The Greatest Story on Turf: The Wildcard Round 2024
The Greatest Story on Turf: The Wildcard Round 2024 presents the story going into every playoff game. Each game is ranked, with the number one game being the most exciting of the weekend and predicted winners at the bottom of each matchup.
6. Packers vs. Eagles
Finish What We Started
In week one, these two teams faced off in primetime, and the Eagles came out on top after a Jordan Love injury. This week, they meet in the playoffs, and both Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love are questionable for the game. But the show must go on. Both teams have been close to the ultimate success they could taste it, and they have no time to waste if they want to finish the job.
The Packers surprised everyone last year, beating the Cowboys from the seventh seed, almost taking down the 49ers, and going to the Conference Championship from the 7th seed. This year, they are the 7th seed again, but at 11-6, they won't be surprising anyone. Will the Packers cement this new era of the Packers as perennial contenders or even Super Bowl champions, or was last year just a fluke?
The Eagles are winners, and that's never been in question, but after last year's collapse, they have much to prove. The team has looked like Super Bowl contenders all year. Will they be able to finish what they started in the 2022 Super Bowl or collapse at the end of the season again?
Prediction Eagles
5. Bills vs. Broncos
Whose Time Is Now?
Josh Allen and the Bills are familiar faces in the playoffs. There hasn't been a 2020s playoff bracket without Josh Allen and the Bills. However, there has been a troubling trend in Buffalo. The Bills lost their first playoff appearance, and since that seemed to be on the rise. The Bills went to the conference championship and then lost one of the best playoff games in history to Patrick Mahomes in overtime. It was assumed Josh Allen and the Bills would get over the hump eventually, but they have been running in quicksand since that game getting farther from the championship.
Since losing to the Mahomes, the Bills were passed by the Bengals, who did get over the hump and beat the Chiefs to go to Super Bowl and come into the Bills house, easily running them over. In addition to that, the Bills have gotten farther away from beating the Chiefs. Mahomes even said in the Netflix show Quarterback that the Chiefs matchup well against the Bills. If Josh and the Bills don't capture the moment soon, they may never do it. Is the Bills time now or is the Bills time up?
On the other side are the Broncos, which have a young franchise quarterback. A rookie QB, Bo Nix, wasn't even supposed to have a winning record, let alone a playoff appearance. It's all fun and games in Denver. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They are playing free. Bo Nix and his class are the future, and Josh Allen and his class are the current standard, but has the future already arrived? Whose time is it?
Prediction Bills
4. Chargers vs. Texans
Chance To Rewrite History
The Chargers have had a black cat running around their franchise. They have always seemed to be missing something that stops them. Justin Herbert has been to the playoffs one other time in his five-year career and lost horribly to Trevor Lawrence. Ironically, this year, when the Chargers are lacking pieces and in their first year with a new coach, they are back in the playoffs and finally have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs.
It's time for Justin Herbert, specifically, to rewrite his story. He cannot be put in conversations with the best QBs in the league without any playoff wins and two one-and-done appearances in 5 years. His last loss was to a younger-generation AFC South QB(Trevor Lawrence), and here we are again. This is a chance to show what he can do and prove he belongs with the elite QB. Coach Harbaugh also has a chance to win a national championship and at least a playoff game in his first year as a head coach in the league. Does the new era of the Chargers start this weekend or are they the same old Chargers?
The Texans were a trendy team coming into the year. They had surprising success last year, and the team went all in on the team this year, and CJ became an NFL darling. However, the numbers haven't been as impressive this year, and the team's exciting weapons have been badly injured. People have started jumping off the bandwagon and souring on CJ. However, CJ won the division just like last year, and just like last year, he can win another playoff game and prove he is who he said he was, whether the bandwagoners see it or not. CJ needs this win to silence the noise. Can the Texans return to the success they had last year or will they be bounced?
Prediction Texans
3. Rams vs. Vikings
Something I've Never Done
The Vikings are on a great run. They got rid of Kirk Cousins, drafted JJ McCarthy, and immediately lost him, but they still went 14-3. Sam Darnold will be playing in his first playoff game as a starter, and many are curious to see if Sam's Cinderella run will continue or if he will turn into a pumpkin when the lights shine the brightest. Sam isn't the only one under pressure. Kevin O'Connell is everyone's favorite coach now, but if he goes one-and-done again, the conversation around him will change.
