The 49ers are on a 10-game win streak and have gotten better offensively since having to start rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback. Purdy isn't a special athlete who will make elite out-of-structure plays or throw a 60 yard dime in stride, but his experience as a 4-year starter at Iowa State shows through his command of Shanahan's offense. He's getting the ball out quickly and has the luxury of using arguably the best surrounding core of weapons in the league. The Seahawks over-achieved relative to expectations coming into 2022 with a 6-3 record after 9 games but have come back down to earth here in the second half of the season. Pete Carroll has done a remarkable job at getting the most out of a young roster and making Geno Smith look like an above average starter. Seattle has some elite talent on the roster but where they really fall short is on both sides of the trenches. I don't think their offensive line will be able to hold up long enough to sustain offensive success against this 49ers team, and I don't think they have the pass rush to get to Purdy enough and force him to make some rookie mistakes. There is an eery feeling going into the 49ers stadium, where the crowd feeds off the team's physicality and the atmosphere is electric when the offense gets going. The Seahawks will put up a fight, but the 49ers will find their groove sooner or later in this game.
Score Prediction: SEA 17 SF 27
LA Chargers @ Jacksonville
Line: LAC -2.5 O/U 47
It will be both Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert's first playoff game in each of their respective young careers, and I expect this one to be a bit of a shootout. As much as these two quarterbacks may brush aside the fact that we'll all be watching because of these two specifically, I think both of these guys will come into this game eager to show the world who's better. The Chargers have more elite talent than Jacksonville, but losing Mike Williams last week in a meaningless game will hurt. The move by Brandon Staley to play all of LA's starters in a meaningless Week 18 game was baffling to say the least, and I truly do believe it puts a lot of pressure on him to win this game. I could easily see the Chargers letting him go after just two seasons if he doesn't find success in this years playoffs. This team is far too talented to look as pedestrian as they have at times this season. This pressure is what makes me feel like the Jaguars will win this game. Doug Pederson has done a phenomenal job helping Trevor Lawrence develop and completely changing a culture that was the worst in the league under Urban Meyer in 2021. After a 3-6 start to the season, the Jags have been hot and feel like they're playing with house money by hosting a playoff game at this point. I think the Chargers offense gets off to a bit of slow start here and Herbert is forced to play hero ball in the 4th quarter. LA falls just short and Brandon Staley's job may be up for grabs.
Score Prediction: LAC 27 JAX 31
Miami @ Buffalo
Line: BUF -13.5 O/U 43.5
The Dolphins have played the Bills tough in both games against their division rivals this season, winning one of their contests and having their game in Buffalo go down to the wire. This game has a 13.5 point spread because it will likely be Skylar Thompson, a 7th round rookie, starting for Miami at quarterback in the wake of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater. This feels like a tune-up game for the Bills who have had Super Bowl aspirations all year. Mike McDaniel has done an admirable job in his first season with the Dolphins but I don't think there's anything he can do here to overcome their quarterback situation, especially on the road in Buffalo. If the Josh Allen we saw in last year's playoffs shows up again this postseason, I don't know if any team can stop Buffalo. The fact that Allen lost in last year's playoffs is still astounding to me considering I don't think I've ever seen a quarterback play at a higher level in a two-game stretch.
Score Prediction: MIA 10 BUF 38
NY Giants @ Minnesota
Line: MIN -3 O/U 48
With new head coaches in place for both of these teams, Minnesota and New York have both exceeded preseason expectations. The Vikings had known talent, with many people expecting them to get better with new head coach Kevin O'Connell and franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins already in the building. The Giants, on the other hand, had little to no expectations after new head coach Brian Daboll inherited the tragic roster that Dave Gettleman left him. Daniel Jones has taken a big step, the offensive line is no longer a bottom-5 unit, Saquon Barkley is healthy, and the defense is feisty. Overall, they're a very well-coached team who have made their biggest plays in the biggest moments this season. Both the Vikings and Giants have loved to play close games this season, and I expect nothing less in this game. I think the Vikings start this game slow but make a comeback effort in the second half that leads to a wild 4th quarter where these teams go back and forth and it comes down to the final possession. I like Daniel Jones to show more poise than Kirk Cousins in the biggest moments, and I really like the fact that the Giants defense will be fully healthy for the first time this season. With injuries to right tackle Brian O'Neil and center Garrett Bradbury, I expect the Giants to take advantage and get pressure on Cousins enough to really make a difference throughout the game.
Score Prediction: NYG 27 MIN 24
Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Line: CIN -8.5 O/U 40.5
The Ravens haven't had Lamar Jackson at quarterback since Week 13 and the situation is starting to feel really strange in Baltimore. Jackson is in his contract year and has to be looking for long-term security with his play-style. I wasn't too speculative on the situation, that is until wide receiver Sammy Watkins made comments this week that seemed to cast doubt on the severity of Lamar's injury. All I know is that the vibes in the Ravens locker room are not in a great place, and distractions like this can be a real detriment to a team trying to prove themselves in the playoffs. Joe Burrow and this Bengals team hasn't lost since Halloween, and they're very aware that this is likely the last time they'll be able to play at home this season. Baltimore could play incredibly inspired and really embrace an underdog mentality, but they just simply don't have the talent offensively to keep up with Burrow and the Bengals. Cincinnati takes care of business in front of their home crowd and an unpredictable offseason awaits for Baltimore.
Score Prediction: BAL 13 CIN 24
Dallas @ Tampa Bay
Line: DAL -2.5 O/U 45.5
A lot has changed since these two teams met in Week 1 on Sunday Night Football. The Cowboys looked lifeless and Tampa Bay looked ready to make another Super Bowl run in the 19-3 Tampa Bay victory. Dallas was dominant for the next two months following that game, while Tampa Bay looked like they were clearly missing Bruce Arians on the sideline throughout the rest of the season. The last time the Bucs played a meaningful game was against Carolina in Week 17, where Tom Brady and Mike Evans finally started connecting and the Bucs offense looked the best that it had all year. The last time Dallas played a meaningful game, the entire team couldn't have looked worse. They got trounced in Week 18 26-6 by Washington in a game where their starters played the entire game. Dak Prescott had arguably his worst game of his career, and the offense was so bad that it wouldn't have mattered if the defense played well or not. Speaking of the defense, the unit hasn't been nearly as dominant over the last few weeks as it was at the beginning of the season. Micah Parsons is playing injured and their secondary is missing pieces to injury as well. Dallas has been so disappointing in the postseason for so long and I don't think that changes here as they go up against the greatest quarterback of all time. Tampa's defense is elite against the run and there's just going to be too much on Dak's shoulders to be able to win this game. Jerry Jones may have to consider changes to the coaching staff following this season for Dallas.
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