Wild Card Games Thread

[Acrobat]

Out of all the NFC playoff teams, which one is our toughest matchup? I would say it's still Tampa but Los Angeles might be a close second.

I still fear San Fran. I really think we match up better against Tampa this year on both sides of the ball.

[wallyuwl]

Out of all the NFC playoff teams, which one is our toughest matchup? I would say it's still Tampa but Los Angeles might be a close second.

Tampa and then SF and Rams tied second.

[YoHoChecko]

I reeeaaalllly want to beat Tampa.

But to beat Tampa you have to play Tampa.

And I really REALLY reeeaaalllly don't want to lose to Tampa.

What's the human phenomenon where you fear losing a dollar more than you value winning a dollar? Some sort of loss aversion multiplier?

My loss aversion multiplier on losing to Tampa is strong enough to overcome how badly I'd like to be the ones to beat them, not to say I fear them. I just care enough about losing to them that even if they had a 20% shot to win, and we had an 80% shot, my loss aversion multiplier says "why don't we just play someone else?"

[Pckfn23]

Still for me;

Rams
Cowboys
49ers
Bucs
Cardinals
Eagles

[Scott4Pack]

I've long held the belief that, to become the best team, you have to beat the "best" team. That is, is one of the teams significantly stronger/better than the others in the field?

I don't know if Tampa/Dallas or whatever is really that. But Tampa is very good and they still have a great D. When the Packers beat teams like that, it means something. That's why the regular season record against playoff teams is important. Now, they need to ratchet up another notch to beat the playoff teams again.

I think this Packer team can do it. Aaron hardly ever turns over the ball. The running game is solid. The D is inconsistent but still makes plays. If we can just avoid the improbable/unlikely turnovers and crazy plays...

Two years ago, the Niners were just plain better.

Last year, Tampa was just plain better.

They are NOT better this year.

[Labrev]

If the 49ers are good enough to beat Dallas to face us, then they are probably a force to be reckoned with. Also, I saw something in a dream I had a few nights ago that leads me to believe that playing them would be bad news.

LA looks good on paper and are "hot" but they did not actually look that good in some of their recent wins and I don't think they can beat us at Lambeau. And we have gotten pretty good at beating them in general. TB looks quite a bit less threatening than last year but they are just good at beating us, kind of the inverse of LA (though in my heart of hearts, I still feel like we should beat them).

So TB and SF are my least desired teams.

[Yoop]

I've long held the belief that, to become the best team, you have to beat the "best" team. That is, is one of the teams significantly stronger/better than the others in the field?

I don't know if Tampa/Dallas or whatever is really that. But Tampa is very good and they still have a great D. When the Packers beat teams like that, it means something. That's why the regular season record against playoff teams is important. Now, they need to ratchet up another notch to beat the playoff teams again.

I think this Packer team can do it. Aaron hardly ever turns over the ball. The running game is solid. The D is inconsistent but still makes plays. If we can just avoid the improbable/unlikely turnovers and crazy plays...

Two years ago, the Niners were just plain better.

Last year, Tampa was just plain better.

They are NOT better this year.

I think we have a different type swagger this year, I think the team knows that but for some critical mistakes last year against Tampa and we win that game ( King in single coverage was roasted, 4 or 5 dropped passes, several less then perfect throws) so the team knows they are more then capable of winning it all.

I think teams generally play up or down to there competition, it's one reason I would like to see Detroit and the Bears improve, the stiffer competition they would provide would force us to play our A game against them, both are like a walk in the park year in and year out, the only reason these games are close imo is that often we play them on auto pilot, very vanilla, on both sides of the ball, the better our division is, the sharper our killer instinct will be.

course the flip side of this is that NE won a bunch of SB's being in the weakest division in the league, so.....

[Bogey]

Feel free to like and retweet.

Thank you Brandon and absolutely no one else.

I didn’t know until now that we had a Twitter thingy. Then again, it’s a miracle I even know what a Twitter thingy is.

[Scott4Pack]

I've long held the belief that, to become the best team, you have to beat the "best" team. That is, is one of the teams significantly stronger/better than the others in the field?

I don't know if Tampa/Dallas or whatever is really that. But Tampa is very good and they still have a great D. When the Packers beat teams like that, it means something. That's why the regular season record against playoff teams is important. Now, they need to ratchet up another notch to beat the playoff teams again.

I think this Packer team can do it. Aaron hardly ever turns over the ball. The running game is solid. The D is inconsistent but still makes plays. If we can just avoid the improbable/unlikely turnovers and crazy plays...

Two years ago, the Niners were just plain better.

Last year, Tampa was just plain better.

They are NOT better this year.

I think we have a different type swagger this year, I think the team knows that but for some critical mistakes last year against Tampa and we win that game ( King in single coverage was roasted, 4 or 5 dropped passes, several less then perfect throws) so the team knows they are more then capable of winning it all.

I think teams generally play up or down to there competition, it's one reason I would like to see Detroit and the Bears improve, the stiffer competition they would provide would force us to play our A game against them, both are like a walk in the park year in and year out, the only reason these games are close imo is that often we play them on auto pilot, very vanilla, on both sides of the ball, the better our division is, the sharper our killer instinct will be.

course the flip side of this is that NE won a bunch of SB's being in the weakest division in the league, so.....

I kinda looked at the Aaron Jones fumble/injury too against Tampa last year. It killed a drive. It robbed momentum. And it took a key player out of the game. I felt like the air in our collective balloon kind of fizzled after that. Yeah, we fought hard. But Tampa's swagger only got better from that point. It was clear by then that they were playing with more speed and authority. Even so, if Jones doesn't fumble (he was and is a sure-handed RB), we probably get a figgy anyhow and keep enough momentum to win.

