ShareThisNFL capsules for wild card weekend. All times Eastern.
SATURDAY:
New York Jets (9-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (10-6), 4:30 p.m.
Coach Rex Ryan, who said his team was "done" three weeks ago, now calls the Jets a "Super Bowl team." That assessment is probably no more accurate than his other forecast three weeks ago, but the Jets certainly looked the part when they embarrassed the Bengals last week.
Prediction: Jets, 17-13
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) at Dallas Cowboys (11-5), 8.
Instead of a late-season meltdown, the Cowboys are going in an opposite direction. Their 24-0 victory against the Eagles last Sunday was their third victory in a row. More impressive, they finished the season with back-to-back shutouts.
Prediction: Cowboys, 24-17
SUNDAY:
1
Baltimore Ravens (9-7) at New England Patriots (10-6), 1.
The Ravens finished with the same record as the Steelers because they beat the Bears, Chiefs, Raiders and Browns. The only winning teams they beat this season were the Steelers and Chargers, and that was in Week 2. They lost to the Patriots in Week 4. But ...
Prediction: Ravens, 24-23
Green Bay Packers (11-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-6), 4:40 p.m.
The Cardinals went into the playoffs last season with a less impressive record and even more uncertain credentials, and look what happened. But the Packers might be the hottest, if not best, team in the NFC, and could make it two wins in seven days against Arizona.
Prediction: Packers, 37-31
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
