NFL on ESPN – The NFL Playoffs are here and the race to Super Bowl LVIII is on with all six games from NFL Super Wild Card Weekend LIVE on ESPN including huge Dolphins-Chiefs and Cowboys-Packers showpieces.
Week One of the NFL post-season kicks off LIVE on Sunday January 14 with a live NFL Playoff double header.
The action begins at 8.30am AEDT Sunday with the Cleveland Browns meeting the Houston Texans.
The Texans are one of the big stories of the NFL season, storming home in the second half of the year to claim the AFC South in the final game.
Cleveland also looked like a side that wouldn’t be playing in the post-season at times throughout the regular season, but four wins in their last five matches saw them advance – one of three teams to do so in the highly competitive AFC North.
Following live at 12pm AEDT is the Miami Dolphins meeting the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in one of the biggest games in Week One of the NFL Playoffs.
The Dolphins sat at #2 in the AFC going into the final week of the regular season, but defeat to the Bills saw them not only give up the AFC East division, but see them slide down the rankings leaving them a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
After a nerve-wracking last month, the Chiefs have rectified things with two straight victories, seeing them enter the playoffs with momentum. They know what it takes to win a Super Bowl and any side with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce can certainly go all the way once again.
Monday January 15 will see a further three NFL Playoff games back to back LIVE on ESPN.
At 5am AEDT the Pittsburgh Steelers tackle the resurgent Buffalo Bills – two sides that rode good fortune all the way to the NFL Playoffs.
The Steelers secured a playoff spot with a 17-10 win over the AFC #1 seed Baltimore Ravens last round, and had a number of results fall their way.
The Bills were another side many wrote off, but five wins in a row has catapulted them to the top of the AFC East and the post-season. Momentum is a crucial factor in the NFL Playoffs and Buffalo certainly has plenty of that – as the Bills Mafia begin to believe that something special could be in the works.
Then at 8.30am AEDT, the Green Bay Packers face the Dallas Cowboys in a blockbuster clash between two NFL heavyweight franchises.
Three straight wins has the Packer purring at the right time, led by QB Jordan Love – but they now face their great rivals in the Cowboys.
Sitting at #2 in the NFC, it has been another year of great optimism for Cowboys fans. Dallas will start strong favourites on home soil in Arlington – but the pressure is firmly on, given the playoff fails of previous seasons.
Monday’s action concludes at 12pm AEDT with the Los Angeles Rams going head to head with the Detroit Lions.
The Los Angeles Rams have come to life in the second half of the season and are unbeaten in four straight games.
After a 30 year wait, Detroit are finally back in the NFL Playoffs after a steller year, taking the NFC North on the way to a 12-5 regular season record.
The narrative in this one centres around the two quarterbacks – Jared Goff (Detroit) and Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles). Goff, a former #1 draft pick was traded to the Lions in exchange for Stafford, who immediately handed a Super Bowl win to the Rams.
Stafford could ruin the Detroit playoff party in his return against his former side.
The final game of Super Wild Card Weekend is on Tuesday January 16 at 12.15pm AEDT when the Philadelphia Eagles collide with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Philadelphia went all the way to the Super Bowl last season and were favoured to repeat that performance at the midway point of the season. However, it’s all uphill for the Eagles – having won just one of their last five games.
Baker Mayfield delivered with it all on the line for the Buccs in Week 18 and the Tampa Bay quarterback will hope to carry that impressive showing into the playoffs.
NFL Super Wild Card Weekend on ESPN
Sunday January 14
8.30am AEDT, Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans, ESPN
12pm AEDT, Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs, ESPN
Monday January 15
5am AEDT, Pittsburgh Steelers vs Buffalo Bills, ESPN
8.30am AEDT, Green Bay Packers vs Dallas Cowboys, ESPN
12pm AEDT, Los Angeles Rams vs Detroit Lions, ESPN
Tuesday January 16
12.15pm AEDT, Philadelphia Eagles vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ESPN
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