Saturday NFL Playoff Predictions

 

After 18 long and entertaining weeks of NFL football, the playoffs are finally upon us. Wild Card weekend will kick off with two Saturday games featuring the Chargers heading to Houston to take on the Texans, and a divisional rematch between the Ravens and the Steelers. 

The Chargers and Texans matchup is easily one of my favorite showdowns and a great way to kick off the weekend. Most of the other games seem easier to predict, but this one really could go either way, but unfortunately one team will have to go home. 

Los Angeles has been a big surprise to me this season in their first year under Jim Harbaugh. After going 5-12 just a season ago, the Chargers went 11-6 this season, good enough to earn the top wild card spot. What has carried them to their success is the pristine quarterback play of Justin Herbert and their astounding defense. 

Houston, on the other hand, has slightly regressed from a season ago. After CJ Stroud's unbelievable rookie season, his numbers took a bit of a toll this season. The Texans were also dealt an unfortunate hand with the egregious number of injuries they suffered. 

LA comes in as the only road team in the AFC to actually be favored and joins Minnesota as the only road teams in the entire playoff field to be favored in their matchups. Numbers aside, this battle taking place in Houston should forecast the future of the NFL with CJ Stroud and Justin Herbert taking over as the next generational quarterbacks. 

Overall, I do see this being a close game that will come down to whoever's defense is more up to shape. In the end, I believe the Chargers will come out on top and most likely face their division rival Chiefs in the next round. 

Onto the heated rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These divisional foes met twice during the regular season and split the series with each team winning at home. Both Pittsburgh and Baltimore come in on totally different paths to end the regular season. 

The Ravens ended their 12-5 season on a four-game winning streak, while Pittsburgh started the season 10-3, but closed on a 4-game losing streak. With Pittsburgh's struggles and Baltimore's successes, Baltimore eventually captured the NFC North crown which the Steelers had comfortably in their possession most of the season. 

While winning their last four games to close 2024, the Ravens scored at least 31 points in each game and won by a decisive two or three score margin each game. Although the Ravens will be shorthanded without Zay Flowers on Saturday night, they have so many other weapons to fill his place. 

In the NFL playoffs, momentum is key and the Ravens certainly have that on their side. Along with MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, Baltimore has the upper hand on offense, while the Steelers are known for their astute defensive group. 

Finally, I do predict that the Ravens will take this matchup in decisive fashion. There is a reason why they are almost 10 point favorites in this game. Their quest for an AFC Championship and their first Super Bowl since 2012 will commence tonight. 

The Case: Burrow for MVP

 

As the 2024 NFL regular season comes to a close, so does Joe Burrow's fantastic season. Unfortunately we will not see the Bengals in this year's postseason after a magical offensive season from their superstar quarterback Joe Burrow. 

Many have trimmed down the MVP race to two names, yet both of those names do not include Joe Burrow. The names are Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. While those two have been some of the best the NFL has had to offer this season, Burrow is right up there with them. 

Burrow lead the league in passing yards, touchdowns, and had one of the highest QBR's as well. I also forgot to mention that he also was the sole reason Ja'Marr Chase earned the triple crown. Yet the only thing that the voters look at as a determining factor is team success.

The Bengals finished the season 9-8, finishing just short of making the postseason. They ended the year on a five-game winning streak and were a Broncos loss away from heading to Buffalo next week. It was pretty well known that no one wanted to run into this Bengals team if they were to claw their way into the postseason picture. 

Overall, Burrow put up right around, if not better, statistics than both Allen and Jackson. I understand that both of their teams won their divisions and made the postseason, but Burrow was the better player in my opinion. 

The Bengals horrific defense was what kept them out of the playoffs. Cincinnati had three games this season where they scored more than 33 points, yet lost the game. It's not shocking that just a day after the conclusion of the regular season, Cincinnati decided to fire their defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo. 

It really is disappointing that most likely Joe Burrow's name will not be discussed in the MVP conversation and his astounding season will go unnoticed. The question that I have for MVP voters is that if Burrow did take his team to the playoffs, would this discussion be any different?

Who is the MVP?

 

The race for the 2024 NFL MVP is soon to come to a close as the regular season winds down. Currently there are two frontrunners for the award that are in a neck and neck battle. Those two guys include Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

Just two quarterbacks from the 2018 NFL Draft and both from fairly under the radar schools as well. Jackson has already won the MVP award twice, including last year, while Allen has yet to secure the hardware. 

Both have their teams in playoff position, while the Bills have secured the AFC East, but the Ravens are still in the mix for their division. Allen and Jackson have both asserted themselves as two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the game, whether it is on the ground or through the air. 

Statistically, Jackson has the slight edge in passing and rushing yards while also holding a better touchdown to turnover ratio as well. On the other hand, Allen has the better QBR and team success is heavily in his favor as well. 

