The 2023 season has been one of the wildest seasons in recent memory after so many divisions and seedings were decided in the final week. After 18 weeks of intense action, the field to win the Lombardi has dwindled to 14 teams. If the regular season was any indication, it might be one of those years where a surprise team makes a run to the title. The Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans are four teams from the field that have never won a Super Bowl. Can any of these teams shock the world and bring home the trophy? It’s one of the intriguing questions that will be answered as fans cheer on their team this weekend. In this article, we preview and predict who will win the six matchups on deck.
1. Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans-Saturday, 4:30 p.m., NBC
This game will be a rematch from Week 16 when the Browns 36-22 on the road in Houston. Joe Flacco won the game of risk vs reward by completing 27 of 42 passes for 368 yards, and three touchdowns. However, what will give the Texans hope is that he did throw two interceptions, and it is concern for the veteran quarterback. Houston will be hopeful for revenge because star rookie C.J. Stroud did not feature in the game and will make a big difference under center in this matchup. I think the Browns’ defense will be able to pressure the young quarterback, but Stroud will make this a close game. Joe Flacco has a 10-5 record in the playoffs, and I think he will find a way to close the deal on the road with a narrow victory.
Browns 27-Texans 23.
2. Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs-Saturday, 8:15 p.m., Peacock
This game will be a rematch of their week nine contest in Germany when the Chiefs prevailed 21-14. However, these teams will meet in Kansas City this weekend in far different weather conditions. The weather forecast at kickoff will be -1 degrees with a -23 wind chill. The National Weather Service has warned fans that they should cover all extremities including your head and face. It will likely be the coldest game the Miami Dolphins have ever played, and they are 0-10 in their history playing games under 40 degrees. On a neutral site, I think this game would have been a toss-up, but in brutal weather, I favor the team with the better defense and quarterback on the Kansas City sideline. Also, I think Isiah Pacheco will be more effective in a power running game versus the finesse running game of the Miami Dolphins.
Chiefs 24-Dolphins 20.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills-Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
Weather will impact this matchup because the weather forecast points to a high of 24 degrees on Sunday, inches of snow, and winds gusting near 50 miles per hour. It will likely be among the highest winds ever recorded in an NFL game, short of the 55 miles per hour winds faced in the Bills 14-10 loss to the Patriots in December 2021. It means running the football will be a premium in those conditions, and the team that does it better will likely win. I favor the Bills in a low-scoring matchup because I think Josh Allen is one of the toughest quarterbacks to handle running the football in the red zone. T.J. Watt being out for this game is a big miss for the Steelers. The Bills are catching fire at the right time by winning five out of their last six games by one score and nabbing the division. I think they will march on with a low-scoring win.
Bills 17-Steelers 13
4. Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys-Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Fox
All the pressure in this matchup will be on Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys. The Green Bay Packers will see this season as a success, and first-year starter Jordan Love looking like the franchise they hoped he would be in succeeding Aaron Rodgers. However, I think this will end their 2023 season because I think Dak Prescott exploit this defense on home turf. The Cowboys having the lead will put their defense in the right position to pressure the quarterback into playing with a lead. Love will play well, but it will not be enough because he will make an untimely turnover.
Cowboys 34-Packers 24
5. Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions- Sunday, 8:15 p.m., NBC, Peacock
This game will be one of the most interesting games of the weekend because the matchup will involve two quarterbacks that were traded for each another and will be out for revenge. The Lions had a tremendous season by winning 12 games and the NFC North for the first time in franchise history. However, I keep thinking about their Packers game on Thanksgiving when they lost on the national stage. The Rams feel like the most dangerous team in the playoffs, having won seven of their past eight games, and their only loss was an overtime defeat to the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Matthew Stafford is playing well, and the plethora of weapons will be a problem for a Lions’ defense that is playing inconsistent. Aaron Donald will be a danger for Jared Goff and will force an errant interception to seal the game.
Rams 30-Lions 27
6. Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET ABC/ESPN
This game will be a rematch of the Monday Night Football game in week three where the Eagles won in Tampa Bay 25-11. The two teams have gone in the opposite direction since then because the Bucs surprisingly won the NFC South division while the Eagles lost 5 of their last six games to limp into the postseason. It’s hard for me to think the Eagles will lose this game, and their season will end on a whimper. I picked the Bucs to win that first matchup, and their offense has been inconsistent scoring only 22 points against the Panthers and Saints in the last two weeks. I think Jaylen Hurts will be able to score points in a bounce-back performance and escape Florida with a win.
Eagles 23-Bucs 17