2021 NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Preview - Saturday Games
Saints News Network's weekly contributor, William Carver, previews the 2021 NFL Super Wild Card Weekend slate of football games - Colts vs. Bills, Rams vs. Seahawks, and Bucs vs. WFT.
Credit: USA Today Sports
2021 NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Preview - Saturday Games
Credit: Scott Horner/IndyStar photo illustration; USA TODAY SPORTS
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills; Saturday @ 12:05 PM CST.
The eight seed Indianapolis Colts travel to New York to take on the two seed Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Today's AFC Wild Card game is the first playoff appearance for the Colts since 2018. The Bills made the playoffs last season, losing to the Houston Texans 22-19 in overtime.
Buffalo won the AFC East this year. That hasn’t happened since 1995. The Bills finished with a 13-3 record and second-most points in the NFL (31.3 game).
Indianapolis has a good offense as well. They had the ninth most points in 2021 with 28.2 points per game average. Philip Rivers has played in 11 playoff games in his career with a 5-6 record.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen played in his first playoff game last year. It wasn’t his best outing, he was 24 for 46 with 264 passing yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions, but he did have two fumbles. He has greatly improved from last season.
The Colts and Bills haven’t played each other since 2018. The Colts won that game 37-5.
They have played 71 games with the Bills leading the series 37-32-1. The two teams have never played one another in a playoff game.
The playoff tilt is in Buffalo, and typically that means snow but not on Saturday. There is a less than 10% chance of any precipitation, just a cold afternoon.
Make sure to get up early and get the grill going fast because this game could be a shootout from the start.
Buffalo will win this one easily.
Colts vs. Bills Inactives
- Colts - Ben Banogu DE
- Colts - Jacob Eason QB
- Colts - Will Holden T
- Colts - Dezmon Patmon WR
- Colts - Noah Togiai TE
- Colts - Rock Ya-Sin CB
- Bills - Jake Fromm QB
- Bills - TJ Yeldon RB
- Bills - Tyrel Dodson LB
- Bills - Jordan Devey OL
- Bills - Tyler Kroft TE
- Bills - Duke Williams WR
- Bills - Trent Murphy DE
Dec 27, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks; Saturday @ 3:40 PM CST
An NFC West rivalry continues on wild card weekend. The division champion Seattle Seahawks will host the sixth seed Los Angeles Rams.
They just played each other two weeks ago in Seattle. The Seahawks won that game 20-9.
The teams split the season series, with the Rams winning the first game, 23-16.
Los Angeles missed the playoffs last year after making it to the Super Bowl in 2018. Seattle lost in the divisional round last year to the Green Bay Packers 28-23.
The Rams and Seahawks have played each other in 46 games. Seattle leads the overall series 25-21. There has only been one playoff game between the teams, with the St.Louis Rams winning 27-20.
Los Angeles has allowed the fewest points per game (18.5) in the NFL this season.
They will be facing a Seahawks team that averages 28.7 points per game.
The Rams have a star-studded defense led by unanimous first-team All-Pro DE Aaron Donald and first-team All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey.
We know what happens in Seattle, Rain. Expect light rain during the game.
Division contests can typically be close. Expect nothing different in their third matchup of the season.
I do expect the Seattle Seahawks to pull out the victory with Russell Wilson showing some late-game heroics.
Jan 3, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) drops back against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team; Saturday @ 7:15 PM CST
On Saturday, the last game features two teams who haven’t been to the playoffs in quite a long time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus the Washington Football Team.
Washington last played in a playoff game in 2015, and Tampa hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007. That isn’t the case for Tampa’s quarterback Tom Brady, who played in 41 playoff games in his illustrious career.
The young Tampa team will need to lean on their Hall of Fame quarterback's playoff experience and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Brady and his Bucs offensive weapons seem to produce points at will. They are third in the NFL with 30.8 points per game.
The 7-9 NFC East division champion, Washington Football Team, has the defensive pedigree to make this a challenging game for the Buccaneers.
Washington’s defense allowed an average of 20.6 points per game this season. That was good enough for fourth in the NFL. New head coach Ron Rivera leads the WFT team with his focus on defense.
Washington's defensive scheme centered around their defensive line led by second overall pick DE Chase Young. Expect Washington’s front four to give Brady issues all day.
Despite the presence of pressure, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers should advance to the 2021 NFC Divisional round with ease.
