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NFL Playoffs 2017: Schedule and Predictions for Wild Card Weekend
- Updated: January 6, 2017
Finally, the NFL playoffs will begin Saturday afternoon.
No more talk about New York Giants wide receivers partying with Justin Bieber (unless the G-Men lose, in which case there will be plenty of talk until kickoff next season).
No more speculation on how second- and third-string quarterbacks might perform, as we’ll see for ourselves on the field this weekend.
Here’s a look at the schedule and some predictions for this weekend’s games.
Schedule via NFL.com.
Oakland at Houston
The big news out of Oakland is that offensive tackle Donald Penn, ranked as the 11th-best offensive tackle in football (and third-best run blocking OT) per Pro Football Focus, did not practice Thursday, according to Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group.
Still, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates that Penn will play despite missing practice.
In Houston, starting outside linebacker John Simon, who hasn’t played since a 27-20 loss to Oakland in November, will not play, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
The Texans will get a welcome face returning, though, as running back Lamar Miller, who has missed the last two games, will play Sunday. Here’s what he told Wilson Thursday: “I feel like it’s Week 1. The workload, it was new to me, but I think overall I did a great job of taking care of my body. It was the little things that got to me, but I feel good right now.”
A healthy Miller will help a Texans offense that could struggle through the air. The Raiders, led by third-string quarterback Connor Cook, probably won’t fare much better passing the ball.
Expect a low-scoring game in which the kickers (Houston’s Nick Novak and Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski) will be the focal points.
Prediction: Houston 16, Oakland 13
Detroit at Seattle
The Lions are getting healthy at the right time. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, all hands were on deck for practice Thursday, with everyone on the field either in a full or limited …
