This seems like fun, so I’ll dive in with Phil and Charlie.
Browns @ Texans
I love the Browns’ story with Joe Flacco. Too good to pass up, plus I think the Texans are overrated — miserable as my Jets were, they wiped out Houston (thanks to the best half of football they’d played in years). Give me the Browns.
Dolphins @ Chiefs
I’m tempted to boycott this because, no NFL, I am not getting Peacock to watch one football game, even in the playoffs. Plus these two teams are on the downslide. . . .Whoever wins will have trouble getting through next week. Great respect for the Chiefs, but they lack the receiver who really stretches the defense and opens it up for everyone else (because that guy now plays for the Dolphins). I also thought the Chiefs were unraveling a bit against the Bills and the Raiders — Mahomes and Kelce both lost their cool as games slipped away. Dolphins are beat up, but they’re good. Though they’re a Sunshine State team, they play against AFC East teams in the cold all the time. With their excellent defense, they can go into KC in January and win. Give me the Dolphins (but keep your Peacock).
Steelers @ Bills
Won’t be close. Give me the Bills.
Eagles @ Bucs
The Eagles are the strangest good team in the NFL. Unbelievable talent. Yet, they not only lost 5 of 6 at the end; they should also have lost the one game they won — against the Giants, who, after a terrible season and with nothing to play for, beat Philly soundly in the season’s last week. I know he’s banged up, but I really like Baker Mayfield. (I was hoping the Jets would get him instead of Aaron Rodgers — nothing against Rodgers, who’s a certain Hall of Famer, but I was also against the Mets’ plunking down a combined $90M or so on the ancient duo of Verlander and Scherzer, and I worried — as I still worry, though I pray I’m wrong — that Rodgers will prove to be a similar crushing disappointment.) Mayfield’s a young, fiery guy, with a big arm and an “I’d rather run through you than out of bounds” attitude that’s rare. (Buffalo’s Josh Allen is that way, too.) The Jets had already missed out on Mayfield once when the Browns took him ahead of Sam Darnold . . . and I was sure Bill Belichik was going to get him to New England before he ended up in Tampa. The Bucs are good at home; the Eagles can’t get out of their own way. Give me the Bucs.
Rams @ Lions
The Lions should not be playing in the game. They got jobbed against the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago and should be 2-seed. As the 3-seed, they have the misfortune of squaring off against their old pal Matt Stafford — while, symmetrically, Jared Goff gets to take on his former Rams mates. Big advantage: Rams. I like the Lions, but while their coach Dan Campbell inspires their hard-nosed play, he also takes a lot of dumb chances, especially at the goal line, where Detroit’s play-calling often gets even more peculiar than the decisions not to take 3 points when it’s what’s needed and to go for 2 when it’s not needed. The Rams really came on in second half of the season, occasionally looking like their old Super Bowl selves, and DL Aaron Donald is an otherworldly talent — he can just wreck a game. Bottom line: With evenly matched teams, go with the better QB and the better defense. So give me the Rams.
Packers @ Cowboys
Dallas has a good enough team to win the NFC this year. I think in the end they will break their fans’ hearts as usual, but it won’t happen this week at home. The Packers did a great job in making the playoffs, but they’re outclassed here — at least this year (they’re coming . . . next year, watch out). Give me dem Cowboys.
Conclusion: This will be a blast. I often think the playoffs don’t really start until the second weekend, when the teams that really have a chance to win it all jump into the fray. This year, I’m not sure. Yes, the Ravens and Niners are tremendous, but I could see the Bills and the Cowboys giving them a run for their money. And don’t go to sleep on the Rams, my dark horse. Have a great weekend of playoff football!