The NFL Playoffs are upon us. In just a little under 48 hours, the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will kick off the 2022 NFL Postseason.

In the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles hold the top spot and have earned the first-round bye. The San Francisco 49ers seem to be the one and only team in the NFC that can get in the way of the Eagles and a Super Bowl berth. Although, it’s never wise to count Tom Brady out. In the AFC, the Chiefs, led by MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes, have been awarded the first-round bye. Even though the Bills beat the Chiefs head-to-head and both teams have 3 losses, the Chiefs get the #1 seed due to having a better winning percentage since the Bills and Bengals played one less game than everyone else. It’s a 3-horse race in the AFC. The Chiefs, Bills, and Bengals all have a serious chance at representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.

We cannot wait for this weekend. We hope that you feel the same way. If you are enjoying the content, please make sure to subscribe to The MVP Blog and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (SF -10.0)

Saturday, January 14th, 4:30pm EST on FOX

Ryan: The Seattle Seahawks have shocked the world by making the playoffs. After losing Russell Wilson this offseason, this team was supposed to be awful. Geno Smith, however, had other plans. The 32-year-old signal caller put up career highs across the board. 70% completion percentage. 4,300 yards. 30 TDs to only 11 INTs. To make things even sweeter for Seahawks fans, he THOUROUGHLY outplayed Wilson. Metcalf and Lockett both eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, and rookie Kenneth Walker III got to 1,000 yards on the ground.

It’s been a fun, improbable story. This is where it ends. These two teams played twice in the regular season. The Niners won both matchups. The first meeting was 27-7. The second was 21-13. I expect this game to be more like the first game than the second. The Niners are just so freaking good.

The Niners boast the NFL’s top defense and one of the best offenses. They lost to the Bears, Broncos, and Falcons early on, but ended the season on a 10-game win streak. Brock Purdy has been remarkable, especially considering the fact that he was Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft. Christian McCaffrey is playing like the best RB in the league once again. George Kittle was fantastic down the stretch. Brandon Aiyuk surpassed 1,000 yards receiving. Deebo Samuel hasn’t even been good. Let me repeat that. This was a top 3 offense in the league and Deebo Samuel hasn’t done much of anything for his standards. If Deebo gets humming in the playoffs, it might be game over.

The league’s #1 defense is led by Nick Bosa, whose 18.5 sacks led the NFL this season. They also boast one of the best linebacker duos in the league with Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. This defense held opposing offenses to a measly 3.4 yards per carry this season. It’s next to impossible to run on them, but it’s also not easy to throw on them. The Niners led the league with 20 INTs this season. The leader of that secondary? 2021 5th round pick Talanoa Hufanga. He looks and plays like HOF safety Troy Polamalu. Hufanga had 97 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 9 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and a TD this year. He does it all.

Niners have no trouble. They cover with ease.

Score Prediction: Niners 31, Seahawks 14

Ben: The Niners have won ten in a row headed into this Wild Card matchup with Seattle, and I don’t expect that streak to end. On home turf, it’s difficult to foresee the Seahawks pulling off such a major upset on Saturday. However, I do think that this game will be more competitive than many believe it will be. The Seahawks offense, led by a resurgent Geno Smith and a supporting cast full of talented weapons, will find it difficult to put up many points against the NFL’s top defense, but I believe that the Seahawks defense is very underrated. Fifth round pick Tariq Woolen has racked up 6 INTs in his rookie season, showing off his skills as a freakishly athletic shutdown corner. Jordyn Brooks, Cody Barton, and Quandre Diggs are also having great seasons on that side of the football for Seattle. Unfortunately, the Seahawks brand of football is far from perfect, as they’re one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to penalties, a trend which won’t cut it against this incredible, experienced Niners team in a critical playoff game. I expect an interception or two from Brock Purdy, but the Niners are way too talented for this game to be anything but smooth sailing.

The Niners will win by two scores in front of their boisterous fans.

Score Prediction: Niners 24, Seahawks 13

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars (LAC -2.0)

Saturday, January 14th, 8:15pm EST on NBC

Ryan: This is the wild card game that I am most excited about. It will be the best game, in my opinion, and it’s the only game this weekend that I could really see going either way. These two teams met in week 3. The Jaguars won 38-10. Austin Ekeler was held to 5 yards rushing and Keenan Allen didn’t play. As much as I have not one clue which way this game will go, I can promise you that Keenan Allen is playing, Austin Ekeler will have more than 5 yards rushing this time around, and the final margin of victory will not be that large.

