Let's chat about the National Football League. This thread will be dedicated to all post-season games, including the Super Bowl. This post will be updated with results and schedules going into February (All times Eastern):
Wildcard matchups:
2025-01-11:
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04:30PM: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans
08:00PM: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
2025-01-12:
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01:00PM: Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills,
04:30PM: Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
08:00PM: Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2025-01-13
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08:00PM: Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams
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Notes -
It's an interesting field this year. Good chance that the only real game is in Buffalo, the others being pretty low stakes by playoff standards and likely to be less competitive. In my mind the tiers of teams in terms of pressure are:
Playing With House Money: Washington, Texans, Chiefs, Rams. All four teams here are, for different reasons, already satisfied with their team outcomes and have nothing to prove. Washington has made it far behind a OROY QB in Daniels, and will have the opportunity to add talent and beat out a cursed Eagles team (no consecutive NFCE winners since Andy Reid) and a suddenly in transition Cowboys squad (Deion Sanders taking over the Cowboys would be hilarious and I've no doubt it would end horribly) for the division. The Texans faced a lot of skill-player injuries, but their win over the Chargers was proof of concept for their defense and offense. Both teams figure to be better next year. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have nothing to show to anyone, they're under no pressure here. Kelce may move on after this year, but the team has weathered so many skill player losses already that it's hard not to think they'll handle this one. Win or lose, they'll be back next year. The Rams are the opposite: they were supposed to be in the wilderness with an aging core after selling out for the Super Bowl win a few years back, and it looks like the band had one more show in them. It's understood that Stafford is moving on, but it's amazing he's still here, nobody's job or legacy is on the line this weekend.
Perpetual Bridesmaids: Ravens, Bills, Eagles. All these teams have their QBs signed (one of these things is not like the others!), have made the playoffs with most of the same cast and crew in prior years, and will have most of the same core again next year and possibly the year after that. But none have won the Super Bowl with the current core, and only the Eagles have made it, getting filleted by Patty Mahomes in the big game instead of cockblocked from getting there at all. All three teams will see some sniping about ability to get all the way if they don't hoist a Lombardi, but all three had good seasons and will return most of the same team next year. They face a lot more pressure than the last tier, but not nearly as much as the one team saying
This is Our Year: the Detroit Lions. The Motor City Kitties of Football have more urgency than any other team on this list. The Lions are coming off decades of futility, and their team is going to change drastically next year, with one or both of their coordinators likely to take head coaching jobs elsewhere, and the roster set for turnover. They might never get another chance like this, with the one seed and a tight knit team ready to run through a wall to win.
So as a result, looking at the three predicted blowouts, I think the most likely upset is the Commies over the Lions. The Commies are playing loose and easy, and they've shown no fear in deep water with multiple huge comeback wins. The Lions meanwhile have the pressure hanging over them that if they don't win this game the season is a failure. Jayden Daniels leading a comeback drive to win the game against this battered Lions offense will be a threat unless the Lions put the Commies away. I"m still betting on, and rooting for, the Lions, but I think they're the most likely to fall. The Chiefs just don't seem likely to lose to a team they just beat, while there is no analytical reason beyond variance and losing Nakobe Dean that the Rams will beat the Eagles.
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