During wild card weekend, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams will play for the second time in three weeks, and it is becoming very clear that LA has no chance without quarterback Jared Goff, who underwent surgery to repair a broken right thumb on his pitching hand and it’s not a safe bet to come back this weekend.
He takes a lot of pain online for being Sean McVay’s puppet, but Goff is at least a solid quarterback who brings value to the Rams, particularly at a time when his backing is someone named John Woolford. You’re probably thinking to yourself: That sounds and looks like the kind of person who would play for the AAF or XFL or something. And if you are thinking that, you are right. He played in the AAF.
The Rams have been a fun story this season, with strong displays of defense from McVay’s offensive and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. But nine days ago, LA lost in Seattle, 20-9, with Goff in center. Without him, the Rams have no chance.
Let’s dive into the playoff power rankings for the wild card round.
14. Washington Football Team (NFC, fifth place) – They belong to the playoffs like I belong to the Met Gala.
13. Chicago Bears (NFC, 7-seeded) – Please let the Saints mercifully defeat the Bears in the first round. I can’t bear to see the Chicago main office becoming increasingly attached to the idea of giving an extension to Mitchell Trubisky.
12. Cleveland Browns (AFC, seeded 7) – I’m proud the Browns didn’t screw it up. There was a good chance they would miss the playoffs, and not JUST because it’s the Browns. But they succeeded. * pats Browns on the back. * Good work, Browns.
11. Los Angeles Rams (NFC, sixth place) – If Jared Goff is healthy, this is probably unfair for a very strong Rams team. If Goff is not healthy, this is VERY generous. So… let’s meet in the middle.
10. Indianapolis Colts (AFC, 7-seeded) – Is everyone alarmed at how difficult it was for the Colts to beat the Jaguars? Indy made a real mess in the first half.
9. Tennessee Titans (AFC, 4 seeds) – The Texans have been an annoying team to beat in 2020, even with their poor record. In their narrow win over Houston, the Titans continued to show signs of weakness and inconsistency that could end their season quickly in the playoffs.
8. Baltimore Ravens (AFC, 5th seed) – They got their offensive arrogance back against shitty teams. Can the Ravens continue like this in the playoffs? I’m just a little skeptical.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC, third seeded) – I don’t even know anymore. They started 11-0 but have shown little evidence that they can beat good opponents in recent weeks.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC, 5-seeded) – As good as Tom Brady has looked statistically this season, he is still 2-4 against playoff teams this year. Will the switch flip for Brady, as happened so often in New England?
5. Seattle Seahawks (NFC, 3-seeded) – They’re on a four-game winning streak after their embarrassing loss to the Giants. Russell Wilson should take care of business, especially if he’s grieving Wolford.
4. New Orleans Saints (NFC, 2-seeded) – Drew Brees may be finished, but he’s also better than Taysom Hill. Then the Saints are dangerous again.
3. Green Bay Packers (NFC, 1 seed) – Their path to the Super Bowl seems pretty clear now that their defense is playing at an extremely high level.
2. Buffalo Bills (AFC, second place) – With Josh Allen playing out of his mind and Sean McDermott making the defense play at an elite level, the Bills are the strongest opponent for the Chiefs.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (AFC, first seeded): They are so good that they have spent the last few weeks playing with gadgets. They’ll get serious now that it counts, and it seems like no one will stop them. If they were humming at 85 percent intensity, what if they hit 100?
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