NFL Wild Card Playoff Games This Weekend

KAZ’S FEARLESS FORECAST

AFC

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10-6) over TENNESSEE TITANS (9-7) at Kansas City 3:20 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)—Each team got off to opposite starts with the Chiefs winning their first five games before losing six of seven and then winning their last four games while the Titans lost three of their first five games and then won six of their next seven but had to beat division-champion Jacksonville Sunday to grab the final wild card. The Chiefs have the home field advantage and visiting teams have a difficult winning at Arrowhead Stadium.

BUFFALO BILLS (9-7) over JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (10-6) at Jacksonville 12:05 p.m. Sunday (CBS)—The Jags won seven of their final 10 games to take over the weak AFC South Division, but looked bad in their final two games, losing to San Francisco 44-33 and Tennessee Sunday 15-10 and will go into the playoffs without the momentum it takes to beat Buffalo. The Bills, on the other hand, won four of their final six games, only losing twice to New England, and go into Sunday’s game with more momentum than the Jags.

NFC

ATLANTA (10-6) over LOS ANGELES RAMS (11-6) at LA 7:15 p.m. Saturday (NBC)—The Falcons had to beat Carolina Sunday to get into the playoffs as the last wild card and came through with an impressive 22-10 victory when the chips were down for their sixth win in the second half of the season. The Rams, who have the better defense with Orange native Wade Phillips as its coordinator, were walloped 34-13 Sunday by lowly San Francisco after benching several key players. It’s difficult to regain your momentum after such a lop-sided setback.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (11-5) over CAROLINA PANTHERS (11-5) at New Orleans 3:40 p.m. Sunday (Fox)—This will be the third time these two teams have met this season, with the Saints going for the trifecta after beating the Panthers 34-13 and 31-21. I believe when it comes to crunch time, I’ll take Drew Brees over Cam Newton every time.