USA TODAY International Edition
Make or break time in playoffs
The NFL playoffs open Saturday with the first “Super Wild- Card Weekend,” as the league puts it – three games Saturday and three games Sunday in a postseason expanded to 14 teams with only one bye per conference. The answers are coming. The questions are already here.
Can Tom Brady lead Bucs to Super Bowl as a wild- card entry?
TB12 has Tampa Bay in the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Why stop with that? With a two- year, $ 50 million free agent contract, the Bucs bought Brady’s remarkable postseason expertise ( a record six Super Bowl rings) to pair with a slew of other notable acquisitions and a formidable defense in order to make a championship run. In recent weeks, Brady has been on fire, looking Super Bowl- ready and even striking gold in the deep passing game that was a sore spot for a large swath of the season. The past three games, he’s averaged 379 yards per contest, while firing 10 TD passes with just one pick. Brady and the Bucs haven’t been so buff against better competition, which is what they’ll face in the playoffs.
Will Ravens finally win playoff game with Lamar Jackson?
Maybe a change of venue will help. With Jackson having two of his most underwhelming performances in January, the Ravens were bounced on their own turf in their past two playoff
openers. Now comes the chance for a revenge tour that opens ( and perhaps closes) at Tennessee – which upset the then- No. 1 seed in Baltimore last year. The reigning league MVP has been on a tear since coming off the COVID- 19 list.
After long playoff drought, are Browns destined for short postseason stay?
Let’s hear it for Cleveland, back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002. No, you can’t blame Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb or Jarvis Landry for the futility. They are new- generation Browns, as is Kevin Stefanski, though he will miss the game because of COVID- 19 issues, along with two players, including three- time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio. If that is not enough of a concern, the Browns must win at Pittsburgh, where they have lost 17 in a row.
Does any coach adjust better than Sean Payton for Saints?
With Alvin Kamara and the entire running backs room on the COVID- 19 list, the Saints still rushed for 156 yards at Carolina on Sunday as Payton tapped receiver Ty Montgomery ( an ex- running back) for 105 yards and typically sprinkled in hybrid weapon Taysom Hill. Like last season, the Saints kept winning despite losing quarterback Drew Brees for a stretch. And the offense kept churning without star wideout Michael Thomas, who set the NFL’s single- season record for catches last season but missed nine games this season due to injuries. That’s a testament to Payton’s ability to creatively put out fires – and to the deep base of talent collected for arguably the most balanced team in the playoffs.
What will Derrick Henry give Titans for encore?
With a career- best 250 rushing yards on Sunday, Henry became the eighth player in NFL history to post a 2,000- yard rushing season – providing a fresh reminder of his ability to wear down a defense. Baltimore knows. Tennessee rode Henry’s back to the AFC title game last year after he shredded the Patriots for 182 yards, then stiff- armed the Ravens for 195 yards. And he ripped up Baltimore for 169 yards and a walk- off TD in overtime in November. The Titans, with a division title for the first time in 12 years, have balance with Ryan Tannehill throwing to bigplay wideouts A. J. Brown and Corey Davis.
What could stop Chiefs from repeating as champs?
Oddsmakers have stood firm in installing Kansas City as the favorite to become the league’s first repeat champion since the Patriots in February 2005. The top- seeded Chiefs produced the NFL’s best regular- season record ( 14- 2) and triggered by Patrick Mahomes can attack in a variety of ways. And fast. No team flicks the switch quite like Andy Reid’s bunch, which trailed by double digits in all three of its postseason games during last year’s Super Bowl run. Yet here’s to nit- picking: The Chiefs have the worstranked run defense ( 21st) of any team in the playoffs. The bulk of the unit that held Derrick Henry to a mortal 69 yards in the AFC title game last year remains intact. But it’s fair to wonder ( again) whether a team that can control the clock with a ground attack that keeps Mahomes on the sideline would stand the best chance of upsetting the Chiefs.
Can Steelers make deep run with sorry running game?
