For the first time in NFL history, the last two playoff tickets were decided on the last play of the last game of the regular season.
The Steelers, 49ers and Raiders won their games in overtime to stay alive in January, in what was probably the most dramatic season finale in history.
In the midst of all that drama and the suspicions that the Chargers and Raiders would have agreed to tie for both to qualify and leave Pittsburgh out, we have the 14 invited to the Playoffs.
Las Vegas vs. Cincinnati
In Week 11, the Bengals defeated the Raiders 32-13 in Cincinnati.
In that game Joe Burrow passed for just 148 yards, but the Bengals had 159 rushing yards, including 123 of Joe Mixon, who scored on runs of 11 and 20 yards.
Derek Carr finished with 215 yards, with a touchdown and an interception for Las Vegas.
The Raiders dominate this rivalry in the regular season (19-12) and also in the postseason, with a 2-0 record. Both victories were in the Divisional Round: 31-28 in 1975 and 20-10 in 1990, at Oakland and Los Angeles, respectively.
Cincinnati plays at home this time and is a favorite by 6.5 points.
New England vs. Buffalo
Bill Belichick he used to dominate the AFC East Division, particularly the Buffalo Bills.
However, Buffalo has won three of the most recent four, including a 33-21 win three weeks ago at Foxborough.
These two rivals have met 124 times (New England dominates the series 77-46-1), but only once in the postseason. It was in 1963, when the Patriots were still playing in Boston, in a Divisional game that they won 26-8 at Buffalo.
The Bills, who lost at home to the Patriots 14-10 in Week 13, are favorites by 4.5 points to win Saturday night at Orchard Park.
Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay
Tom Brady and the champion Buccaneers defeated the Eagles 28-22 in Week 6. Brady threw two touchdown passes and Leonard Fournette had two more rushing touchdowns.
by Philadelphia, Jalen Hurts he finished with 115 passing yards but scored touchdowns on runs of six and two yards in the second half.
In 1979, the Buccaneers won at home, 24-17, in the Divisional Round; in 2000, the Eagles won 21-3 on a Wild Card played in Philadelphia; in 2001, again in the first round of the Playoffs, the Eagles won 31-9 at home; a year later, the Buccaneers advanced to the Super Bowl after defeating Philadelphia 27-10 in the NFC Championship Game.
Oddsmakers believe we will see Brady and the Bucs in the Divisional Round because Tamp Bay is a 9-point favorite.
San Francisco vs. Dallas
The 49ers and Cowboys have starred in true classics in the postseason. These two franchises have met seven times in the Playoffs and Dallas leads 5-2 in the series. The Cowboys won Divisional games in 1970 (17-10), 1971 (14-3) and 1972 (30-28), but the rivalry really began in the 1981 postseason.
On January 10, 1982, exactly 40 years ago, the 49ers dynasty was born, with their 28-27 victory over Dallas in the NFC Championship. The game is a part of NFL mythology thanks to the dramatic touchdown pass from Joe Montana a Dwight Clark With 51 seconds on the clock, a move better known as “The Catch.”
A fact that is regularly overlooked: San Francisco won that classic despite losing six balls. Montana passed for 286 yards and Clark caught eight balls for 120 yards.
San Francisco and Dallas met in three other games for a Super Bowl ticket in the 1990s: the Cowboys won in 1992 (30-20) and 1993 (38-21); the Niners were finally able to beat their nemesis in 1994 (38-28).
They haven’t been in the postseason since, but this is the first time they’ve met on a Wild Card. Dallas is a 3-point favorite.
Pittsburgh vs. Kansas City
In Week 16, the Chiefs beat Pittsburgh 36-10, with three touchdown passes from Patrick mahomes, two of them to Byron Pringle. In that game at Arrowhead there was no stellar tight end from Kansas City, Travis Kelce, who a few days before tested positive for Covid.
The rivalry between these two historic AFC franchises began in 1970 and since then they have met 35 times (the Steelers lead the series 23-12), although only twice in the postseason.
In 1993, Kansas City won 27-24 (in overtime) in a Wild Card game, and in 2016, Pittsburgh won 18-16 in the Divisional Round. Both games were at Arrowhead. For Round 3, the Chiefs are favorites by 12.5, in what could be Ben Roethlisberger’s last game in the NFL.
Arizona vs. Los Angeles Rams
Another duel of divisional rivals. In the regular campaign the visitors prevailed; Arizona won 37-20 in Week 4 and the Rams returned the favor in Week 14, 30-23 in the desert.
These teams first met in 1937, but are rivals in the NFC West Division beginning in the 2002 season. The series is won by the Rams, 41-39-2, with a single postseason meeting.
It was in the 1975 Divisional Round and the Rams won 35-23 in Los Angeles.
It is the Playoffs debut of Matthew Stafford as quarterback for the Rams and also the debut of Kyler Murray, in his third year as a quarterback for the Cardinals.
Rams is a favorite by 4 points.
