The NFL's Wild Card Weekend got off to a thrilling start Saturday. The Houston Texans outlasted the Buffalo Bills in a back-and-forth contest that ended in overtime. In the nightcap, the Tennessee Titans did the seemingly unthinkable and knocked off the New England Patriots.
Now, it's the NFC's turn to get in on the fun. Four teams are set to face off for the right to battle either the Green Bay Packers or the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round. Here, we'll take a look at some of the latest storylines heading into Sunday along with the full schedule, predictions and the latest odds and over/unders from Caesars.
2020 NFL Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, January 4
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans: Houston 22-19
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots: Tennessee 20-13
Sunday, January 5
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
When: 1:05 p.m. ET
TV and Live Stream: Fox, Fox Sports Go
Line and O/U: NO -7.5, 50.5
Prediction: New Orleans 33-24
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
When: 4:40 p.m. ET
TV and Live Stream: NBC, NBC Sports
Line and O/U: Even, 45
Prediction: Philadelphia 29-27
Vikings Not Expected to Make Significant Front-Office Changes
The Minnesota Vikings are already facing a ton of pressure going into Sunday. This franchise hasn't been to the Super Bowl since the 1976 season. The Vikings are facing a New Orleans Saints team loaded on both sides of the ball. This may be the last chance for quarterback Kirk Cousins to prove himself before the final year of his contract.
The challenge and the pressure of winning are very real.
Fortunately, head coach Mike Zimmer won't face the pressure of having his job on the line. His contract runs through 2020, and Zimmer will have the opportunity to coach until then, according to owner Mark Wilf.
"We value Mike and [general manager Rick Spielman's] leadership and we have every intent of Mike continuing as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and Rick leading our football operations, next year and beyond," Wilf said, per NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman.
Wilf's intent could change if Minnesota suffers a crushing loss Sunday, but Zimmer shouldn't have that in the back of his head during the game.
Seahawks Looking to Continue Road Success
The Seattle Seahawks faded down the stretch during the regular season. Losing running backs Rashaad Penny, Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise definitely played a role, but dropping three of their last four games is why the Seahawks are playing in the wild-card round.
A couple of weeks ago, Seattle was the No. 1 seed.
While the late-season slide has robbed the Seahawks of momentum, their play on the road should give them a bit of a confidence boost. While Seattle went just 4-4 at home, it was 7-1 away from CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks are eager to make it 8-1 on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"No questions, we’ve been road warriors all year," head coach Pete Carroll said, via the team's official website. "Our guys have handled it well. I know why we’ve done well on the road… We’re not worried about going on the road, that’s for sure."
When the Seahawks and Eagles squared off back in Week 12, Seattle left Philadelphia with a 17-9 victory.
Ertz Set to Play
While the Seahawks stumbled into the postseason, the Eagles charged. They won their final four games, uncovering a new gritty, physical identity in the process. The Eagles have every right to be confident heading into Sunday's game.
Adding to that confidence is the fact that Philadelphia is set to have one of its top weapons back in the lineup. Standout tight end Zach Ertz, who suffered a rib fracture and a lacerated kidney in Week 16, is expected to play, per Derrick Gunn of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
Derrick Gunn @RealDGunnNBCSHere’s some news eagles fans have been waiting to hear... looks like Zach Ertz has been cleared to play tomorrow .... per league source.
Ertz's return is huge for the Eagles. While they managed to win without him in Week 17, the three-time Pro Bowler is the team's No. 1 receiver. Even if he isn't at 100 percent, the Seahawks will have to give him a fair amount of defensive attention. This, in turn, should open things up a bit for fellow pass-catchers like Dallas Goedert and Greg Ward.
It also means that Carson Wentz may have his favorite target on the field if faced with a critical late-game drive. Ertz finished the regular season with 88 catches, 916 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
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2020-01-05 13:00:05Z
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