The 2022 regular season has come to a close, meaning the postseason is now on our doorstep. It was an action-packed few months featuring plenty of surprises as the Super Wild Card Weekend playoff field certainly has a few teams that no one expected to make it this far.
Every matchup in Super Wild Card Weekend we saw at some point during the regular season. Three of those matchups will be of the divisional variety as rematches will occur between NFC West, AFC East and AFC North rivals.
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Seattle Seahawks, while the Miami Dolphins will be traveling to take on the Buffalo Bills. The Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens didn’t have to move, as they are facing off for the second consecutive week.
In the other three games, the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will all be heading on the road to exact some revenge from losses in the regular season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be hosting them, respectively.
What can we expect from each of these matchups? Let’s take a look at the biggest X-Factor from each game during Super Wild Card Weekend.
6. Doug Pederson
The Jacksonville Jaguars are hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Super Wild Card Weekend in a rematch from Week 3, which they won handily 38-10. In that game, the Chargers were banged up as Justin Herbert was coming off an injury. This will be a new-look group with more confidence, but the biggest X-Factor is the coaching staff.
Bradon Staley is constantly under heat for some of the decisions that he makes, including playing his regulars in Week 18 despite the game having no impact on the standings. Wide receiver Mike Williams and star pass rusher Joey Bosa both left the game with injuries.
Heading into his first playoff game, he has a tough matchup against Super Bowl-winning head coach, Doug Pederson. That experience could provide the Jaguars with a huge edge when it comes to game planning and adapting in a win-or-go-home game.
5. Brock Purdy
A lot of people are waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy. He has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since taking over the starting job from Jimmy Garoppolo, who injured his foot.
Mr. Irrelevant has played like he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, picking apart every defense that he has faced thus far. However, this will be the first time that he will be facing a team for the second time as the 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-13 in Week 15.
Can Purdy replicate his solid performance from that game now that Pete Carroll and his staff have game tape on him? He’s been magnificent but will it continue against a hungry Seahawks team?
