The Wildcard round is set, and the NFC has some intriguing matchups. We get an old school NFC rematch that is always fun to watch, a reunion for two quarterbacks who have something to prove, and a playoff matchup that we saw many times in the early 2000s. The San Francisco 49ers are the 1-seed, so they get to kick back and relax this weekend. Here’s our 2023 NFC Wildcard Weekend preview.
No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Dallas Cowboys
Sunday at 4:30 EST
It was an impressive end to the season for the Dallas Cowboys who ended their regular season undefeated at home and enter the playoffs winning two straight games. They will host the Packers who won three straight games to clinch a playoff spot and steal the final seed away from other NFC teams like the Saints and Seahawks. Dallas has the edge in this game. Their defense is fantastic, and Dan Quinn is a guy you want in the playoffs when it comes to scheming. I think Jordan Love put up a fantastic season and Green Bay has fully turned the page on Aaron Rodgers, but Dak Prescott was even better, and no one has proved that they can shut down CeeDee Lamb who will run wild versus this Packers secondary. Prediction: Cowboys 34 Packers 21
No. 6 Los Angeles Rams at No. 3 Detroit Lions
Sunday at 8 EST
This is the NFC game that I am most excited to watch. The Lions and Rams made a franchise altering trade for both sides a few years back when they swapped Jared Goff, and a slew of draft picks, for Matthew Stafford. Of course, the Rams went on to win the Super Bowl that year, but the Lions have had tons of success beginning the middle of the 2022 season and finally won the division this year, something Stafford could never do in Detroit. The Lions are a team with top ranked offenses and defenses. The injury to TE Sam LaPorta could hurt their offense immensely in the passing and blocking game. There is something about Stafford and coach Sean McVay in the postseason that scares me and I think Stafford has some unfinished business in Detroit. This is my first upset pick in the NFC. I think the Rams run it all over Detroit and use their lethal wide receiver duo to put up big numbers against a Lions team that has been inconsistent. Prediction: Rams 35 Lions 28
No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Monday at 8 EST
A handful of weeks ago, I would have laughed at this matchup and wondered how badly the Eagles would beat Tampa. However, things have changed. The Bucs haven’t really looked sharp in two straight weeks, but the Eagles have looked bad since losing to the 49ers back on December 3. Since that game, Philly has lost five of their final six and they could have easily lost nine of their last 10. The Eagles offense has looked completely lost in that span. There seems to be something seriously wrong and there has been no fix for it. Todd Bowles is a defensive mastermind and I think he will dial up the right stuff against Philly. These two teams played early in the year, with the Eagles winning 25-11, but the Bucs are a better team since then. Going on the road when things aren’t going well is tough enough, and this is my biggest upset pick of the weekend. Prediction: Bucs 20 Eagles 17