The NFL postseason is upon us. After 18 weeks of regular season, the road to Arizona and Super Bowl 57 begins this weekend with Wild Card Weekend. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles have secured first place in their respective conferences and will have this week off to to recover and prepare for the Divisional Round.
The NFL postseason is very different from the normal NFL season: the stakes are higher and the pressure is higher than ever. Stars emerge in the postseason to make their mark, and we often see teams with high expectations crumble under the pressure. Before the postseason we have some bold predictionshow this postseason will go.
Trevor Lawrence will knock Justin Herbert out of the race on Saturday
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After a difficult rookie season, Trevor Lawrence strongly reported. Lawrence was one of the main reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars earned a playoff berth and division win. He also became the first quarterback in Jacksonville Jaguars history to throw passes for more than 4,000 yards. Lawrence was considered the best quarterback in his draft class, and he showed it in the second half of the season after a slow start.
His style of play has evolved since his rookie season, that was evident in his sophomore year. Lawrence has the ability to stay cool under pressure and that’s something you want to see in a seasoned quarterback, and his accuracy and ball placement on his shots are top-notch.
Lawrence plays another young star quarterback in his first ever playoff game this Saturday night, viz Justin Herbert from the Los Angeles Chargers. Herbert has had a good season for the Chargers and is also making the playoffs for the first time in his career. Trevor Lawrence has played in big games before, making multiple appearances in the college football playoffs while at Clemson. But this isn’t college, this is NFL. I think both quarterbacks will do their best, but Lawrence will outperform Herbert in a very competitive game and the Jaguars will come out on top.
There will be at least one playoff game with overtime
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Last postseason, we were fortunate to see two overtime playoff games in the Divisional Round between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs and in the AFC Championship Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. We’re going to have at least one game this postseason where we get an extra quarter of football.
Die Rules for overtime were a topic of discussion last postseason and were changed due to what happened at the Bills vs. Chiefs game. The Chiefs won the toss, ran down the field, and scored without giving the Bills a chance to equalize or win the game. In the new overtime, each team has at least one possession of the ball. Encounters in the Wild Card Round with the potential for overtime:
So don’t be surprised if we see an overtime playoff game at some point this postseason.
Three teams with a super regular season record will be eliminated before the Super Bowl
Photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI
Say goodbye to the Chiefs, Eagles and Vikings! If there’s one thing to expect in the postseason, it’s the unexpected. In the past, there have always been surprising twists and turns in the NFL postseason: The San Francisco 49ers shocked the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round, then drove to Lambeau and beat the top seeded Green Bay Packers. The Cincinnati Bengals also came from a double-digit deficit, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Some of the top teams will be eliminated this weekend. Even though the Minnesota Vikings have the better roster and team, they could lose to the up-and-coming New York Giants. The Giants crushed Minnesota in their last meeting, and the Giants’ rushing attack can cause problems for the Vikings. The Dallas Cowboys could have a tough time against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Cincinnati Bengals could have their hands full despite beating the Baltimore Ravens in the season finale.
In the postseason you shouldn’t underestimate your opponent. That’s what happened last year when the Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Francisco 49ers, and it could be one of the top three teams in the playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs may have a bye, but they too can lose in the divisional round to any opponent they play.
Photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI
Photo: IMAGO / Icon SMI