Forecasting these numbers, it truly is a neck and neck race between the two superstar quarterbacks. Currently Allen is favored to win his first MVP award, but I believe it will come down to these final three weeks to decide who really will take it home. 

With Jackson being just 27 years old, it would be very impressive if he were to lock down his third MVP at such a young age. Allen, on the other hand, has been patiently waiting his turn for the voters to point the finger at him. In my opinion, this is Josh Allen's award to lose, as I believe he will win his first ever MVP. 

Misery At Its Finest

 

For the 14th straight season, the New York Jets have been eliminated from the NFL playoffs. Once again, the Jets will head into the offseason with some tough questions to answer and some key decisions to make. 

After putting all of their marbles into one basket this season, it seems as if Gang Green will go into a full rebuild in 2025. Vacancies at head coach, general manager, and potentially the quarterback position will need to be filled. 

It will be an interesting decision whether the Jets move on from Aaron Rodgers or not. In his first healthy season with the team, his stats weren't the problem, the end results were. Currently the Jets sit at 4-10 in the bottom of the AFC. 

In a year where the Jets were picked by some to win at least 10 games, to win the AFC East, and to represent even the AFC in the Super Bowl, obviously this is not the case. Sure every part of the team had its troubles this season, but the one area in which the Jets had been so high on the past couple of seasons, the defense let everyone down. 

It started from Week 1 in Santa Clara, the Jets couldn't stop the 49ers whatsoever even when they were without Christian McCaffrey. The defense has had two quality performances this season in my opinion, compared to last season when the defense kept the Jets in almost every single game. 

This year the offense improved not greatly but to some extent. It was always expected that once Aaron Rodgers took over that the offense would take a jump. Add the addition of Davante Adams and the help of Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, this offense should have no problems competing with the best of the best. Yet, the Jets have 4 wins as we approach Week 16. 

So what is the problem? Plain and simple: everything. From ownership to coaching to the players, the recipe that the Jets have right now is obviously not working. Starting with hiring a new and competent general manager who can go out and find a good head coach is the first step. 

The most vital job for the GM and coach once they are settled is deciding what will happen with Aaron Rodgers. Do they test him out for another season, sign a quarterback in free agency, or go to the draft? The last thing the Jets should be doing is going to the draft for a quarterback. Their history with this is pitiful. 

My advice would be to find some proven NFL talent and take a chance on them. I would strongly approve a reunion with Sam Darnold. Seeing how he has taken his role in complete stride this year has convinced me that he deserves another shot with New York. This time with a more experienced offense around him. 

Then a look at the rest of the roster needs to be made. On paper, the Jets have a really good team but have been just unable to put it all together. This year their main weakness has been closing games. In their last seven games, the Jets have had leads in the 4th quarter, yet they are 2-5 in these games. 

This falls on the coaching. After Robert Saleh was fired, an inexperienced Jeff Ulbrich took over and was left with way too much on his plate. His defensive coaching made the defense what it was the past couple seasons, and now he had to worry about every aspect of the team. 

Whatever new head coach who comes in to Florham Park should strongly consider keeping Ulbrich as the defensive coordinator unless he decides to walk. Ulbrich is a top coordinator in the league and it would be a luxury for any other team if they had him. The new coach can bring in their own offensive coordinator, but keep Ulbrich at the same time. 

It seems like a broken record every offseason, but the Jets are once again living through this pain. A lot needs to be done before the Jets can get back to the postseason. An intriguing offseason is on the cusp for Gang Green in 2025. 

The Aftermath: Juan Soto to the Mets

 

In case you missed it, the New York Mets signed Juan Soto to the largest free agent deal in American professional sports history. He signed a 15 year, $765 million deal with the team in Queens as he leaves the team in the Bronx after just one season.

The Yankees were optimistic that Soto would end up re-signing with them, but in the end they were wrong. Ultimately, Soto was after the money and loyalty didn't really matter when this sum of money was on the table. 

While some say Soto was only after the money, others say he wanted his own team. On the Yankees, he would always be outshined or sharing the spotlight with Aaron Judge, but on the Mets, he is the main attraction. Both sides of the story could be true, but we will never truly know the real answer. 

After Steve Cohen bought the Mets in 2020, fans were waiting for him to make a huge splash and four years later, he finally did. Acquiring Soto doesn't solve the puzzle for the Mets however. They still have a lot of holes in their roster. The pitching rotation and bullpen needs serious improvement even after the addition of Clay Holmes. 

First base is still also a huge question as Pete Alonso has yet to re-sign with the Mets. All in all, Soto will be great for the Mets, but he doesn't guarantee them a ring. They still have to go through the Dodgers at the end of the day. And the NL East isn't a walkover either with the Phillies and Braves still top contenders. 