The Chargers had a very up and down season. They had some terrible losses, but then played some fantastic games against some fantastic teams. This is your prototypical team that plays up and down to the level of their opponent, and that all has to do with coaching. Brandon Staley is an awful coach who has done nothing but hold the Chargers back. That was on full display in week 18. The Chargers had already clinched the #5 seed and had absolutely nothing to play for, and yet, Staley insisted on playing the starters. Not just for a drive. Not just for a half. THE STARTERS WERE IN THE GAME IN THE 4TH QUARTER. Both Joey Bosa and Mike Williams left the game last week due to injury. Luckily for the Chargers, both appear to be okay and on track to take the field on Saturday.

On the other sideline is Super Bowl winning head coach Doug Pederson. Pederson took over a 3-14 ball club reeling from the horrors of being coached by Urban Meyer and has led them to a 9-8 record. Not only that, but Pederson’s Jaguars also captured the AFC South division crown. Under Pederson, both the offense and defense improved instrumentally. Second year QB Trevor Lawrence, who had a dreadful rookie season, really came into his own this season and showed the world why he entered the NFL with so much buzz. Lawrence completed 66% of his passes for over 4,000 yards, 25 TDs, and only 8 INTs. In 2021, he completed under 60% of his passes, threw only 12 TDs and had 17 INTs. That is quite the stark improvement. At RB, Jacksonville got their talented 2021 draft pick back. Travis Etienne, Lawrence’s college teammate at Clemson, ran for 1,100 yards and 5 TDs after missing the entire 2021 season due to injury. Offseason acquisition Christian Kirk led the receiving core with 1,100 yards and 8 TDs.

The Jaguars are the better coached team. The Jaguars have the home field advantage. Both Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert, 2 of the best young QBs in the NFL, are both making their NFL postseason debut, so both are probably going to be a bit nervous and prone to early mistakes. This is going to be a great game that comes down to the wire. Trevor Lawrence will drive the Jaguars down the field late in the 4th and Riley Patterson will hit a game winning field goal as time expires to send Duval County into a frenzy. DUUUUUUUUVAL!

Score Prediction: Jaguars 24, Chargers 23

Ben: I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen in this game. It’s very difficult to predict the outcome of a playoff game when the two teams that are playing in it have virtually no playoff experience. This is the first playoff game in the young, promising careers of Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence. To my knowledge, the last time that a Wild Card matchup featured two young quarterbacks making their playoff debut was on January 4th, 2020. In that game, Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans defended home turf against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, defeating them 22-19 in overtime. That game was just as predictably sloppy as it was immensely entertaining. I expect a similar game in Jacksonville on Saturday night.

The Chargers are undoubtedly the more talented team, but the Jaguars are a better coached team. The Jaguars have been lights out at home as of late, winning their last four games in Duval, but the Chargers have a winning record on the road this season (5-4). Both defenses have intimidating pass rushes and underwhelming secondaries. In my mind, the biggest difference when it comes to these two teams is under center. While Trevor Lawrence has made great strides in his development this season and still oozes the potential that made him a such a coveted prospect (and the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft), Justin Herbert is the better quarterback in the here and now. Herbert has battled against unfair narratives his entire career, and the next box to check on his football to-do list is to win a playoff game. After another great regular season where he finished second in total passing yards, I think he’s ready to do just that.

Score Prediction: Jaguars 20, Chargers 21

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (BUF -13.0)

Sunday, January 15th, 1:00pm EST on CBS

Ryan: If Tua was healthy, this game would be competitive and Bills fans would be getting mighty nervous right now. The Dolphins beat the Bills the first time around in Miami, and then lost by only 3 in Buffalo late in the season. But Tua played in both those games, and he unfortunately will not be taking the field on Sunday. Rather, he should strongly consider retirement after suffering 3 concussions in 2022. Football is a brutal, cruel game. The Fins now must turn to Skylar Thompson as their signal caller, and as a result, their hopes of making a playoff run have all but vanished. Appearing in 7 games this season, Thompson was 60-105 for 534 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INTs. He can’t even run. Simply put, he’s not very good, and now he’s being put into a near impossible situation against one of the best teams in the league playing at one of the toughest/loudest venues in the NFL. Good luck. Having the best WR duo in the NFL doesn’t do you a ton of good when you don’t have somebody to get them the ball.

