RADIO
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers sat at 10-3 through their first 13 games and looked to be in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Then, matchups against the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals killed the team’s momentum. The Steelers are limping into the AFC playoffs as losers of four straight and are significant underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round. Head coach Mike Tomlin has not won a playoff game since the 2016 season, and another “one-and-done” postseason trip appears to be in order.
Houston Texans
The Texans won a playoff game last year under rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. However, the team appears to have taken a step back in 2024. Houston has just one win over a team that finished with a winning record, and that came back in Week 6. With key injuries in the wide receiver room and an underperforming defense, the Texans are home underdogs against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
Denver Broncos
What head coach Sean Payton and rookie quarterback Bo Nix have done this season is nothing short of impressive. Denver won 10 games and clinched the final AFC playoff spot in the blowout win over the Kansas City Chiefs backups in Week 18. However, they are set to run into a buzzsaw in Buffalo. The Bills have one of the top home-field advantages in the NFL, especially in postseason conditions. The Broncos are 8.5-point underdogs, but don’t be surprised if they are beaten by two or three scores.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield has revived his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he won a playoff game last year at home. Maybe even more impressive was Mayfield taking the Lions to the wire in Detroit during the NFC Divisional Round. However, Tampa Bay’s defense is a concern, and the Buccaneers defeated just one team with a winning record during its hot streak to close the regular season and lost to Cooper Rush and the Dallas Cowboys. The Commanders will beat the Buccaneers and advance.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings fell flat in the Sunday Night Football contest against the Detroit Lions in Week 18. It was the biggest game of Sam Darnold’s career, and he looked like he was seeing ghosts again. More often than not, these shocking breakout quarterbacks fail to deliver in the postseason, and we remember why they flamed out in their previous stops. We’re banking on Sean McVay and a rested Los Angeles offense to end Minnesota’s improbable fantastic season in Round 1.
