Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Sep 24, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Home » Blog » NFL Wild Card 2019 preview: Making a case for the underdogs

NFL Wild Card 2019 preview: Making a case for the underdogs

Matt Verderame NFL

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (-2.5)

The Bills are actually seen as the better team straight up by Vegas, considering the home team automatically gets three points. However, Buffalo is on the road at NRG Stadium, trying for its first playoff victory since 1995. The Bills have a few things going for them in this game. First, they have the superior defense by a significant margin, even with J.J. Watt coming back for Houston. Additionally, Buffalo has the coaching advantage, and while Deshaun Watson is better than Josh Allen, Allen can make splash plays both with his big arm and his legs.

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots (-5)

Frankly, the Titans are better than the Patriots at this point. Tennessee is playing very well since inserting Ryan Tannehill into the starting lineup, going 7-3 over his 10 games. Furthermore, the Titans have been play8ing playoff-style football since November, trying to sneak into the playoff picture. New England deserves to be the favorite. It’s at home, it has an incredible history and the combination of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick can’t be dismissed. Still, the trio of Tannehill, Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown has been phenomenal and should keep Tennessee in the game throughout.

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (-8)

Of all the cases, this is the toughest. Minnesota has a very good roster. The defense is anchored by Danielle Hunter and Anthony Barr in the front seven. The offense has Dalvin Cook in the background with Adam Thielen and Stefan Diggs on the outside. The question is whether Kirk Cousins can play with Drew Brees in the Superdome for 60 minuets. Cousins is better than most give him credit for, but he’s not Brees. He’s also been bad in big games. This is the biggest one he’s ever played in. Minnesota has enough firepower to win if Cousins is terrific, but that’s a huge if.

Seattle Seahawks (-1.5) at Philadelphia Eagles

The case for Philadelphia is very simple. The Eagles are at home, and nobody is giving a proud team any respect. If you need another reason, the Seahawks are all kinds of banged up suddenly with left tackle Duane Brown and running back Chris Carson out for the playoffs. Now, nobody has dealt with more injuries than Philadelphia, but those losses are huge for a Seattle team predicated on running the ball. If the Eagles can make a few plays offensively, they have a very real chance to pull the home upset.

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