Friday open thread: What is your bold prediction for Wild Card Weekend?

While the Detroit Lions are busy shaking up their coaching staff, eight NFL teams are preparing to take action this weekend. The Wild Card round of the playoffs always brings about plenty of intrigue given the structure of the seeding, and the 2020 edition should be no different.

The Saturday matchups feature a pair of 10-6 teams in the Bills and Texans squaring off in Houston, with both squads looking to find some playoff success for the first time in a long while (arguably ever, for the home team). The second contest sees the Patriots actually playing during the first weekend of the postseason, taking on the Titans.

Meanwhile, the NFC games are both very interesting on Sunday. The Saints get a chance at revenge over the Vikings after the Minneapolis Miracle two years ago, this time with the game in Louisiana. Later, the 11-5 Seahawks will be road favorites against the Eagles, who escaped out of the NFC East.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

What is your bold prediction for Wild Card Weekend?

My answer: It definitely is not bold to say the Patriots are going to turn it on come the playoffs, but that is one thing that I am certainly expecting to see this weekend. Tom Brady has looked pretty modest this season, and New England is far from the juggernaut that it used to be, but come Saturday I think we will see a different looking team.

However, my boldest prediction is that the Houston Texans win big over the Buffalo Bills. I have been a Deshaun Watson critic in the past, but despite some of his rough performances this year, I think he and DeAndre Hopkins have a big day and find the end zone multiple times. The Bills have been very good on defense and will surely put Tre’Davious White on Hopkins, but I think the Texan offense figures out a way to get it done, while the defense limits Josh Allen on the other side of the ball. I see this as a double-digit win.

Your turn.