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What drama will the NFL playoffs deliver this year? Watch all 13 postseason games live on Sky Sports.
What drama will the NFL playoffs deliver this year? Watch all 13 postseason games live on Sky Sports.
The NFL playoffs are here! And so it’s time to make some predictions, with Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold battling it out once more as they make their game picks for Super Wild Card Weekend.
Are there Brock Purdy believers in San Francisco? Which matchup are they calling the pick of the weekend? Can Miami cause an upset in Buffalo? And just who of the Cowboys and the Buccaneers are they backing on Monday night in Tampa Bay?
Click on the link below to listen to Neil and Jeff make their picks on the latest Inside The Huddle podcast and read on below…
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Pick your Super Bowl LVII winners and follow all the excitement of the NFL playoffs by playing the Super Bowl Challenge now. Here’s everything you need to know about how to sign up and take part.
NFC: Seattle Seahawks (7) @ San Francisco 49ers (2)
Saturday, live on Sky Sports NFL, 9.30pm
NEIL PICKS: 49ers
“It’s the third meeting of the season between these two NFC West divisional rivals. And I’m not going to deliberate over this one for too long, I’m going with San Francisco.
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Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold discuss the streaking San Francisco 49ers as they head into the playoffs as the best team in the NFL, with 10-straight wins.
“Seattle will look back on this season as a success, transitioning from Russell Wilson at QB, but I just think the 49ers are the best team in football right now – they’ve won 10 in a row, they’ve got the number one-ranked defense, they’ve got all sorts of elite talent on offense and a quarterback in Brock Purdy who has thrown at least two touchdowns in six-straight games. I really like the makeup of their young QB.”
JEFF PICKS: 49ers
“I’m with you. Although I will say, I think this game is going to be chippy and physical.
“We saw what the Seahawks did to the Los Angeles Rams last week, in terms of physicality. And Seattle are going into this one playing with house money, because nobody had them going to the playoffs. If we had said that, we would have been laughed off the show.
San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has stunned the NFL with six-straight wins to start his career
“As for San Francisco, how about Purdy beating the odds, the last pick of the draft – ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ has all of a sudden become very relevant.”
AFC: Los Angeles Chargers (5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4)
Saturday night, live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am (Sunday)
NEIL PICKS: Jaguars
“This, I think, is the hardest game to pick this weekend.
Will Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert have all of his key offensive weapons at his disposal against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday?
“The Chargers are a different team when quarterback Justin Herbert has all of his passing-game weapons at his disposal, so we’ll have to see about Mike Williams’ availability with his back injury.
“But I like Jacksonville, because I think they’ll be able to run the ball on the Chargers. Travis Etienne couldn’t get going last week against the Tennessee Titans, but I think this will be a different proposition.
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Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
“The Jaguars have won five in a row and seven of their last nine. For much of that run, it has been about the offense, but I think the defense is playing really well now as well and that unit has powered them the last three weeks.”
JEFF PICKS: Jaguars
“I think the Chargers have a lot of questions right now. I like Jacksonville in this one, because it’s at home.
“I think Doug Pederson has done a great job as head coach.”
AFC: Miami Dolphins (7) @ Buffalo Bills (2)
Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL, 6pm
NEIL PICKS: Bills
“I don’t think the Dolphins can recapture their fine offensive form from earlier in the season without Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. I’m going with Buffalo in this one all the way.”
The Miami Dolphins will be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Sunday as he remains in the concussion protocol
JEFF PICKS: Bills
“I thought the Dolphins did what they had to do to beat the New York Jets last week [to book their playoff spot – they ran the ball pretty well and played conservative football – but that’s not going to cut it in Buffalo.
“Also, to make matters worse for Miami, their best running back, Raheem Mostert, added to their injury problems in that game by breaking his hand.”
NFC: New York Giants (6) @ Minnesota Vikings (3)
Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL, 9.30pm
NEIL PICKS: Vikings
“You never know what you’re going to get with the Vikings. They’ve been beaten convincingly this season by the Philadelphia Eagles, by the Dallas Cowboys, by the Green Bay Packers… they also needed to have the biggest comeback in NFL history to beat the Indianapolis Colts.
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Highlights of the Indianapolis Colts incredible record-comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 of the NFL season.
“But you also have to credit them for precisely that, finding a way to win, which they also did against Buffalo, and in their prior meeting with the Giants on Christmas Eve. The bottom line is this is a team which has won 13 regular season games, losing just four times, so they must have something about them. I think they’ll be too good for the Giants.
“But whatever the outcome for New York, they have to view this season as a success. Saquon Barkley is back to his best, there were signs of life from Daniel Jones at quarterback and they have an opportunistic defense with some good young players.”
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Watch the best plays of the season so far from New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
JEFF PICKS: Vikings
“I think this might be the best game of the weekend, I really do. It may not be the cleanest football on show, but I think it’s going to be a really interesting game.
“I want to see how much pressure Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale brings on Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. And who do the Giants have to match up with star receiver Justin Jefferson?
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A look at the best catches from Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson this season, the only wide receiver in with a shout of winning the league MVP award.
“That said, Minnesota give up tons of points on defense. So how big an impact can Giants running back Barkley have on the game?
“This game is going to come right down to the end, but I’m just going to take Minnesota because of the fact they’re at home.”
AFC: Baltimore Ravens (6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3)
Sunday night, live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am (Monday)
NEIL PICKS: Bengals
“This is the third meeting of the season for these two AFC North rivals. Baltimore won by a couple of points in the first meeting in Week Five, but Cincinnati won last week against the Ravens’ third-string quarterback Anthony Brown.
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Highlights of the Baltimore Ravens’ clash with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18 of the NFL.
“Few teams will be feeling as good about themselves as the Bengals going into the playoffs. They’ve won eight in a row.. and I think they’re going to have too much for Baltimore in this one, even if Lamar Jackson comes back at QB.”
JEFF PICKS: Bengals
“I think you’re right. Lamar hasn’t played in a month, so even if he does come back, I don’t see how he copes mentally with the demands of the game, let alone physically.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been out down the stretch of the season due to injury
“You’re talking about a Bengals team which has a ton of weapons, with great confidence in their quarterback, Joe Burrow – and they’re playing at home. Everything about this game points to a 10-point win for Cincinnati.”
NFC: Dallas Cowboys (5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports NFL, 1.15am (Tuesday)
NEIL PICKS: Buccaneers
“I’m really torn on this one. I really don’t know which way to go.
“We’ve been waiting for Tom Brady and Tampa Bay to find the gas pedal all season long and it just hasn’t happened. It did a couple of weeks ago against the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South division, but they’ve struggled for consistency.
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Tom Brady scored four touchdowns, throwing three to Mike Evans, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed their playoff spot by beating the Carolina Panthers in Week 17.
“Dallas are a better team, but they’re in a really poor run of form and I don’t trust their quarterback. Dak Prescott has had an interception in seven-straight games and he leads the NFL with 15 on the season, despite missing five games.
“I’m going to go with Tampa Bay.”
JEFF PICKS: Cowboys
“Wow! This one is really hard to pick, because you never want to bet against Brady, and the Cowboys haven’t been very good down the stretch – but they’ve got a better football team, player for player.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s form is a concern heading into the playoffs
“Dallas are just so inconsistent, and Prescott is not playing very good football right now. But if you’re going for Tampa Bay, I’ll go out on a limb and go with the Cowboys.”
Watch Super Wild Card Weekend, with all six games from the opening round of the playoffs live on Sky Sports NFL across three days, starting with Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night from 9.30pm
.