Pittstop's 2019 NFL Playoff Predictions

There are two conferences in the NFL, the American Football Conference (AFC), and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference has a total of six teams compete until one team is victorious in each conference, respectively. Those two teams will duke it out in the Super Bowl, where one team is awarded the champion of the entire NFL. Yes, the NFL Playoffs are upon us as the first of four Wild Card games begins tomorrow, Saturday, January 5, 2019 starting at 4:35pm EST, with the Houston Texans vs. the Indianapolis Colts. The nightcap game includes the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Dallas Cowboys at 8:15pm EST. In the Colts- Texans game, Pittstop will be watching to see how effective T.Y. Hilton, star receiver for the Colts, will play after dealing with a ankle injury in week 17, and also how J.J. Watt will play now that he is fully healthy and is again, one of the most dominant defensive ends in the league. As for the Seahawks-Cowboys matchup, Pittstop believes that the Seahawks have already over-achieved this season by making it to the playoffs, but I want to see if they can take it to another level and stop the potent Cowboys rushing attack, and if quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll can handle Dallas’ top ranked defense.

The second set of Wild Card games are on Sunday, January 6, with the Baltimore Ravens vs the Los Angeles Chargers at 1:05pm EST, and the Chicago Bears at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles at 4:40pm EST. Pittstop will be looking to see how Chargers rookie sensation safety Derwin James can impact the game with his intense physicality and his effective pash rushing skills, and how Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will face the pressure of being the only rookie quarterback in the playoffs. Pittstop is also looking forward to seeing how the Eagles perform if starting quarterback Nick Foles can’t go after suffering a rib injury in week 17, and how far the Bears defense can carry this team and if quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is holding this team back from success.

In the end, Pittstop believes the teams advancing to the Divisional round are the Chargers who will face the number two seeded New England Patriots (who have a first-round bye) in the AFC, the Bears will play the number one seeded New Orleans Saints (who have a first-round bye) in the NFC, the Seahawks will play the number two seeded  Los Angeles Rams (who have a first-round bye) in the NFC, and the Colts will play at Kansas City, against the number one seeded Chiefs (who have a first-round bye) in the AFC. Come back in two weeks to get Pittstop’s Super Bowl predictions!!