Business is about to pick up.
After 17 weeks of regular season action, the NFL begins the process of crowning a Super Bowl champion this weekend.
While, the top two seeds in the AFC and NFC are putting their feet up, the remaining eight contenders for the Lombardi Trophy will be in action for the right to progress.
Here are the key questions that could decide whether this week’s wild card games:
1. Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans, Saturday, 9:20pm
Will we see any offence at all?
The season-long statistics point to Denver, but make no mistake, these are the two form defences in the AFC play-off bracket and both teams have ridden their ability to shut down offences to come back from seemingly hopeless positions to reach the postseason.
Kansas City started 1-5 but won their final ten games, allowing less than 13 points a game during that streak, while the Texans recovered from a 2-5 start by allowing just four of their final nine opponents reach double digits.
Both teams possess stout defensive fronts, but the Chiefs probably have the edge in the secondary, with safety Eric Berry back to his best after battling cancer and corner Marcus Peters the favourite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
On the other side of the ball, Alex Smith gives the Chiefs the advantage at quarterback over Houston’s Brian Hoyer and Smith’s mobility could help frustrate JJ Watt and company enough to see the KC through.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1:15am
Can Andy Dalton start and can he and Bengals end their play-off drought?
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is closing in on a return from a broken thumb, suffered in Cincy’s last meeting with AFC North rivals Pittsburgh a month ago, but if he can’t play then back-up AJ McCarron will start his fourth game of the season as the Bengals look to end a run of six straight play-off defeats since head coach Marvin Lewis took over in 2003.
McCarron has performed admirably in Dalton’s absence, helping the team to a 2-1 record since that loss to the Steelers, but the return of the Red Rifle would be a huge boost to an offence that knows it will need to put points on the board.
Pittsburgh’s offence has been on absolute fire, with receiver Antonio Brown setting a record-breaking pace for the second half of the season, although doubts over the fitness of running back DeAngelo Williams will put added pressure on Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to move the ball through the air.
3. Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 6:20pm
Can Teddy Bridgewater carry the Vikings to victory?
…because the second-year quarterback will almost certainly be forced to.
The Seahawks hit the postseason on the back of a series of blowout wins (save for a Week 16 blip against bogey team St Louis), including a Week 13 38-7 thumping of the Vikings in Minny.
That game saw the Seahawks key in on league rushing king Adrian Peterson, who carried just eight times for 18 yards, forcing Bridgewater to manufacture what offence he could through the air.
Teddy completed a just 17 of his 28 passes for just 118 yards, and you can be sure Seattle will look to repeat that formula under the pressure of Bridgewater’s first play-off game.
4. Green Bay Packers @ Washington, Sunday, 9:40pm
Will Kirk Cousins outshine Aaron Rodgers on the big stage?
Nobody (well, nobody with any sense) is arguing that Washington’s Cousins is the superior quarterback here, but there is little doubt he has outplayed former league MVP Rodgers in the second half of the season.
In fact, Rodgers and the Green Bay offence have looked a pale shadow of previous seasons as they battle injuries and poor form to finish the year 4-6 after starting with six straight victories, and that record would be even worse if not for the incredible Hail Mary pass which beat the Lions.
The loss of Rodgers’ favourite target Jordy Nelson has been keenly felt as the likes of Davante Adams and Jared Abbredaris have simply not given Rodgers enough options to throw downfield, and the return of playcalling to the hands of had coach Mike McCarthy has done little to improve the situation.
In contrast, Cousins, a former fourth-round pick who had done little suggest he was capable of leading a play-off team, has been on fire since inspiring a Week 7 comeback against Tampa Bay, throwing 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions since then as Washington went 6-2 in the second half of the season to win the NFC East.
