NFL 2022: Football Food For Thought (Wild Card Weekend)

For the third consecutive year, the NFL features a 14-team playoff field. The Buccaneers (LV) and Rams (LVI) have won the last two Super Bowls, respectively, and both needed four postseason games to get the job done. Is this the year a number-one seed (the AFC’s Chiefs or the NFC’s Eagles) hoists a Lombardi Trophy? They will rest this week awaiting their foe.

Worth noting that there are three divisional clashes as well as three other rematches from the regular season.

Saturday, Jan. 14

Seattle (9-8) at San Francisco (13-4): The 49ers enter this postseason with the longest current winning streak in the league at 10 straight. This season, they swept the Seahawks for the first time since 2011. In fact, San Francisco was a perfect 6-0 vs. their NFC West rivals this season and outscored them by a combined 179-66 count. The 49ers allowed the fewest points in the league this season (277), 124 fewer than Pete Carroll’s club (401) this season.

L.A. Chargers (10-7) at Jacksonville (9-8): It’s been a spell since these emerging clubs have been in the Super Bowl tournament. The Chargers are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and the Jaguars are in the postseason for the first time since ’17. Talk about a triple threat? Jacksonville not only won three times as many games (9) as it did the previous year (3), but the club went from forcing an NFL-low nine turnovers to coming up with 27 takeaways.

Around Full Press Coverage

NFL OPINION: Morten Andersen: The Toughest Place To Kick? For Me, It Was This Place

NFL: NFL 2022: Five Key Statistics for Week 2

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs Stock Report: Week 2 2022

FULL PRESS BETS: NFL MVP Odds: Patrick Mahomes Leapfrogs Josh Allen For Top Spot

FANTASY FOOTBALL: Fantasy Football Value Picks In Every Round

PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 54: Chargers At Chiefs Preview

Sunday, Jan. 15

Miami (9-8) at Buffalo (13-3): In Week 3, the Dolphins snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Bills with a 21-19 victory in South Florida. On a Saturday night in Week 15 in Orchard Park, Buffalo came away with a 32-29 triumph on the final play of the game. Sean McDermott’s club brings a seven-game winning streak into this clash and the team scored at least 30 points in five of those outings. The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since 2000.

N.Y. Giants (9-7-1) at Minnesota (13-4): In Week 16 at Minneapolis, the NFC North champions edged the Giants, 27-24, via a 61-yard field goal on the final play of the game. It’s interesting to note that a year ago the Vikings were 8-9 with a minus-1 point differential. Kevin O’Connell’s club was 13-4 this season and gave up three more points (427) than it scored (424). The Giants haven’t won a playoff game since beating the Pats in Super Bowl XLVI.

Baltimore (10-7) at Cincinnati (12-4): For the second consecutive Sunday, the Ravens will be in the Queen City. This time around, Tyler Huntley is the expected starter at quarterback for John Harbaugh’s club. These clubs split their two-game set during the season, with the home team prevailing in each instance. Baltimore’s pass rush and its 48 sacks could be the difference against Joe Burrow and a Bengals’ team that allowed 44 quarterback traps.

Monday, Jan. 16

Dallas (12-5) at Tampa Bay (8-9): These teams began their seasons against each other on a Sunday night in Arlington with the Buccaneers coming away with a 19-3 victory. These were the two highest-scoring teams in the league in 2021. While the Cowboys slipped a bit, 530 points in ’21 to 467 in ’22, there was a major drop-off in Tampa of 198 points (511 to 313). Dallas has been spotty vs. the run but the Bucs were last in the NFL in rushing.