NFL wild-card weekend is off and running
Eight NFL players face defining moments in playoffs
“Every play matters”: Stage is set, drama is high.
The NFL’s second, and most important, season is upon us as the wild-card round begins this weekend.
For some players, this weekend’s games represent an opportunity for career-defining moments. Here are eight players with a chance to deliver statement performances in helping their teams to victory.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson –
The game changes this time of year. Just ask Watson, who during an impressive comeback season in 2018 led the Texans to the division title but then fell flat in a 21-7 home playoff loss to Indianapolis.
“Every play matters, but you don’t really know it until you actually experienced that, and that’s what we experienced last year,” Watson told reporters this week. “The game is going to go by faster, the plays, the players play a little bit faster than the regular season. Everything just speeds up.”
There’s no question Watson has been terrific in his first three NFL seasons. But to fully meet expectations and continue to establish himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, Watson will have to start deliver
ing postseason victories.
He faces a Buffalo defense ranked third in the league in yards (298.3 per game) and second in points allowed (16.2), and he also must help compensate for his own defense’s inconsistencies.
But more than anything, Watson must do a better job in one crucial area.
“My turnovers,” said Watson, who this season threw a career-high 12 interceptions, with five of them coming in his final three games of the regular season. “That’s pretty much it.”
If he can limit his mistakes while also adjusting to the intensity of the postseason, Watson’s chances of shining increase.
Bills QB Josh Allen – Buffalo’s quarterback will find himself in the same position Watson did last January. But as he tries to adjust to the speed of the game, Allen must toe a fine line.
The Bills definitely need more out of him as a passer. He has yet to record a 300-yard passing game in his NFL career and turned the ball over at least once in half of this season’s games. But he also has to be smart with the ball.
Buffalo’s defense has carried the team for much of this season, and only nine teams averaged fewer points a game than the Bills’ 19.6. Allen has yet to show that he can truly carry his squad and will them to victory. The Bills are searching for their first playoff win since the 1995 season. Can Allen deliver against Houston?
Patriots WR N’Keal Harry – It’s no secret the Patriots’ offense has not played at a high level for much of this season. Tom Brady is still waiting for someone to emerge and help fill that void left by Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. Without that difference-maker, the Patriots, who boast the best defense in the league, are a rather imbalanced squad, and their chances of making a deep playoff run are not great.
One player who can help Saturday against the Titans is Harry. The 2019 first-round pick missed the first half of the season with injury, and he has spent the last six games trying to acclimate himself to New England’s offense.
So far, the progress has been slow. His best game was a three-catch, 29yard outing in Week 17, and he has 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns in five starts. Harry certainly has the size (6-4, 225 pounds) and the athleticism to make plays. Now he must provide the breakout game his squad badly needs.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill – Since taking over as Tennessee’s starter in Week 7, Tannehill has ranked among the hottest quarterbacks in the league, and the Titans’ offense has flourished. But now he faces his toughest test yet.
A Tennessee offense that has averaged 30 points per game with Tannehill as the starter will try to maintain the same potency against New England while facing the stingiest defense in the league. A big part of that also involves running back Derrick Henry, who leads a rushing attack that averages 138.9 yards per contest (third best in the NFL).
But the spotlight will shine most prominently on Tannehill. And if he can pull off an upset at Gillette Stadium, he’ll slam the door on the debate on whether he is Tennessee’s long-term answer at quarterback.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins – His plight is well-documented. For his career, he has generally done a great job of directing an offense and putting up impressive stats. But under pressure, he wilts. However, the Vikings expect and need Cousins to rewrite his narrative.
This season, he has often performed at career-best levels. The regular season did end on a sour note, however, as he struggled without running back Dalvin Cook’s support and lost to the Packers before sitting out the regular-season finale.
But as he plays in only the second playoff game of his career, Cousins can take a step toward redefining himself.
It’s hard for any quarterback to beat the Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But the Vikings need Cousins’ best shot.
Saints CB Janoris Jenkins – Claimed off waivers two weeks ago after wearing out his welcome with the Giants, Jenkins is out to prove New Orleans got it right and that he wasn’t part of the problem in New York.
Last weekend, Jenkins shined in a short-handed secondary, turning in five tackles, two pass breakups and an interception. New Orleans certainly needs more of this, especially against a Vikings squad that boasts talented wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. An unrestricted free agent, Jenkins can also help his cause this offseason with a strong performance.
Seahawks WR DK Metcalf – The Seahawks are trying to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to San Francisco in Week 17. Thanks to Russell Wilson and a defense full of playmakers,
Seattle always has a chance.
But there are questions about Wilson’s supporting cast. He doesn’t have a go-to pass catcher who can take over a game. Metcalf has been solid as a rookie with 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. However, he has only one 100-yard game this season. As Seattle tries to handle the Eagles, there’s no better time for Metcalf to come of age.
Eagles QB Carson Wentz – The Eagles’ quarterback closed out the regular season with three impressive outings when the pressure was its most intense. In so doing, he led Philadelphia to the NFC East title. Now, Wentz readies for his playoff debut.
The Eagles need their quarterback to deliver again. They will host Seattle but still will view themselves as underdogs, and they’ll look to their third-year passer in hopes of launching an improbable run similar to the Nick Foles-led campaign of 2017.