Demario Douglas and Stefon Diggs had 1,383 and 1,060 yards respectively while combining for 16 more scores. The running game can best be described as exceptionally efficient. While not a true running team, the Patriots got excellent production out of backs Treveyon Henderson and Keaton Mitchell. The two rushed for a unified 1,049 yards and 11 touchdowns. Perhaps more significant, though, was the two backs 4.46 YPC resume. New England will strut out a pair of edge rushers that rivals any tandem in the PFL. Harold Landry and Keion White amassed 21 and 20.5 sacks between them and they got some help from smallish DT Milton Williams who recorded 11.5 more.

   Final Analysis: The Patriots are one of several teams deemed serious SB contenders. Tennessee has the talent to win this one and a few breaks here or there could get them the upset, but the Pats are very good. New England 32-22.

#6 NEW YORK GIANTS (9-8) AT #3 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (14-3)

 Champs Start Defense With Third Skirmish Versus Rival G-Men

   The Giants lost both regular season contests to the Eagles. However, they are a battle tested groups that had to earn its way into the post-season while feeling the pressure from the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. Big Blue won three of its last four games to secure the 6th seed. A main concern, however, has to be the Giants' dismal 1-7 record against teams with an above .500 record. Their lone victory came against a Green Bay Packers' club that, quite frankly, ranks among the weakest to make the playoffs. Rookie QB Jaxson Dart is a solid game manager throwing just 9 interceptions on the season and finishing with an excellent 113.1 QBR. He is, yet another, signal caller that suffered the sack bug getting dropped 91 times without any negative effects at all. Fellow rookie HB Cam Skattebo rushed for 1,223 yards. The Ex-Arizona State Sun Devil brings a particularly punishing style of ball that suits HC Gabe "El Guapo" to a T. What he lacks in speed and acceleration he more than makes up for with tremendous trucking and break tackle abilities.  No Giant receiver recorded 900+ yards this season, however, WRs Jaylen Hyatt and Malik Nabers averaged 18.6 and 16.5 YPR respectively and are dangerous weapons indeed. Yet another rookie, edge Abdul Carter, led the team with 16.5 sacks and 37 TFLs. 

   The Eagles quietly piled up 14 wins. While QB Jalen Hurts did not compile an MVP type season he did, nonetheless, remain one of the league's most difficult players to defend. Philly opted to lean much more on the dynamic play of HB Saquon Barkley, an outstanding offensive line, and one of the the more talented defenses in the league in order to claim a third consecutive NFC East crown. Barkley rushed for 1,172 yards and 16 touchdowns. The defense was led by Edge Nolan Smith, Will backer Zach Baun, and DT Jalen Carter up front. That trio racked up 55.5 sacks, 109 TFLs, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions! WR Devonta Smith enjoyed a stellar season snagging 119 balls for 1,305 yards.

   Final Analysis: Philly seems vulnerable this season. Their 2,125 yards allowed against the run was the second most in the NFC and would seem to be a big plus for the Giants. Over half of New York's games were decided by 10 points or less as the club tried to limit negative plays and get to the latter stages of games hoping to pull a win out late. The Eagles were able to get out early on the Giants in their last meeting and how long this one stays close will go a long way towards determining the success chances for the G-Men.  Philadelphia 27-22.

#6 MIAMI DOLPHINS (10-7) AT #3 BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-5-1)

Warm Weather Dolphs Swim North to Chilly Baltimore to Face Rugged Ravens 

   The Miami Dolphins streaked out to a 7-2 record and had visions of contending for an AFC East championship. But, since that high water mark, the club floundered (no pun intended) and concluded the year going a less than inspiring 3-5. Oddly, the Ravens began a complete opposite trend following their week 9, 41-35, loss to these same Dolphins. Since that meeting, Baltimore has reeled off an 8-1 record and enter the playoffs on a six game winning streak.

   Miami has mostly gone as QB Tua Tagovailoa has gone. During the team's hot start, Tags posted 100+ QBR efforts in 10 of his first 11 games with the team going 8-3. However, he has ended just two of his last six games with a 100+ rating and, in fact, has concluded four contests with an 85.7 QBR or lower! One of the more amazing parts of this Dolphins' team was its propensity for getting the interception. Miami led the PFL with 28 picks as SS Ashtyn Davis and SAM backer Willie Gay made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks with 6 interceptions each. The club's +21 turnover margin was an incredible +7 more than the next best team (Chicago Bears-14)!

   Baltimore really struggled early on in the season. However, HC Rob Brick made some major defensive adjustments that sent the team on its winning ways. A long reliance upon a man-to-man defensive scheme has been replaced by a strong emphasis on cover 2 and cover 3 alignments mixed in with man-to-man blitzes with great effect. In addition, the power running game with HB Derrick Henry really picked up after the Miami loss. Henry did not have a single game where he ran 20+ times until after the loss to the Dolphins. Since that encounter the 6'3" 247 Lbs wrecking ball has carried the rock 20+ times in seven games and has rushed for 100 or more yards in five of his last eight games! TE Mark Andrews celebrated another terrific year by snaring 111 receptions for 1,578 yards and 9 touchdowns, while WR Rashod Bateman was another 100-yard target ending with 1,248 yards and 11 scores. 

   Final Analysis: This is a classic matchup where season ending statistics can be deceiving. The Ravens have been playing a much better brand of football in the back half of the year, whereas Miami has not been performing nearly as well as earlier in the year. As long as the Ravens do not give the Miami secondary too many chances to pick off QB Lamar Jackson and if Derrick Henry gets it going, it will be hard to see a Dolphins' upset. Baltimore 30-21.