The Bills offense gets most of the credit, and I get it, but let’s talk about this defense. This was a top 5 defense in the NFL in basically every metric. And they’ve done it with 3 of their better if not the 3 best defensive players missing a lot of time. Von Miller was their massive offseason acquisition. He was what would put them over the hump. He played 12 games, was terrific, and then suffered a season ending injury. Micah Hyde, the All-Pro safety, has played just two games all year. Jordan Poyer, another All-Pro safety, has been in and out of the lineup, missing a total of 5 games this season. The fact that they were missing that much production and were still this good is incredible. Outside linebacker Matt Milano has been the steady force for this defense, racking up 99 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended, 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and a touchdown.

Josh Allen will be Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs will do his thing. Rookie running back James Cook will continue his recent ascent to relevance. The defense will stifle Thompson with ease. Bills Mafia has nothing to be worried about. This one should be a laugher.

Score Prediction: Bills 38, Dolphins 10

Ben: A lot has gone wrong for the Buffalo Bills this season, and yet here they are, the #2 seed in the AFC, hosting a hated division rival in a home playoff game. They’ve been a team which has defined the phrase “next man up”, as the list of key players who have missed time due to injury is extensive, but the Bills time and time again found a way to win. The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, have had a weird year to say the least. After beating the Bills at home in Week 3 in a hotly contested match (both figuratively and literally), they lost their next three games in a row, then won five games in a row, then lost five games in a row, and finally ended their season with an 11-6 win over the Jets to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. Without Tua Tagovailoa, however, many people believe that the Dolphins don’t have much of a chance, but I’m here to tell you that those people are wrong. Raheem Mostert is a great running back who can eat up yards (and clock) against a Bills defense which has struggled to stop the run this season. Miami’s head coach, Mike McDaniel, is an intelligent offensive play caller who will concoct some tricky RPO plays to break out in Buffalo, utilizing the electric wideout duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to the best of his ability given Tua’s absence behind center.

This Bills team is battle tested with loads of playoff experience, and while the Fins will make this game competitive for the majority of the game, I expect Buffalo’s offense to turn on the afterburners and pull away with a two-score victory in front of their beloved Bills Mafia.

Score Prediction: Bills 31, Dolphins 17

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (MIN -3.0)

Sunday, January 15th, 4:30pm EST on FOX

Ryan: The Giants were one of the surprises of the NFL this season. After winning just 4 games in 2021, the Giants handed the keys to the kingdom to first time head coach Brian Daboll, and he led them to 9 wins. A huge reason for this feat was the steady improvement of Daniel Jones. His accuracy has improved and he’s using his legs more. Jones’ athleticism has always been one of the best parts of his game, and he has showcased that part of his game more than ever before this season. The other huge reason for the success was the return of Saquon Barkley. After 2 injury-ridden forgettable years, the 25-year-old Penn State product posted 1,300 rushing yards and 10 TDs this season. The Giants will be able to score on the Vikings lackluster defense, but can they get stops? The Giants’ defense was very mediocre this season to say the least. One of the huge reasons why the defense hasn’t been great is that they don’t turn the other team over. The Giants MUST force turnovers in this game if they want to beat the Vikings on the road.

13-4. A -3-point differential. A 40-3 massacre at home against the Cowboys. A 41-17 drubbing at Lambeau. This team is not as good as that 13-4 record suggests, but it’s absolutely asinine to say that this team isn’t good or that they lucked their way into the playoffs. The Vikings were 11-0 in one score games. That’s not luck. That’s the ability to come through in the clutch. That’s the belief that you are in every game no matter the score. That’s the culture that Kevin O’Connell has built in Minnesota. Say what you want about the Vikings, but don’t say that 11-0 in one score games is luck.

The Vikings defense is atrocious. The only thing they do well is turn the other team over. The Vikings defense forced the 8th most turnovers in the NFL this season. It’s very much a bend don’t break style of defense. They give up a ton of yards, but they often stand tall in the red zone. But let’s be real, the offense is why this team is 13-4.