First, the good news: Ben Roethlisberger has owned the Browns, compiling a 24- 2- 1 mark and never losing at home to the AFC North foe. Throwing to a collection of talented receivers against a Cleveland secondary viewed as the weak link is a good matchup for Pittsburgh. Now, the bad news: The Steelers rank dead- last in the NFL in rushing ( 84.4 yards per game, 3.6 a carry). James Conner’s injury issues are just part of the reason the Steelers have tried to compensate by using short, quick- release passes as a substitute for running. Roethlisberger ranks third in the NFL for passing attempts but 31st for average gain. At some point in January a running game becomes a necessity.
How much advantage do Packers possess as 1 seed?
Having the top seed is probably more of an edge this season because just one team in each conference gets a bye in the expanded playoff field. That week of rest matters. No team that played on wild- card weekend has advanced to the Super Bowl in eight years, since Baltimore took the long route to the XLVII crown. Add the wintry elements of Lambeau Field and the red- hot play of Aaron Rodgers to the mix, and the equation is ideal for Green Bay.
Is there any playoff team hotter than Bills?
Buffalo’s six- game winning streak matches Green Bay’s for the longest heading into the playoffs, but what’s even more impressive is the manner of the victories. The Bills have won their past three games with blowout margins of 30, 29 and 29 points. And before that, they won by 11, 10 and 10 points. That’s some serious momentum for a unit that secured the franchise’s first home playoff game and first division title in 25 years. The Bills have been building for this moment, securing their third playoff berth in four years under Sean McDermott. It stands to reason that the playoff experience gained helps young quarterback Josh Allen, eager to prove that his team hasn’t peaked yet.
Can Rams overcome their quarterback issues?
Struggling starter Jared Goff could return after a one- game layoff following thumb surgery. The other option seems better than it was a few days ago as John Wofford settled down after a shaky start against the Cardinals in his NFL debut. Either way, the Rams have gone two games without scoring an offensive touchdown. Sure, defense wins championships and LA’s top- ranked unit, which hasn’t allowed a 100- yard rusher, is special with Aaron Donald bringing the heat while Jalen Ramsey patrols the back end. But the Rams are so much better protecting a lead ( 35- 0 when ahead at halftime under McVay).
Will improved Seahawks’ defense ease pressure on Russell Wilson?
It’s nowhere close to the Legion of Boom outfit, but Seattle, albeit ranked 31st against the pass, has gradually improved its defense over the second half of the season. As Wilson demonstrated against the 49ers on Sunday, he’s still lethal in crunchtime and always game for a shootout. Yet it’s no coincidence the surge with Seattle’s defense connects to the health of All- Pro safety Jamal Adams, who missed four games this season with a hamstring injury and now nurses a shoulder injury. Another factor has been the midseason addition of Carlos Dunlap, providing a much- needed dose of a pass rush.
Can Washington generate enough offense?
In navigating through the muck and winning the NFC East with a 7- 9 record, Washington’s second- ranked defense proved that a young, talented D- line is plenty able to disrupt the flow with myriad forms of harassment. Yet the division crown was almost lost with the sputtering of an injury- stung, 30th- ranked offense. Alex Smith’s comeback from a career- threatening knee injury has been tremendous, coinciding with the grit of a unit that is light on gamebreaking playmakers. But the grit needs to show up better on the scoreboard. Washington has averaged 17.8 points over the past four games ( 2- 2) and for the season was held under 21 points in 10 games.
Last chance for Colts QB Philip Rivers to win big?
The two other quarterbacks drafted among the top 10 picks in 2004, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning, each won two Super Bowls. Rivers is chasing his first ring. Time is running thin. The 39year- old has reached the stage when questions persist about his plans. Rivers reunited with Colts coach Frank Reich this season on a oneyear contract. But despite reports he could be headed to the broadcast booth, he maintained that he wants to return to Indianapolis next season.
Can Bears trust Mitchell Trubisky?
From the half- full, halfempty department: After getting his job back, Trubisky came off the bench and quarterbacked the Bears during a late- season rally that resulted in a playoff berth. Then again, Chicago ( 8- 8) backed into the playoffs as Trubisky laid an egg in a Sunday loss to the Packers. The Bears, who drafted Trubisky second overall in 2017 ( ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson) and traded for Nick Foles last offseason, will have another decision to make about Trubisky during the offseason. You’d think they would know enough by now about whether to invest a long- term contract in him. If not, the playoff opener at New Orleans against one of the best defenses could provide the final confirmation.