Wednesday is a crucial day in the NFL because that’s when we learn the extent of injuries and the availability of players taking the field on Sunday. It can almost make you have some empathy for teams such as the Ravens, who have been decimated by injuries the last two seasons.
O.K. we won’t even try playing that empathy card in Cincy. It would go over like red chili.
In Miami, the question isn’t if Tua Tagovailoa will play this weekend in Buffalo. They question is whether he’ll ever play again. Or whether he should ever play again. We know as much about the brain as we do about alien life outside the Milky Way.
The Giants might be getting back some players who were wisely held out of last week’s meaningly season finale. The Loser will not confirm imaginary reports that Chargers coach Brandon Staley called Giants coach Brian Daboll and asked to borrow his book, “Common Sense Coaching – Don’t Overthink It.”
Here’s a look at Sunday’s Wildcard Playoff games.
BILLS -9 over Dolphins – Tagovailoa has been ruled out of Sunday’s Wildcard Playoff game against the Bills which means if you can hijack a Brinks truck. grab a big bag of cash, bet it all on Buffalo, save enough for bail, lawyer’s fees, etc. (The Loser might be able to help you out here). The line opened at 10.5, dropped to nine, but we imagine it will go back up.
Miami is planning to start rookie Skylar Thompson again but is holding out hope that Teddy Bridgewater is well enough to play with a dislocated pinkie on his right throwing hand. This should not dissuade one from betting heavy on the Bills.
The Bills defense has recorded a turnover in three of its last four games. The one game they failed to do so was against the Dolphins in Week 15, a 32-29 Buffalo win. But that was when Tagovailoa was behind center.
The play here is the Bills -9 with at least one takeaway – make it two if the rookie Thompson is behind center. Buffalo is even in takeaway/giveaway. Miami is minus 7. There’s the game.
Giants +3 over VIKINGS – Here’s the thing you must ask about the Vikings – are they a legitimate 13-4 powerhouse or the beneficiaries of the NFL’s parity? The Vikings averaged 24.9 points per game but allowed 25.1. They gained 6,479 yards but gave up 6,849. They were plus 2 in turnover differential (the 9-7-1 Giants were plus 3).
The Vikings got utterly eviscerated by the Cowboys 40-3 at home but stormed back from a 33-0 halftime deficit to defeat the Colts 39-36, also at home, in the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has some impressive regular-season stats (252-105 TD passes-to-interceptions and a 97.8 QBR) but he’s started just three playoff games (1-2 with three TDS, one pick and an 86.6 QBR).
The Giants, who lost 27-24 at the Vikings three weeks ago, might get defensive lineman Leonard Williams, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson back. The Loser sure would like to see Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the field, zeroing in on Cousins, who’s been sacked 287 times, including 46 this season.
+BENGALS -7 over Ravens – The line opened at 8.5 moved seven. Reports that QB Lamar Jackson is fighting an uphill battle to play suggest the line will go back up. If Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley don’t play, the seven points seems like a post-Christmas sale. Huntley (shoulder) reportedly took the practice field Wednesday but did not throw, which is kind of like saying a bartender reported to work but did not pour.
That means rookie Anthony Brown might make his second straight start. He was understandably dismal in last week’s 27-16 loss in Cincy, throwing two picks and getting sacked four times.
One could argue that he’ll be a little more settled in his second start and that’s a nice storyline in say, Week 7. This is the playoffs. The Bengals know what Brown can and can’t do. Cincy only posted 30 sacks this season, but they led the league with an opposing QBR of 80.1. Brown might stay on his feet, but a three-pick game is not out of the question.