Kick-start: Playoffs get an early opener
Raiders’ OT victory sets up enticing wild-card round
Derek Carr and the Raiders played to win, knocking the Chargers out of the playoffs and sending the Steelers to the tournament.
The NFL’s playoff field was set when the Raiders locked up the final wild-card spot by beating the Chargers in overtime in a wild, winner-take-all game Sunday night.
The Raiders could’ve punched their ticket to the postseason — and given the Chargers a spot — by taking a knee on the final play.
Instead, Daniel Carlson kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime for a 35-32 win.
Here are the initial matchups and how things may go this weekend:
Saturday
Raiders (10-7) at Bengals (10-7): Joe Burrow led the Bengals from worst to first in the AFC North and got a chance to skip the last game, while Carr and the Raiders survived a late comeback to win their fourth straight to advance.
Burrow, dynamic rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon present a tough challenge for the Raiders, who were gassed by the end of their 70-minute marathon against the Chargers. Burrow and the Bengals get the edge because they’re rested.
Patriots (10-7) at Bills (11-6): The AFC East rivals split two games last month, each winning on the road. The Pats beat the Bills 14-10 while relying solely on their running game when rookie QB Mac Jones threw just three passes. The Bills responded with a 33-21 road win three weeks later.
Josh Allen led the Bills to the AFC title game last year and they’re back in the hunt for the third straight year with something to prove.
Bill Belichick is seeking his first playoff win as Pats coach without Brady. He should still be looking for it after this one.
Sunday
Eagles (9-8) at Buccaneers (13-4): The Eagles have come a long way since a 28-22 home loss to the Bucs in Week 6. Rookie coach Nick Sirianni and second-year QB Jalen Hurts led the Eagles back from a 2-5 start to an unlikely playoff berth. They did it by relying on the run. But the secondseeded Bucs have one of the league’s stingiest run defenses, led by nose tackle Vita Vea.
The banged-up Bucs lost key players down the stretch. They still have Brady and he’s enough.
49ers (10-7) at Cowboys (12-5): Facing elimination, Garoppolo and the 49ers overcame a 17-0 deficit to beat the NFC West champion Rams 27-24 in OT. The 49ers have a strong rushing attack, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, but the Cowboys made big strides on defense under first-year coordinator Dan Quinn and sensational seasons from rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs.
It’ll be difficult for the 49ers to keep up with Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper and the Cowboys’ star-studded offense.
Steelers (9-7-1) at Chiefs (12-5): Ben Roethlisberger got a chance to play one more game, but his last should come against the Chiefs, who are rolling after a rough start.
Monday
Cardinals (11-6) at Rams (12-5): The first Monday night playoff game features another matchup of division rivals. The Cardinals and Rams split in the regular season with each team winning on the road. The Cardinals went 4-6 after a 7-0 start. Matthew Stafford joined the Rams looking for playoff success. He seeks his first career postseason win with a superstar cast surrounding him led by Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. on offense and Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey on defense.
Stafford should finally get that win and keep alive the possibility the Rams can follow the Bucs and become the second team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium.