NFC Wildcard Weekend Preview
Following the AFC, the NFC was the final conference to wrap up its playoff picture, with the Detroit Lions giving the Seattle Seahawks the seventh seed, as they stopped the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Joining Seattle in the post season are the number one seeds, Philadelphia Eagles. Followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seahawks @ 49ers
Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers made the playoffs for the second year running, built on a stout defence, the West Coast side figured its offence out throughout the season to take home the AFC West title. After losing young QB Trey Lance early on, they would then lose backup Jimmy Garoppolo, but the team would find a resurgence, making a blockbuster trade for star RB Christian McCafferey, and some solid work from this year’s ‘Mr Irrelevant’, Brock Purdy.
The 49ers haven’t lost a game since Week 8, and not only have they found their rhythm on offence as the year has gone one, but they’ve ended the season with the number one overall defence in the league. DE Nick Bosa has once again made the Pro-Bowl, with a league leading 18.5 sacks, in just 16 games. San Fran has speed and power on the line and Tashaun Gipson has turned back the years to lead the team in interceptions in the secondary.
The AFC West champs are stacked on all fronts, but the lack of experience for QB Purdy could be there downfall. He may literally be the only thing to question on this very solid team, but he hasn’t done a bad job so far.
The Seahawks were written off coming into the year, after losing several key players, including All-Pro Russell Wilson, the team were given no chance by media and fans. After choosing Geno Smith as his starting QB, Pete Carroll’s side started to make people be quiet as they found their feet and sat at 6-4 going into their bye.
Seattle very clearly started the year with a chip on their shoulder, and they’ve certainly played like that. Smith has put up a Pro-Bowl year, despite most ruling him out, rookies RB Kenneth Walker and CB Tariq Woolen have played an elite year, with the latter making the Pro-Bowl also. Quandre Diggs has played a solid year, picking up four interceptions and rounding off a secondary which is probably the team’s best asset.
The Seahawks will be relying on momentum to get passed their divisional rivals. Despite their good ground game, solid secondary and some stellar plays from Smith, it looks a tall task for the team. 49er’s take this one, if Purdy does his job.
Giants @ Vikings
The Vikings and Kirk Cousins decided to find a new groove under first year Head Coach, Kevin O’Connell, taking the NFC North title back. Cousins, paired with one of the best WR’s in the NFL in Justin Jefferson, who led the league in receiving yards, have created an electric offence that’s propelled the team to the third seed in the NFC.
Minnesota won nine games by a single score in 2022, as despite their offence finding rhythm, the team’s defence ranked dead last in the league. Za’Darius Smith has put up 10 sacks, but the side gives just under 400 total years per game, which has pushed Cousins and co, to have to play hard.
The Vikings are a very simple team, they will pelt you on offence, be that through the air, to Jefferson or newly added TJ Hockenson, or on the ground with Dalvin Cook, either way, they will concede points, they’ve just scored a whole heap more this year.
The Giant’s went through a major front office turnaround this season, replacing almost everyone from the GM to the majority of their coaching staff. The team brought in the Buffalo Bill’s OC, Brian Daboll as their new Head Coach and also rejected the fifth year option on QB Daniel Jones, forcing him into a contract year. The gamble, though big, paid off with the Giants getting a playoff place for the first time since the infamous ‘boat trip’ photo in 2016.
Jones has found a different gear this year, and set career high totals in nearly every department. RB Saquon Barkley looks to be getting back to his rookie form, setting a career high in scrimmage yards, making his second Pro-Bowl. New York invested heavily in their offensive line, and the form of both Jones and Barkley proves this is money well spent.
The team have also plugged some holes in defence, drafting stud linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and bringing back Landon Collins, but the defence like most of the team is still a work in progress.
It will be most of the team’s first post-season experience, and though a good team, will most likely fall short, depending on how Cousins finds the primetime lights this time.
Cowboys @ Buccaneers
The Cowboys are the third team out of the NFC East to make the playoffs, also making it the first time the team has made the post season in back-to-back years since 2007.
Dallas have continued their form from the previous season, running the ball like animals through Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott, and having a hard-hitting defence with Micah Parsons up front and Trevon Diggs continuing to pick off QB’s like it’s his lunch.
The team’s weakness lies with QB Dak Prescott, who despite leading the team to 12-5 record has stuttered in form and accuracy throughout the year. The Cowboys are stronger than the Buccaneers in principle, but playing Tom Brady in the playoffs is never easy, and Dallas will most likely make a meal out of this game.
At the beginning of the year the Buccaneers had no obvious starting QB, that was until Brady decided to pull a sensational U-turn and come out of retirement in order to return to the team and go again once more, just 40 days after he called it quits.
With Brady back, and number of big name stars returning, many thought that Tampa Bay would go again in being one of the strongest in the NFL. This, did not turn out to be the case, as the team stuttered its way to winning the NFC South with a negative record of 8-9.
The Buc’s still have many of the stars that gave the city a Super Bowl and are still a threat on both sides of the ball. Arguable the majority of the team’s strength and weakness, lies with Brady, it will be down to him to guide this team to a win in the playoffs.
Two team that I could not predict, but I think the Cowboys are too strong for Tampa Bay, unless we see some Brady magic once again.
