NFL playoff picks, 2020 mock draft and all the wild-card weekend essentials you need
Wild-card weekend kicks off Saturday, and for the first time in a decade the New England Patriots will be a part of it.
Storming into Foxborough will be the Tennessee Titans, coached by a former Patriots player and featuring the NFL's rushing champion. The Titans won seven of their last 10 games to secure a postseason berth. The Patriots, meanwhile, lost three games in December to fall out of their customary first-round playoff bye position.
Kicking things off, of course, will be the Houston Texans, who always seem destined for that Saturday afternoon playoff game. The visiting Buffalo Bills are in the playoffs for the second time in three years, and looking for their first playoff victory since 1995.
On Sunday, the New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of their playoff classic from two seasons ago. Carson Wentz will make his playoff debut when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Seattle Seahawks. Wentz led the Eagles to four straight wins down the stretch to snag the NFC East title away from the Dallas Cowboys.
Here are your essentials for wild-card weekend:
Playoff picks, burning questions & more!
- Wild-card weekend and Super Bowl picks: The NFL playoffs are set to begin. Who will advance to the divisional round? Who's going all the way to Super Bowl LIV? Our experts weigh in.
- Which NFL wild-card team could make deep playoff run? No wild-card team has made the Super Bowl since the Ravens won it all in the 2012 season, but this year's group will try to break that drought.
- 8 players face defining moments in playoffs: The pressure is on as the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs begins, and these eight players all will be counted on to deliver in a big way, writes Mike Jones.
- Key question for every NFL playoff team: Among questions for NFL playoffs: Can Packers win away from Lambeau? What’s J.J. Watt factor worth for Texans? Can Saints avoid another heartbreak?
- Bills-Texans preview: Bills QB Josh Allen will be making his first career playoff start against a Texans team that returns standout defensive end J.J. Watt.
- Titans-Patriots preview: New England is playing in the wild-card round for the first time since 2009, and Tom Brady and Co. will have to fend off a surging Titans team.
- Vikings-Saints preview: The last time the Vikings and Saints met in the playoffs, the two NFC contenders produced one of the most memorable finishes in NFL history.
- Seahawks-Eagles preview: After narrowly missing out on winning the NFC West, the Seahawks now must begin their playoff road in Philadelphia and face the Eagles.
Top NFL storylines
- NFL coaching buzz tracker: The coaching carousel is speeding up. Keep track of all the latest news on all the candidates and vacancies throughout the league.
- Browns owners are to blame for never-ending circus: The Browns have the NFL's longest active playoff drought, and the dysfunction within the organization all stems from owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, writes Marla Ridenour.
- 2020 Hall of Fame finalists: Former Colts WR Reggie Wayne and Steelers safety Troy Polamalu are among 15 modern-era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- TOP PICS: Best of the 2019 season | Cheerleaders | NFL 100
Wild-card playoff schedule
Saturday
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)
Sunday
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, 1:05 p.m. (FOX)
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:40 p.m. (NBC)
2020 NFL draft
- Mock draft 1.0: With four months until the draft, here is an initial look at how the first round might shake out.
- 2020 NFL draft first-round order: Picks Nos. 1-20 are set, and the Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock.
- Underclassmen heading for the draft: It's that time of year when college underclassmen declare their intentions to enter the 2020 NFL draft. Here are those players who already have announced their plans to go pro.
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