#7 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8-9) AT #2 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (15-2)

Niners Most Recent NFC Sub .500 Team in Post-Season. Hi-Powered Saints Eying Super Bowl Run

   Outside of the Packers-Bears game, this one is as much of a David-Goliath matchup as any on the Wildcard Weekend docket. San Francisco would do all it could to cough up their playoff spot losing six games in a row before ending the year with a narrow, 23-21, win over the 3-win Seattle Seahawks. QB Brock Purdy threw 18 interceptions, which was just 1 less than Minnesota's JJ McCarthy's 19 to lead the NFC in that dubious category. He would also endure 77 sacks, a number surpassed in the NFC only by the Giants' Jaxson Dart and, oddly, Saints' QB Spencer Rattler! The Niners did, though, look to their running game more than in recent years. HB Christian McCaffrey finished with 1,119 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns and fellow back Brian Robinson would contribute an additional 478 yards and 7 scores. The problem, though, seems to be the team moving away from the successful formula used earlier in the season and toward the unsuccessful reliance upon the passing game again. The club returned to giving McCaffrey the ball more in the season ending win over Seattle and will need to run the ball in this one to have any real chance.

   The Saints, of course, are run by HC Mike Kleinknecht and his offensive hot-routing wizardry. He utilized his hot-routing techniques to near perfcetion as QB Spencer Rattler threw for over 6000 yards! Rattler would end the year trailing only Chicago's Caleb Williams (54) with 52 TD passes, while also throwing a paltry 9 interceptions! His offensive exploits are in line with those of Williams (11), the Cardinals' Kyler Murray (9), the Colts' Anthony Richardson (10), New England's Drake Maye (11), and the Titans' Cam Ward (13) in terms of interceptions thrown. Rattler threw a touchdown pass in all 17 games this season including a remarkable 14 games in which he threw 3 or more TD passes! WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, along with TE Taysom Hill, eclipsed the 1000 yard threshold with Shaheed pulling in 12 TD passes and Olave chipping in 11 more! The running game also excelled wih HB Kendre Miller rushing for 1,354 yards and 13 touchdowns. While the offense got much of the attention, Kleinknecht's defense was nearly as stifling giving up the second fewest points (351) in the entire league! 

   Final Analysis: The Saints scored 30+ points in all 15 of its wins failing to do so only in its two lone losses to the Patriots and Jets. The Niners tallied 30 or more points in a game just 3 times all year. New Orleans 35-17.

#7 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-7-1) AT #2 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (12-5)

Stampeding Colts Ride Into Vegas vs Battle Tested Raiders in Rematch of Tense Early Season Clash!

   This one has all the accoutrements necessary for a classic playoff game. Both teams come into the contest playing high level football that has enhanced each teams' confidence. The Colts stormed into the tournament winning seven of their last eight games (The other lone non-win was a week 13, 34-34, tie with Houston) and had to affirm a last weekend, 34-24, win over the Texans in order to secure the final playoff berth ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs! The Raiders, for their part, went 8-2 down the stretch to earn their second straight AFC West championship and the conference's #2 seed. They eliminated the rival Kansas City Chiefs (Who missed the playoffs for the first time in many, many years) with a week 18, 27-13, victory. To make this one even more spicey, consider the two teams met back in week 5 with the Raiders eking out an exhilarating, 20-19, win as K Daniel Carlson booted a 48 yard game winning trey as time expired!

   Indianapolis could not afford to lose a single game in the back half of the season and have, as a result, essentially played eight straight playoff games already! HB Jonathan Taylor toted the rock 20+ times in seven of those last eight games and exceeded 100+ yards in six of the games. After starting his year off getting sacked 11 or more times in his first five games, QB Anthony Richardson was sacked five or fewer times in ten of his next twelve outings. He would still end his year getting dropped some 107 times, but he would also throw just 10 interceptions all year long and end the regular season with a fine 103.82 QBR. Taylor would end his season with another outstanding stat line. The elite back rushed for 1,541 yards and 17 touchdowns. WRs Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman had 1,102 and 1,003 yards respectively, while Penn State alum rookie TE Tyler Warren paced the Colts with 69 receptions. Fellow rookie, and once Big 10 rival, Ex-Ohio State Buckeye edge JT Tuimoloau was the leading pass rusher with 20.5 sacks. CB Charvarius Ward was among the league leaders with 6 interceptions.

   Las Vegas, of course, is led by the running exploits of rookie sensation Ashton Jeanty. The one-time Boise State Bronco took the league by storm and became the first rookie tailback to lead the PFL in rushing since, then, Arizona Cardinal HB Kenneth Walker did it some seven years ago! Jeanty rushed for 2,097 yards on a league most 383 carries. He carried the ball 20+ times in a game a grueling 12 times. No receiver had more than 44 receptions (TE Jakobi Meyers had 44) as the team adhered to HC Game "El Guapo"s well known system. The Raiders were able to win the division and 12 games by leading the league in rushing (167 YPG) and grinding out tight wins. 

   Final Analysis: The Raiders are locked into a certain style of ball that could carry them to a win here. The Colts seem to be playing top level football at the moment, although they played only one team (Kansas City) during their late season run that finished with a record above .500. Seven of the Vegas' wins were by 7 points of less and cutting it close leaves little margin for error. This one could be a real barn burner folks. Indianapolis 24-23?

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