Storylines for Each Wild Card Game

Josh Frey   |  

Jan 14, 2023

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Folks, we’ve finally made it. The NFL playoffs are about to begin, and a number of games in this opening playoff slate look very intriguing. Before the games get started, though, let’s talk about a few of the storylines for each Wild Card game of the weekend. If you have others that aren’t included in these lists, let us know on either Facebook or Twitter.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers

1. The Seahawks have made one of the most improbable runs to the playoffs after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and seemingly heading into a long rebuild. Instead, they led the NFC West for large portions of the season, and while they faltered down the stretch, they still snuck into the playoff field. And now, they are massive underdogs again with the Niners favored by 9.5 points.

2. Brock Purdy was “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was selected 262nd out of 262 picks and the ninth QB off the board. The 49ers didn’t expect to rely on him at all this year, but injuries struck both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, forcing San Francisco to start their rookie QB. He’s performed beautifully, and the Niners have gone 5-0 with him at the helm. Now, can he live up to the pressure that is the NFL playoffs?

3. This is one of three interdivisional games in the Wild Card round. The 49ers won the first two games by a combined score of 48-20. Overall, though, Pete Carroll has dominated this matchup, winning 8 of the first 12 matchups between he and Kyle Shanahan going back to the start of 2017. Will the Niners get their third win of the season against the Seahawks, or can Carroll get back on track?

4. Everyone will be happy to know that there is heavy rain and wind occurring in Santa Clara, and if those conditions continue, this game could be a pretty wild one. Does the weather favor the physical playstyle of the 49ers or the chaotic Seahawks?

5. This game carries added importance for Vikings fans as it will determine where they play their next game if they make it to the Divisional round. A 49ers win means the Vikings would make the trek out west to play San Francisco, but a Seahawks win means that Minnesota would stay home to await the winner of Dallas/Tampa Bay on Monday night.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

1. These two teams met earlier this season in Week 3, and the Jaguars won 38-10. Granted, this was the game after Justin Herbert suffered fractured rib cartilage against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he was far from 100% for that game. However, is he capable of making up 28 points from the first matchup to this one?

2. Neither Justin Herbert nor Trevor Lawrence have ever participated in an NFL playoff game during their young careers. For one of them, this could be the game we look at as their “coming out party” as truly elite NFL quarterbacks.

3. Here’s less of a storyline and more of a funky stat: Trevor Lawrence has never lost a game on a Saturday throughout his high school, college, or NFL careers. He went undefeated in high school and 34-2 as a starter in college. Both losses came in the CFP, which happened on a Monday and a Friday. The Jaguars earned a victory over the Tennessee Titans last Saturday night to keep this ridiculous streak alive. Will it continue?

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills

1. No Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins has Skylar Thompson in line to start this game against the Bills, meaning there is not just one seventh-round rookie QB starting in the playoffs, but two. Thompson was drafted out of Kansas State by the Dolphins with the 247th overall pick.

2. Thompson starting for Miami also means that this is easily the largest spread of any game of the weekend. About 24 hours from kickoff, the Bills were listed as 13.5-point favorites for this game. The two teams played extremely close games in the regular season, splitting the two matchups. Miami won in Week 3 by a score of 21-19, and Buffalo won in Week 15, 32-29. Tua played both games for the Dolphins.

3. The biggest hope for the Dolphins in this game may lie in Bills QB Josh Allen. Despite another incredible statistical season for Allen, he turned the ball over 19 times. This included 5 interceptions inside the red zone. The best way to let an underdog into a game is with silly turnovers, so Allen will need to avoid those this weekend.

New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings

1. The Vikings finished the season 13-4, but they also had a negative point differential, meaning they had the most wins in NFL history while also being outscored by opponents on the year. This statistic is part of the reason why many are choosing the Giants to pull off a road upset. We’ll see how fraudulent these Vikings truly are when Sunday afternoon rolls around.

2. These two teams met on Christmas Eve, as you’ll probably recall, and the Vikings won on a 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph. It was a career-long for Joseph and Vikings franchise record. Of course, this came after the Vikings let Saquon Barkley run for a 27-yard touchdown and Daniel Jones completed a two-point conversion pass to tie the game. No wonder people are torn on this matchup.

3. Justin Jefferson is getting his first taste of the NFL playoffs this weekend. He said earlier in the week that he’d be treating this just as another game, but we’ll see if Jefferson can punctuate an historic year with another great performance. In the first game against the Giants, he caught 12 passes for 133 yard and a touchdown.

4. This game could prove to be very important to Kirk Cousins’ future in Minnesota. If he can lead the Vikings on a playoff run at least to the Divisional, we’re likely looking at another extension for the veteran QB this offseason. If the Vikings blow this home playoff game, though, that future becomes much more uncertain. The same likely can be said of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals

1. If you’ll recall, the location of this game could have been left up to a coin toss if the Ravens beat Cincinnati last weekend. No such event occurred, though, and the Bengals will play their first playoff game at home after earning a 27-16 victory over this very team just a week ago.

2. Lamar Jackson revealed the details of his injury via social media earlier in the week, and he revealed he’s been going through a PCL strain that has not healed. Tyler Huntley is also questionable for this game with a wrist injury, leaving the possibility of an Anthony Brown start in play. Brown was the starter in Week 18 after being a UDFA in the 2022 Draft. So, there’s a chance that half the playoff games this weekend feature either a rookie seventh-round pick or rookie UDFA starting at QB.

3. The Bengals spent much of their offseason focused on improving their offensive line, but those efforts are for naught this week. Right guard Alex Cappa left Week 18’s game with a knee injury, and right tackle La’el Collins suffered a torn ACL about a month ago. Joe Burrow looks like he will be protected by a patchwork offensive line once again for this playoff run.

Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1. The Jaguars and Buccaneers are the only home teams listed as underdogs ahead of this game, and as Saturday afternoon rolls around, Tampa edges out Jacksonville for the biggest home dogs as the Cowboys are currently favored by 2.5 points. The Jaguars are currently 2-point underdogs against the Chargers.

2. On Monday night, Tom Brady will become the third player in NFL history to play in a playoff game at 45 years of age or older, per Stathead. The other two are QB George Blandin who played seven playoff games between the age of 45 and 48, and K Adam Vinatieri who played two playoff games in 2019 for the Colts at 46 years old.

3. The Cowboys didn’t exactly close the season strongly, going 2-2 over the final four weeks of the season, including a 26-6 loss to the Washington Commanders. Dak Prescott also threw interceptions in each of the final seven games, en route to a league-leading 15 on the season. Will they be able to turn the tide in Tampa Bay?

4. Tampa got the better of the Cowboys in Week 1 of the regular season, winning on Sunday Night Football by a score of 19-3. Granted, Cooper Rush played the final six minutes of that game, but the game was already out of reach by the time he came in for Prescott.

Also Read:
Get to Know the Vikings Opponent: Wild Card vs. New York Giants

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.