NFL Playoff Schedule 2017: TV Info and Predictions for Wild Card Weekend

Some of the greatest games and most iconic moments in NFL history have occurred during Wild Card Weekend. 

Buffalo Bills fans undoubtedly remember their team making the biggest comeback in NFL history (32 points) in 1993 against the Houston Oilers, but they’d probably wish Will Smith used a neuralyzer on them and erased any memory they have of the Music City Miracle six years later.

Terrell Owens will always be associated with The Catch II, and the same goes for Marshawn Lynch and his Beast Quake.

Within the last five years, we’ve seen the last big win of the Tebowmania era (the 2011 Denver Broncos’ 29-23 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers) and the Indianapolis Colts’ 28-point comeback in a 45-44 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2014.

Hopefully this year features an unforgettable game or moment that finds its place in NFL lore.

Here is the NFL Wild Card Round schedule, as well as some predictions and the latest news from around the league.

Schedule via NFL.com

       

No. 5 Oakland Raiders at No. 4 Houston Texans

The Oakland and Houston sports sections are carbon copies of each other this week. Just change the names and stats, and you have the same exact pieces.

Such is life covering quarterback carousels.

In Oakland, head coach Jack Del Rio isn’t sure whether second-stringer Matt McGloin or third-stringer Connor Cook will start in place of injured superstar Derek Carr.

According to Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group, Del Rio had this to say at his weekly press conference Monday: “We’ll see how the week goes. Between Connor and Matt, we’ll see who we can get the most reps and who we feel most comfortable going into the game.”

Neither quarterback did particularly well against Denver in the team’s 24-6 loss on Sunday. Then again, few quarterbacks did this year against the No. 1 pass defense in football.

McGloin went 6-for-11 for 21 yards and missed Amari Cooper for a potential touchdown before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. In his place, Cook went a respectable 14-for-21 with 150 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw a pick and turned the ball over again with a fumble.

On the flip side, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t give an answer when asked whether Brock Osweiler or Tom Savage would start Saturday. Osweiler was benched three weeks ago, but Savage—who replaced Osweiler in Week 15—is currently in the league’s concussion protocol, leading to a murky situation.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, O’Brien had this to say: “I think there’s a lot of different factors, obviously health is part of it. But there’s a lot of different factors.”

Osweiler threw more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (15) this season and failed to complete 60 percent of his passes. Tom Savage showed some promise, but he wasn’t asked to stray too far from his comfort zone, sticking to short passes throughout parts of three games.

The unsettled quarterback situations lead to the distinct possibility of a low-scoring slugfest, and a slight edge goes to the home team in this one.

Prediction: Texans 16, Raiders 13

       

No. 6 Detroit Lions at No. 3 Seattle Seahawks

Continuing the trend of reeling teams heading into the playoffs with quarterback concerns, the Detroit Lions will head to CenturyLink Field on the heels of a three-game losing streak to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.

Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, who played great football while engineering an impressive eight fourth-quarter comebacks this season, told the Detroit media that his troublesome middle-finger injury will linger into the Lions’ matchup with Seattle. Notably, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported Stafford will continue to wear a protective glove in the postseason.

Stafford injured his finger during a Week 14 win against the Chicago Bears. In the last full three games since then, the Lions have gone 0-3, with Stafford …

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