Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens:

Following the Bengals run to the Super Bowl last year, many questioned if the team would be able to replicate its past success. While the beginning of the season saw Joe Burrow struggle to stay on the same page with his players, the Bengals have since picked up the pace and compiled an impressive 12-4 record heading into the postseason. The big players are the same as always for Cincy. Joe Burrow’s had yet another superb year, throwing for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While Joe Mixon and Ja’Marr Chase haven’t been as amazing as they were last season, Burrow has been getting the entire team involved which has led to equal regular season success. The Bengals have also see major improvements on defense, as their defensive unit has dominated opponents en route to being ranked 5^th in the league. For the Bengals, consistency is key, and Joe Burrow’s squad will have to play their balanced style to its peak in order to go far in these playoffs. 

The Ravens have had a bit of an odd season due to the injury suffered by Lamar Jackson. The star quarterback suffered a sprained knee in week 13 and has been ruled out for the foreseeable future, including this wild card matchup. Baltimore will have to rely on Tyler Huntley and a supporting cast that includes stud tight end Mark Andrews, as well as a lesser-known group of running backs and receivers that includes J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake, Demarcus Robinson, and Sammy Watkins. The glaring problem for Baltimore is that outside of Andrews, the team has an absence of dynamic threats. Dobbins isn’t bad, but he’s been hampered by injuries throughout the season. With Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay on IR, Baltimore’s receiving core is extremely limited. This is a squad that has handled adversity before, but the mounting damage may be too much to overcome. Baltimore will have to rely on its third-ranked defense to stifle the Bengals, but if that can’t happen, it may be all over for the Ravens. 

Were Lamar Jackson to be playing, this would be a tougher match up to predict. However, due to the fact that Jackson has been ruled out for this week, Cincinnati will have a distinct advantage considering the strength of their defense and the fact that they’re playing a backup quarterback. I would expect a defensive battle here, but I would expect Joe Burrow to break through before Tyler Huntley does, even though Burrow is matching up against one of the NFL’s premier defensive cores. Without the presence of Lamar Jackson, Baltimore looks somewhere between bad and helpless on offense, and I can’t trust them to win here. 

Prediction: Cincinnati 24, Baltimore 13 

Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

For Dallas, this season has proven that the Cowboys aren’t as top heavy as many thought they were. Following the trade of Amari Cooper to the Browns, many theorized that Dallas’s offense would sputter early. As it turns out, the offense was as good as ever this season despite losing its second-best receiving weapon thanks to a newfound dual threat back in Tony Pollard. While Dak Prescott’s injury-riddled season led to him posting rather pedestrian numbers of 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions, Dallas has been chugging along regardless of who’s been under center. From Ezekiel Elliot to Pollard in the backfield, to Ceedee Lamb and Dalton Schultz catching passes, Dallas has the versatility and talent to go deep into the playoffs. The absence of Cooper has led to a massive season for Lamb, who’s caught 107 passes for 1,359 yards and 9 touchdowns in a brilliant campaign. Dallas now finally has an elite defense thanks in large part to Micah Parsons, whose 13.5 sacks ranked 7^th in the league and led to Dallas having the league’s 6^th best defense. For Dallas, the formula is simple: use what works. If the Cowboys can stick to their tried-and-true formula of spreading the ball out amongst their stars, the Cowboys should have a great shot at victory on Monday. Dallas has the better high-end talent, defense, offensive line, running backs, and arguably has better receivers than Tampa. If Dak Prescott can hold his own and prove why so many consider him to be an elite quarterback in the NFL, Dallas could take this one handily. 

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind season for the Buccaneers. Since Tom Brady retired in late January and then unretired in mid-March, the Bucs have had trouble escaping drama, be it on or off the field. New head coach and defensive specialist Todd Bowles hasn’t done a spectacular job coaching Tampa Bay’s offense. Brady, while he’s had a solid year, hasn’t had the top-5 leaguewide numbers that you’d expect from him. His 4,694 yards are good for 3^rd in the NFL, but his 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions compared to his yardage totals are hallmarks of a man who can’t get it done in the redzone. As one Gisele Bündchen put it, Brady can’t throw and catch the ball at the same time. But is that really an excuse for a man who is playing on a team built to make his job as easy as possible? Mike Evans has not been his usual world-beating self this season, and while Chris Godwin has been consistently solid, he hasn’t been a big touchdown scorer this season. (He has just 3 this season, but he did miss 2 games with injury) Tampa is clearly missing the presence of Rob Gronkowski, and nobody should be expecting him or Antonio Brown to come back to the locker room any time soon. Tampa’s defense is still good, but they’re ranked 13^th in the league and can’t be called an elite unit anymore. As unfortunate as it is, Tom Brady is in a situation comparable to the one he left in New England—most of the assets are there, but a crucial, Gronk-shaped absence is leading to struggles. Like it or not, Tom Terrific will have to be the one carrying the load for Tampa to win on Monday. 

You’d think that after I essentially bashed Tampa for a good 294 words that I would choose Dallas to win this game, and that’s where you’d be wrong. This is one of those games where I have the feeling that Tom Brady will put up a vintage performance. Dallas is objectively the better team in this situation at nearly every position, but Brady has always had his way with them and Tampa has looked significantly better over the past few weeks. This is the prediction that has the highest likelihood of backfiring, but you don’t get into this business to take the safe bet every time. 

Prediction: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 28