The Vikings have an elite offense, especially when they aren’t playing in primetime. The best news that Vikings fans have ever received was finding out that this game wouldn’t be played at night. Kirk did win a primetime game earlier this season, but let’s not play with fire. Simply put, the Giants can’t stop this offense. Kirk has been phenomenal all season long. Dalvin Cook ran for nearly 1,200 yards. Adam Thielen is still a threat. KJ Osborn is one of the top up and comings WRs in the game. Irv Smith Jr. is back in action. TJ Hockenson has been scintillating since coming over from Detroit, including a 13 catch, 109 yard, 2 score performance in the Vikings 27-24 win over New York in the regular season. And oh yeah, there’s this guy named Justin Jefferson. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of him. He’s the best WR in the game. The only way to stop him is to put 2 or 3 guys on him every single snap. He had 12 catches for 133 yards and a score the first time out against the Giants.

This game will be tight the entire way. Both defenses will struggle to get stops and the Vikings will win yet another one score game, thereby earning the right to get whooped by the Niners in the divisional round.

Score Prediction: Vikings 31, Giants 27

Ben: This is the playoff game I’m most excited to watch. A battle between two deeply flawed teams led by Coach of the Year candidates, each of them desperate to win their first playoff game in years. Further, both quarterbacks in this game have doubters to silence. For the Vikings, Kirk Cousins has never been shy when it comes to silencing his critics (“YOU LIKE THAT!”), and he’s done just that this season with a stellar showing, throwing 29 touchdowns and racking up 4,547 yards. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones has been the New York media’s top target for a few years now, but he’s finally delivered on his potential with a breakout season. His stats won’t blow you away, but 3,913 total yards of offense and 22 total touchdowns compared to just 8 total turnovers is proof that Danny Dimes is capable of being an efficient dual-threat QB. The Giants offense would be mediocre if not for the brilliance of Saquon Barkley, who has finally stayed healthy enough to put together a fantastic season. With his field-titling speed and big play ability, the Vikings defense will have a lot to handle on Sunday. On the other side of the football, I trust the stout Big Blue defense to force turnovers to slow down a dangerous Vikings offense which runs very hot and very cold, often during the same game.

In a game which has the potential to be a modern classic, I think that Daboll’s Giants will pull off the upset in Minnesota, putting a smile on the faces of Giants fans everywhere for the first time in a long time.

Score Prediction: Vikings 27, Giants 28

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (CIN -8.5)

Sunday, January 15th, 8:15pm EST on CBS

Ryan: Lamar Jackson is very likely to not play. Tyler Huntley just began throwing again today and is considered a game time decision. If neither of them can go, the Ravens will turn to Anthony Brown to make his second consecutive start against the Bengals. In the week 18 27-16 loss, Brown completed just 19 of 44 passes and threw two interceptions. Mark Andrews and J.K. Dobbins both sat week 18, but are they really going to make up for the drastic difference in QB play? I doubt it. Even if Huntley can go, I give the Ravens very little chance in this game. The Ravens have a very stout defense, one of the top units in the NFL, led by Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Marcus Williams. They can slow down the Bengals, but can they score enough points to win? No.

On the other side of the field, the Bengals begin their quest to avenge last year’s Super Bowl loss. Everyone knows about the elite offense led by Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but did you know that the Bengals defense allowed the 5th fewest points per game this season? This team is very much not a one-dimensional team. They can win in so many ways. Joe Burrow has had 400 yard passing games. Joe Mixon has had 50-point fantasy games. The defense has won them games in which the offense has sputtered. This team is dangerous. The Bengals were 0-2, and then found themselves at just 4-4 about halfway through the season. Since then, they have rattled off 8 straight wins and, along with the Niners, have looked like the best team in football down the stretch.

The Bengals are not losing the game, but the -8.5 does scare me a bit. I think this one is a bit of an offensive struggle. Under 40.5 is the much safer play in my opinion.

Score prediction: Bengals 23, Ravens 15

Ben: Let’s cut to the chase (no pun intended, sorry Ja’Marr). The Cincinnati Bengals are going to blow out the Baltimore Ravens for the second straight week. The Bengals are a really good football team, and the Ravens are not. Burrow’s Bengals have been consistently excellent down the stretch of the season, and the Ravens have sputtered without star signal-caller Lamar Jackson to bail them out from their self-inflicted incompetence. The vibes are good in Cincy, and the vibes are bad in Baltimore. Even if you disregard Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and his archaic offensive play calling, the Ravens stand no chance without Lamar behind center.

