Buffalo Bills over Houston Texans: This matchup should be fascinating. In one corner, you have a team that is succeeding almost in spite of its quarterback. In the other, you have a team that is largely succeeding because of theirs. Bizarrely enough, I'm going to take the team that's led by the QB (Josh Allen) I trust the least in this entire field outside of Kirk Cousins. Deshaun Watson has been playing pretty terribly of late (3 TD's/5 INT's/61.9 CMP%/ 72.6 QBR) in last 3 games) and if Bills hard-nosed defense causes some disruptions/takeaways, they'll be in an excellent position to control the clock with their running/short passing game and pull out a W. Plus would it really be Wild Card weekend without the Texans getting their ass kicked in the late Saturday afternoon slot?
New England Patriots over Tennessee Titans: There's plenty of reasons to be down on the Patriots here. They just dropped a home game to a 5-win Dolphins team led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Titans have a balanced, high-powered offense that could potentially expose the deficiencies of their defense (lack of speed, softness against the run) and as he showed in a blowout victory in Nashville last season, Mike Vrabel is completely unfazed by the mystique of Brady/Belichick. Even with their uncharacteristically mortal play of late, I can't bring myself to pick against the Patriots here. Their offense-which has looked significantly better over the past few weeks-should be able to put up some points on this merely decent Titans defense and even though he's playing by far the best football of his career, Ryan Tannehill has struggled mightily at Gillette Stadium (0-6 during his time with the Dolphins) in the past.
New Orleans Saints over Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins has done nothing to prove that he isn't a puddle when the lights shine brightest. Especially when you factor in the questionable health of top weapons Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, a road playoff contest against a hungry Saints team that can seems desperate to avenge their painful, arguably fluky playoff exits in back-to-back years doesn't seem like a scenario where he is finally able to flip the script. It also doesn't help that the Saints offense is tailor made to expose the soft cornerbacks that have gotten the Vikings otherwise excellent defense in trouble all season long.
Seattle Seahawks over Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson has a gift for getting his team to play their asses off in big games, Lincoln Financial Field is about as a hostile of an environment as you'll come across in the league and recent history has shown what the Eagles are capable of when they're labeled underdogs, so it wouldn't be a shock if the Bird Gang walked away with another improbable W here. However in a showdown between two injury-riddled squads with abundant defensive deficiencies, I have to go with the team that gets better play out of its quarterback and barring some superhuman shit from Carson Wentz in his playoff debut, battle-tested veteran Russell Wilson should come out on top.
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