NFL WILD-CARD CAPSULES
RAVENS at TITANS
WHEN — Sunday, 1:05 p.m., ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, Freeform
RECORDS — Baltimore 11-5, at Tennessee 11-5
OPENING LINE — Ravens by 3 1⁄
2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Ravens 10-5-1; Titans 7-9
SERIES RECORD — Titans lead 13-12
LAST MEETING — Titans beat Ravens 30-24, OT, on Nov. 22 in Baltimore
LAST WEEK — Ravens beat Bengals 38-3; Titans beat Texans 41-38
Now here are two teams capable of running over, through and around each other.
Baltimore does so with its running backs, led by rookie J.K. Dobbins, and quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been sensational lately. But he’s also bombed in both of his postseason starts, so he must display the kind of growth Buffalo’s Josh Allen has shown.
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry has been historically good, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and setting the tempo nearly every week. He could do it again.
PICK — Ravens, 30-27
BEARS at SAINTS
WHEN — Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS
RECORDS — Chicago (8-8) at New Orleans (12-4)
OPENING LINE — Saints by 8
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Bears 8-8; Saints 9-6-1
SERIES RECORD — Saints lead 17-15
LAST MEETING — Saints beat Bears 26-23, OT, on Nov. 1, 2020 in Chicago
LAST WEEK — Bears lost to Packers 35-16; Saints beat Panthers 33-7
This could be the final game of a superb career for the Saints’ Drew Brees. Having Alvin Kamara back from the COVID-19 list would be the tonic he needs to keep playing this month.
No, we don’t expect Kamara to score six touchdowns on this defense. But we don’t expect the Bears to move the ball much against the New Orleans D.
PICK — Saints, 24-10
BROWNS at STEELERS
WHEN — Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
RECORDS — Cleveland (11-5) at Pittsburgh (12-4)
OPENING LINE — Steelers by 3 1⁄
2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Browns 6-10; Steelers 10-6
SERIES RECORD — Steelers lead
77-60-1
LAST MEETING — Browns beat Steelers 24-22 on Jan. 3 in Cleveland
LAST WEEK — Browns beat Steelers
24-22
NBC and the NFL love the idea of having this bitter rivalry conclude wild-card weekend in prime time. The problem: Cleveland, in the postseason for the first time since 2002, still is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak and won’t have coach Kevin Stefanski or standout guard Joel Bitonio.
The Steelers pushed the Browns hard in the season finale despite sitting so many of their regulars. Yet we can’t erase Pittsburgh’s December doldrums from our memory.
We don’t see either of these teams advancing beyond this round.
PICK — Steelers, 22-20