The NFL postseason kick off with Super Wild Card Weekend, which includes six games spread out over three days.
While the Chicago Bears have missed the playoffs for the second straight year, there’s still plenty of reasons to tune in to the postseason. That includes some great matchups in the wild-card round.
Our Bears Wire staff are sharing their game picks for this weekend’s slate of wild-card action:
Seahawks at 49ers (Sat. 1/14 at 3:30 p.m. CT)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): 49ers 35, Seahawks 24
This is arguably the most lopsided matchup of the wild-card round. Brock Purdy is undefeated as a starter (5-0), and this 49ers defense has been stout. Look for San Francisco’s success to continue.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Seahawks 21, 49ers 20
Every Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs needs a major upset and it starts right off the bat. Brock Purdy has been solid but he hasn’t faced the same defense twice yet. The Seahawks keep the 49ers at bay and squeak by with a victory.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): 49ers 24, Seahawks 17
The 49ers are simply the better team. They ran the table in their division this season, beat Seattle twice, and have an unbeaten rookie quarterback who has played perfect football. Who’s to say this team can’t go all the way?
Chargers at Jaguars (Sat. 1/14 at 7:15 p.m. CT)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): Chargers 28, Jaguars 27
Justin Herbert vs. Trevor Lawrence, Part 2, is gearing up to be one heck of a show. While the Jaguars won the first matchup earlier this season, the Chargers are getting back some important missing pieces and should win a close one.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Chargers 23, Jaguars 20
The Jaguars have the better coaching staff and will keep this interesting, but the Chargers have more firepower on their roster. Justin Herbert will make up for any coaching blunders from Brandon Staley and win his first playoff game.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Jaguars 27, Chargers 21
Justin Herbert is finally in the playoffs, but that run is going to be cut short by second year quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville has turned their act around after a poor start to the 2022 season. They’re a team on a roll and haven’t shown signs of slowing down.
Dolphins at Bills (Sun. 1/15 at 12 p.m. ET)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): Bills 34, Dolphins 20
The first matchup this season was a memorable one for sure. But the Dolphins will be without Tua Tagovailoa, and the Bills are ready to win this whole thing for Damar Hamlin. Buffalo should pull it out in convincing fashion.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Bills 35, Dolphins 13
Skylar Thompson will go down in lore with the likes of Joe Webb and Connor Cook as backup quarterbacks who started a playoff game due to injury and got their butts kicked in. The Bills will coast in the most lopsided playoff game this round.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Bills 41, Dolphins 17
No Tua, no 20 points. Josh Allen is ready to put the whole “interception Josh” narrative behind him. Allen struggled in the red zone this season, but he can change all of that with a successful playoff run with limited turnovers. I think this game would be close with Tua, but without him, it’s ugly.
Giants at Vikings (Sun. 1/15 at 3:30 p.m. ET)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): Vikings 26, Giants 23
The Giants have a good shot of pulling a road upset against the Vikings. Minnesota needed a last-second field goal to beat New York just a few weeks ago. While the Giants should keep it close once again, the Vikings escape with a narrow win off the foot of Greg Joseph.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Vikings 34, Giants 31
The Vikings don’t look like a Super Bowl squad, but this is what they do. They will play a back-and-forth game against the Giants that winds up tied near the end of the fourth quarter. Another Greg Joseph walkoff sends them to the next round and everyone continues to be bewildered at how this team keeps winning. The madness continues for at least one more week.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Giants 26, Vikings 24
The Giants are showing signs of both of their Super Bowl teams. That’s not to say they’re going to win it all this season, but they’re playing good football. Brian Daboll has turned this team around and has made Daniel Jones more than a serviceable quarterback. The Vikings had a negative point differential until their blowout win against the Bears. New York upsets them on the road.
Ravens at Bengals (Sun. 1/15 at 7:15 p.m. ET)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): Bengals 27, Ravens 16
It appears that Lamar Jackson is about to miss his sixth straight game with a knee injury, which will directly impact this game. While Baltimore’s defense has been solid, the Bengals have the quarterback advantage with Joe Burrow and should cruise to victory.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Bengals 28, Ravens 23
Defeating a team two weeks in a row isn’t easy, but facing a backup quarterback makes it easier. The Bengals are rolling right now and are firing on all cylinders. Don’t discount John Harbaugh and his staff making necessary changes to make this more of a game, but it won’t matter in the end with Tyler Huntley at the helm.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Bengals 30, Ravens 17
Joe Burrow is just too good to lose in the first round to a team without Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have found success without their star quarterback in the past, but things have changed. This will be an ugly game, with the Bengals running over the Ravens.
Cowboys at Buccaneers (Mon. 1/16 at 7:15 p.m. ET)
Alyssa Barbieri (0-0): Cowboys 28, Buccaneers 24
These aren’t the Buccaneers of the last couple of seasons. But Tom Brady has been clutch in the postseason, so he’ll give Tampa a chance in this one. Still, the Cowboys have been more consistent. Barring a complete collapse, Dallas should win.
Brendan Sugrue (0-0): Cowboys 21, Buccaneers 19
The Cowboys had their first clunker in over three months and now everyone wants to write them off? This is still a dangerous team with a defense that will make Tom Brady’s life miserable in the pocket. They avenge their Week 1 loss and send Brady’s Buccaneers back to sea.
Ryan Fedrau (0-0): Buccaneers 24, Cowboys 17
Everyone is counting Tom Brady and the Buccaneers out, this is when he shines. I refuse to pick against him in the playoffs. The Cowboys already lost to Tampa once this season, and they’ll do it again on Monday in a close loss.