[Yoop]

I've long held the belief that, to become the best team, you have to beat the "best" team. That is, is one of the teams significantly stronger/better than the others in the field?

I don't know if Tampa/Dallas or whatever is really that. But Tampa is very good and they still have a great D. When the Packers beat teams like that, it means something. That's why the regular season record against playoff teams is important. Now, they need to ratchet up another notch to beat the playoff teams again.

I think this Packer team can do it. Aaron hardly ever turns over the ball. The running game is solid. The D is inconsistent but still makes plays. If we can just avoid the improbable/unlikely turnovers and crazy plays...

Two years ago, the Niners were just plain better.

Last year, Tampa was just plain better.

They are NOT better this year.

I think we have a different type swagger this year, I think the team knows that but for some critical mistakes last year against Tampa and we win that game ( King in single coverage was roasted, 4 or 5 dropped passes, several less then perfect throws) so the team knows they are more then capable of winning it all.

I think teams generally play up or down to there competition, it's one reason I would like to see Detroit and the Bears improve, the stiffer competition they would provide would force us to play our A game against them, both are like a walk in the park year in and year out, the only reason these games are close imo is that often we play them on auto pilot, very vanilla, on both sides of the ball, the better our division is, the sharper our killer instinct will be.

course the flip side of this is that NE won a bunch of SB's being in the weakest division in the league, so.....

I kinda looked at the Aaron Jones fumble/injury too against Tampa last year. It killed a drive. It robbed momentum. And it took a key player out of the game. I felt like the air in our collective balloon kind of fizzled after that. Yeah, we fought hard. But Tampa's swagger only got better from that point. It was clear by then that they were playing with more speed and authority. Even so, if Jones doesn't fumble (he was and is a sure-handed RB), we probably get a figgy anyhow and keep enough momentum to win.

good call, I forgot to mention the Jones Fumble, and I think your right, it changed the tempo of the game for us, and we really missed Jones after that.

[BF004]

I didn’t know until now that we had a Twitter thingy. Then again, it’s a miracle I even know what a Twitter thingy is.

Yeah, kind of forgot about this for like a year.

Thought if I can send out a few random tweets or retweets, particularly from smaller accounts, might possibly draw in a few more members.


I don't think it has been working thus far.

[Bogey]

I didn’t know until now that we had a Twitter thingy. Then again, it’s a miracle I even know what a Twitter thingy is.

Yeah, kind of forgot about this for like a year.

Thought if I can send out a few random tweets or retweets, particularly from smaller accounts, might possibly draw in a few more members.


I don't think it has been working thus far.

We’ll, now that I’ve retweeted it, I’m thinking both of my devoted Twitter followers will be storming through the door any moment now. Unless they only check their Twitter feed once a year or so like me. Is that what they call going viral?

[Pckfn23]

How did I forgot about the 49ers-Ciwboys rivals of last century!?

[BSA]

How did I forgot about the 49ers-Cowboys rivals of last century!?

You're not alone.
Kyle Shanahan recently said none of his current 49er players know anything about the rivalry and many weren't even born yet.

[paco]

I've picked 2 upsets in the wild card games. But starting to think I may need to pick 3. Doesn't anyone else like the Steelers in an upset? They seem to be trending up and will have JuJu back.

Chiefs dealing with Covid and other injuries.

[APB]

I've picked 2 upsets in the wild card games. But starting to think I may need to pick 3. Doesn't anyone else like the Steelers in an upset? They seem to be trending up and will have JuJu back.

Chiefs dealing with Covid and other injuries.

I just think there is too much of a talent gap between Pittsburgh and KC and it starts at the QB position. Big Ben just doesn’t have it anymore.

[paco]

I've picked 2 upsets in the wild card games. But starting to think I may need to pick 3. Doesn't anyone else like the Steelers in an upset? They seem to be trending up and will have JuJu back.

Chiefs dealing with Covid and other injuries.

I just think there is too much of a talent gap between Pittsburgh and KC and it starts at the QB position. Big Ben just doesn’t have it anymore.

I agree with this. But I think they could surprise for a game. Especially if the D can wreck Mahomes.

I probably won't pick it, but I hope it happens.

[APB]

If the 49ers beat the Cowpokes, as I suspect they will, is that more a testament to how good the 49ers team is or is it an indictment of how overrated McCarthy’s team is?

[BF004]

Saturday, Jan. 15

(5) Raiders at (4) Bengals: 3:30 p.m. CST (NBC). This is a rematch of a game that the Bengals won 32-13 on the road back in Week 11. This is the firs time these two teams have met in the postseason since January 1991 when the Raiders started Cincinnati's 31-year playoff losing streak.

(6) Patriots at (3) Bills: 8:15 p.m. CST (CBS) Stream: Paramount+ (click here). These two division rivals will be meeting for the third time this season. The Patriots and Bills split their season-series with the home team losing each time.

I feel like I've seen a surprisingly lot of the Bengals this year. I liked them coming into the year. I remember I was laughed at for suggesting they are better than the 49ers around week 3-4 when we were playing those guys. I wasn't wrong or right they appear somewhat even tbh. They are more exciting and more likely to beat the Chiefs, only team I really fear in the AFC, maybe the Bills too, that D can be hot. Although you never know with division games and the Raiders.

Patriots and Bills, fully expecting the Bills to control this game, they are just the better team with a much better QB at home, and likely not insane weather conditions this time.


Looking forward to it!

I often feel like the wild card round disappoints compared to expectations, always just a few teams who don't really belong it seems. But then the divisional round is generally some really good football.

[NCF]

Let's get it going.