Vikings (10-6) @ Saints (13-3)
A matchup of two double-digit win teams at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. These two teams balance potent rushing and passing attacks leading to strong offenses. They also both have good pass rushers. Minnesota will try to remind the Saints of their 2017 matchup and last minute touchdown, while the Saints will try to shake off their past.
Saints:
Player to Watch: Michael Thomas. This season, Michael Thomas broke the all-time NFL record for most catches in a season with 149. He also isn’t bad outside of catching the ball with 1725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Success of 2019: Quick offense. The Saints ranked third in yards after catch, second in snap to throw speed and were tied for third in terms of sacks allowed. This helped them in having the league fourth most efficient offense, and led them to 13 wins.
Struggle of 2019: Just like the Texans, the Saints were masters of the art of close games. Six of their wins were by one score and nine were by two scores. when your season’s on the line, all you want to do is prevent the game from getting close.
Vikings:
Player to watch: Danielle Hunter. One of the most feared defensive ends in 2019, Danielle Hunter racked up 14.5 sacks, 50 tackles and forced three fumbles. His sack tally was the same as last year and he was tied for fourth in the NFL in that category.
Success of 2019: Pass defense. Though not great on all cylinders, the Vikings pass defensive has been pretty solid in 2019. The ranked third in interceptions, fourth in yards per catch and eighth in yards per attempt.
Struggle of 2019: Pass offense. There have been some great passing plays for Minnesota, however, they just haven’t spent a lot of time on offense, ranking 26th. This is probably the cause of a passing offense that ranks 23rd, not good for a playoff team.
Score Prediction: Saints 28, Vikings 10
Seahawks (11-5) @ Eagles (9-7)
A rematch of the week 12 game which the Seahawks won at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. In terms of record, you could say that the Seahawks should host this game, but the Eagles won a tough division and the Seahawks came in second in a tough one. Regardless, both bird teams will come out flying.
Eagles:
Player to watch: Miles Sanders. A candidate for Rookie of the Year, Sanders led all rookies in scrimmage yards, with 1327, 509 of those being receiving yards. He was on the injury report this week with a sprained ankle, but he’s expected to be back healthy for the game.
Success of 2019: Run Defense. In 2019, the Eagles ranked third in rushing yards per game and 11th in yards per carry. This could be crucial to stopping a lethal running back like Chris Carson.
Struggle of 2019: losing games they could have won. For a season in which they played only five teams with winning records, nine wins is nothing to cheer for. They even lost to two teams with less than six wins (the Lions and Dolphins). If they can’t beat the bad teams, how are they going to play against the big boys?
Seahawks:
Player to watch: Bobby Wagner. He’s a bright spot in defense that’s lacking bright spots. In 2019, he led the NFL in tackles with 159. He also has some playoff experience, providing 2 interceptions and 125 combined tackles in six years for the Seahawks in the playoffs.
Success of 2019: Passing Offense. The Seahawks ranked fourth in passer rating sixth in yards per attempt and eighth in yards per catch. This contributed to a complete offense, which ranked eighth in yards per game.
Struggle of 2019: Injuries. At one point in the season, it looked like the Seahawks were going to take the NFC West division crown. They stumbled at the end, though, losing three of their last four games. This was mostly because of their injuries. It got so bad that in week 16, they had to start their fifth-string running back, Marshawn Lynch.
Score Prediction: Seahawks 27, Eagles 13
Sources:
- NFL on Youtube
- pro-football-reference.com
- nfl.com
- foxsports.com
- teamrankings.com
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