Make sure to have another TV channel on standby for when this game becomes unwatchable. This one is going to get ugly fast.

Score prediction: Bengals 27, Ravens 9

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DAL -2.5)

Monday, January 16th, 8:15pm EST on ESPN

Ryan: Since 1998, the Cowboys are just 3-10 in the playoffs and have never made it past the divisional round. Will this year be different? Although I have never believed in this team, most of America was bought in on this possibly being the Cowboys year. I think that buy in all but disappeared following the week 18 debacle against the Commanders. In a game that they played all their offensive starters the entire game and still had a chance at the #1 seed and the bye, they got absolutely beat down to the tune of 26-6. 6 points. Dak Prescott was 14/37 for 128 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. The running game averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. In a game that they had to win, they dropped the ball, just like they have time and time and time again in the playoffs.

For the sake of Cowboys fans, I won’t harp on the week 18 performance anymore. Let’s talk about this matchup. These two teams played in week 1. The Bucs won handily 19-3 in another dazzling performance by this Cowboys offense. Since that opening game, the Cowboys have been far and away the better team. There is no questioning that. They have the superior defense. They have Micah Parsons, possibly the best defensive player in the NFL. They have the superior offensive line. They have a better rushing attack. On paper, the Cowboys are better and should win this game. BUT, what’s the one thing that the Bucs have that the Cowboys don’t? Tom Brady.

Tom Brady did not have a good year. The Bucs offense did not have a good year. They finished in the bottom third of the league in terms of points scored. But Tom Brady is a man who is at his best when his team needs him the most. This is a man who has a 35-12 career playoff record. This is a man who has won 7 Super Bowls. This is a man who always finds a way to win, even when he’s not at his best. This is a man who, with their season on the line in week 17, completed 34 of 45 passes for 432 yards and 3 touchdowns. In a game that both teams needed to win, Tom Brady flourished, and Dak Prescott sputtered. That shouldn’t shock anybody.

I think the Bucs win this game for two reasons:

1. This is playoff Tom Brady. Betting against Tom Brady in the playoffs is not advised. You are likely to have a rough night.

2. I have no confidence in this Cowboys offense. They will sputter like they do in every big game ever. Dak isn’t a big game QB.

Score Prediction: Bucs 20, Cowboys 17

Ben: Tom Brady is the greatest football player of all time, and it’s not debatable. Tom Brady also happens to be the luckiest football player of all time, in my opinion. How else can you explain the Bucs winning the NFC South with a week left in the season despite the fact they finished with a LOSING RECORD? That 8-9 record is no fluke. If not for some questionable (to put it mildly) refereeing in Week 5 in Tampa’s win over Atlanta and some tight wins against bad teams (Rams, Saints, Cardinals, and Panthers), Brady’s Bucs wouldn’t even have had the chance to win the weakest division in the entire NFL. As a result of winning their cupcake division, the Bucs are rewarded with a home playoff game against… the Dallas Cowboys. Yet another stroke of good luck, since the Cowboys, coached by football’s best-paid puppet master, Mike McCarthy, have been putrid as of late. They beat the lowly Texans by just four points on home soil in Week 14, blew a multi-score lead in Jacksonville to lose by six points in Week 15, and closed out their season last week with a 26-6 loss to the Washington Commanders, led by SAM HOWELL, who was making his first career NFL start. In that game last week, Dak Prescott looked awful (and awful may be putting it lightly), while the rest of the starters looked thoroughly disengaged. Not exactly ideal timing for a full-blown collapse, but that’s nothing new for the Cowboys given their playoff history over the last 26 years.

Picking between Dallas’ consistently underachieving football team and Tampa’s rotting corpse under center is a tough decision, but I think that the Cowboys are just too talented to let another golden opportunity in the playoffs go to waste.

Score Prediction: Bucs 24, Cowboys 28

Who’s moving on, and who’s going home? Comment down below!

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Authors: Ben Pawlak and Ryan Macdonald

Published: 1/12/23 at 5pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.

Sports Reference LLC. Pro-Football-Reference.com – Pro Football Statistics and History. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/. 22 January 2022.

StatMuse, https://www.statmuse.com/.