Now let's look at it from the Yankees perspective. For the Yankees, they now have the ability to be more flexible this offseason without the $750+ million burden on one player. They've already went out and signed three all-stars this offseason: Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, and Devin Williams. 

The three salaries of these superstars doesn't even add up to half of what Soto is making over 15 years in Queens. Fried gives the Yankees the nod as one of the best rotations in the MLB. Williams gives the Bronx Bombers a solid and reliable closer to slam the door when the tough gets going. 

And don't forget about Bellinger who already has an MVP on his resume as well. By signing Soto, the Yankees would probably not have had much flexibility to make these blockbuster moves. Now, they are able to go out and get not only these guys, but more to come. 

Like the Mets, the Yanks still have some holes as well. The Yanks have already announced that Bellinger will be taking over in center field, so first base still remains a question. In fact, both corners of the diamond remain lingering questions. Hot names going across the board are Christian Walker, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and more. 

Adding another one or two of these guys, and the Yanks are in prime position for another World Series push. Sure, there are definitely some cons to losing an MVP type player in Juan Soto, but as a Yankees fan as I look more and more at the pros and the aftermath of the deal, it really wasn't as catastrophic as some are reporting. 

Slow Start for the Knicks

 

The Knicks have had some tough sledding to open up the season as their 5-6 record dictates. After just one game away from an Eastern Conference Final berth last season, the new look Knicks have struggled to figure it out through their first 11 games. 

New York is working through some growing pains to start the season as they experiment with their newly developed team from this offseason. With the addition of stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and the subtractions of Julius Randle and others, the team might take a little bit to gel together. 

Despite their 5-6 start, the Knicks still find themselves in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings. Most of the teams around the are also experiencing similar difficulties. Now would be a perfect time to capitalize off of this and build a steady lead in the standings early in the calendar year. 

One of the key flashing concerns the Knicks have is their depth. Outside of their starting five and Miles McBride, no other Knick has really contributed all too much. However, they are experiencing some injuries with Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiwua sidelined. 

Ultimately, once these guys return New York will be in much better shape, but some players need to step up in both of their absences. I think it would really be beneficial to see a more increased role from rookies Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet. 

We have yet to really see what they are capable of and the only way we can see is if their minutes are heightened. The best teams in the NBA not only have a great caliber starting five, but also key guys that come off the bench and play good and meaningful minutes. 

The Knicks will take on the Brooklyn Nets in back to back games coming up and one more home game against the Wizards before heading west. For New York, these games must be taken advantage of. It will go a long way in gaining momentum for their upcoming challenging road trip. 

Yanks Fall Short

 

For the 15th straight year, the Yankees will head into the offseason without a ring. The Yanks fell to the Dodgers in five games in the 2024 World Series and will have a lot on their plate this upcoming offseason. 

The most crucial thing New York must address this offseason is Juan Soto. Soto performed unbelievably this season and will have a huge price tag on his name as a free agent. The Yanks are one of the frontrunners to sign the young phenom, but they have legitimate competition from other suitors such as the Mets and Dodgers as well. 

The one-two punch of Soto and Judge proved to be almost impossible to stop in 2024. It would be an absolute dream for the Yankees if they can lock Soto up for the next decade or more. The asking price from Soto is probably going to be north of $500-600 million. Despite the steep price, he is worth every single penny. 

Getting him back is crucial and getting Gleyber Torres back is also a big priority. Torres has been with the Yankees for some time now and proved to be a reliable leadoff hitter down the stretch of the season. He is sometimes a liability in the field, but his performance at the plate is too good to deny. A great offseason would consist of Torres and Soto being back in pinstripes in 2025. 

The Yanks will need a new first baseman for the upcoming season. Anthony Rizzo's tenure with the Yankees is most likely over as his glory days in the MLB are quickly expiring. The 35 year old will head into free agency and will realistically not be wearing the pinstripes next season. 

One guy that has been high on the Yanks radar has been Pete Alonso. Alonso, an all-star first baseman for the Mets, enters free agency most likely looking for a new team. Alonso will probably have a high asking price that the Yankees should be willing to consider. They are a perfect match for each other as Alonso would fill a huge gap for the Bombers. 

New York will also have some key relievers testing the waters this offseason. Those names include: Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Jonathan Loaisiga. Loaisiga did not pitch in 2024, but when he is at his best he is unstoppable. Kahnle proved to be a threat in the playoffs and Holmes picked up the slack as well. 

The Yanks got the closest they have been to a championship in 15 years this season and will look to break the streak in 2025. Getting Juan Soto back in the Bronx is a must and should be the number one priority of the offseason. It should be an entertaining and quite amusing offseason for the Yankees.