The Vikings are loaded and have shown they could win at a high level in the regular season. It's time for them to grab the brass ring. But to do it, Kevin O'Connell will have to go against Super Bowl champion Sean McVay, who he trained under before becoming a head coach.
However, Sean McVay has his own challenges to overcome. The Vikings are the more talented team, and Sean McVay and the Rams have been bounced by NFC North teams every time they face them in the playoffs. Can the Rams finally end the NFC North's dominance over them? Will Sean McVay and the Rams be marching toward another Super Bowl championship or will a new NFC contender emerge?
Prediction Vikings
2. Steelers vs. Ravens
Legacy vs. Career
As Tomlin said to TJ Watt, your Hall of Fame path and his can't exist simultaneously. This is the situation these two teams find themselves in. The Ravens and the Steelers don't like each other, and they would both want nothing more than to ruin each other's season. However, this game is a lot bigger than a divisional rivalry. Careers are on the line. Russell Wilson is trying to prove he is still a franchise QB. If Russell Wilson loses to the Ravens, he will have not only given the Ravens the division back but also lost five in a row to end the season. He will almost certainly not be resigned by the Steelers. How could he be brought back if he produced the same results as Kenny Pickett?
Justin Fields is on his second team and still trying to reestablish himself as a starter in the league. He started out the year leading the team to 4-2 and first place in the division with 10 TDS and 2 turnovers, but he was still taken out. Since then, the Steelers have lost the division and are on a losing streak. He will certainly have opportunities to make plays and help the Steelers pull a rabbit out of the hat and beat the Ravens. Justin has fewer opportunities than Russ, but he has to max out on his opportunities and prove that he should be the Steelers franchise QB, or he might be on his third team next year.
Mike Tomlin is on the hot seat too. In years past, he had a bad QB he was overachieving with, but it has been far too long with no playoff wins for the Steelers. You can't just go to the playoffs and go one-and-done yearly; eventually, you must perform. The Ravens are a tough task to prove yourself against in the playoffs. However, it is hard to feel bad for Tomlin when he took out a quarterback who was winning the division and switched in a quarterback who lost the division to put them in this position. At least the Ravens are a team to which Mike Tomlin has traditionally been the Kryptonite. Can he pull off his regular season dominance of the Ravens in the playoffs?
Lastly, there is Lamar and the Ravens. The likely MVP, Lamar Jackson, has one thing left to do. It's all about the Super Bowl now. They have had chances, but have not got it done in the playoffs. They need to finally finish a season with the Super Bowl championship raised in the air and confetti coming down on them. Lamar needs this Super Bowl for his legacy and the legacy of the black running quarterback. The Ravens need this Super Bowl. They have been far too great for far too long to have not made it to the Super Bowl, at least. What they absolutely can't allow to happen is letting the Steelers bounce them in the first round of the playoffs. There is a happy ending for one of these organizations and shambles for the other.
Prediction Ravens
1. Commanders vs. Bucs
Whose the Main Character?
The Bucs are back in the playoffs again. They have now won the division for the fourth consecutive year. They did it with Tom Brady, and they have done it with Baker Mayfield, but Brady has hardware Baker doesn't have. Last year, Baker proved he is their franchise QB, but one playoff win only gets you so much equity. A guy like Baker has to prove himself constantly. The Bucs fans and organization want to win again, and Baker wants to finally win big and continue changing the narrative around his career. Baker was a walk-on in college to the number one pick, was kicked out of his organization, and made a backup, team surfing, until he found his home in Tampa. He has one of the best underdog stories in the NFL if he finishes the job, but he is not the only one with a story.
Jayden Daniels is also a Heisman Trophy winner, just like Baker. He was overlooked in his Heisman year and considered inferior to Caleb Williams in the draft. He went to the Commanders organization, which had been overlooked and underwhelming for years, and he took them to the playoffs in year one. Jayden has shown that anything is possible when he is in the game. He's, the most likely, Offensive Rookie of the Year and who knows what his ceiling is. Could Jayden and the Commanders get hot and go on a run in the playoffs? Why not? The moment is never too big for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. The Commanders have been the ultimate underdogs all year, but whose underdog story will be written this weekend? Who is the main character? Jayden or Baker?
Prediction Commanders
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