2020 NFL Wild Card Weekend Preview (Part II): Saints, Eagles Hoping to Turn the Tide

After two great AFC games on Saturday, Wildcard Weekend continues with two tasty NFC match-ups today. Can Brees continue his mastery at home? Can Wentz deliver in his first postseason appearance?

Game Previews 

No. 6 Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at No. 3 New Orleans Saints (13-3)

All-time Wild Card Round: Vikings (6-7), Saints (4-5)

Strange but true: In his career, Kirk Cousins is 0-15 against teams that finished with at least 12 wins in a season (ESPN).

Two years removed from the Minneapolis Miracle, these teams meet again - this time in the Big Easy.

Kirk Cousins first postseason start as a member of the purple and yellow. Not an ideal situation having to go against one of the best to ever do it - let alone in his own building. But don’t sleep on the team up north. The Vikings were one of three teams this season that finished in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to Football Outsiders (the other two are enjoying first round byes - BAL & SF). The offense gets a boost as it welcomes back RB Dalvin Cook, who finished 10th in rushing (1,135 yards) and fourth in touchdowns (13) despite missing the final two games of the season. Cook helped establish the league’s sixth-ranked rushing attack (133.3 per game) and eighth-ranked scoring offense (25.4 ppg).

Minnesota will need to run the ball successfully in order to keep the Saints high-octane offense (28.4 ppg) at bay. Coach Zimmer’s group is 9-0 when recording at least 30 carries in a game, 1-6 when they fail to reach that number. It won’t be easy against the Saints run defense, but having Cook back should make for better odds.       

The all-time leader in career TD passes & yards, Brees looks to add to his legacy with another SB (SBNation). 

Drew Brees and co. have been clicking on all cylinders heading into the postseason. In their last seven, the Saints have averaged 36.3 points per game. That includes putting up 46 against the 49ers’ second-ranked defense (282 ypg and 19 ppg). Brees feasts at home (6-1 in the playoffs). Having arguably the best wide receiver in the game - Michael Thomas - is a major advantage. The fourth-year pro set the single season record for catches in a season (149), and led the league with 1,725 yards. With the Vikings down two starting cornerbacks, it will be a mighty challenge to try to slow this connection. Minnesota’s front seven could boast a problem, but the creativity of Sean Payton will counter such a reality.

On defense, it will be strength on strength - the Vikings rushing attack (6th) against the Saints stout front (4th in run defense). Allowing an average of 91.3 yards on the ground, the Saints will need to contain Cook first and foremost, putting the game in the hands of Cousins.

The playoffs have not been kind to the Saints the last two seasons - first the aforementioned Minneapolis Miracle, then last year’s no call (pass interference) debacle against the Rams. Payton’s group is determined to finish what they started last year. Saints get one step closer.

Prediction: Saints 31, Vikings 26


No. 5 Seattle Seahawks (11-5) at No. 4 Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)

All-time Wild Card Round: Seahawks (8-5), Eagles (8-8)

Strange but true: The Seahawks (7) and Eagles (9) combined to have 16 Week 1 starters miss Week 17. If those numbers hold, it would mark the most combined missing Week 1 starters in a playoff game since 1970, per NFL Research (NFL.com).

The only game on Wild Card weekend that pits a rematch from the regular season. In week 12, the Seahawks went into Philly and came out with a 17-9 victory. Both teams look much different this time around.

The Seahawks aren’t exactly riding high heading into this game, having lost three out of their final four games and being ravaged by injuries. But the Hawks did go 7-1 on the road this season (including the win at Philly), and with Russell Wilson under center, that alone gives this team a shot. Despite playing on a team with a run-first approach (fourth in rushing at 137.5 yards per game) and a woeful offensive line, the eight-year veteran ranked third in TD passes (31), and sixth in yards (4,110). His elite play will be needed sans a number of key starters on offense.

Wilson will be without his top lineman (LT Duane Brown), which is not the best news for him. In the first matchup, the Eagles were able to pressure the QB consistently to the tune of six sacks. That was with Brown. As a result, establishing the run will be paramount to the Seahawks success on Sunday. They’ll have to do it without their three RBs from the season - leading rusher Chris Carson (1,230 yards), backup Rashaad Penny (rushed for 129 against the Eagles), and reserve C.J. Prosise. As if that’s not hard enough, they'll be facing the league’s third-ranked rush defense (90.1 per game). Something to keep in mind: when the Seahawks attempt fewer than 30 passes in a game, they are 6-0, but 5-5 when having to rely heavily on the pass (more than 30 attempts). Can they do enough in the running game to result in success?

After watching the past two seasons from the sidelines, Wentz finally gets his first taste of the playoffs (NFL.com).

The Eagles, meanwhile, might be in a tougher situation injury wise. Especially on offense, where they’ve lost all three starting wide receivers (D. Jackson, A. Jeffery, N. Agholor), Pro Bowl G Brandon Brooks, and RBs Corey Clement & Jordan Howard. T Lane Johnson (missed weeks 15-17) and Zach Ertz (missed 17) are also banged up. Through it all, the one constant has been QB Carson Wentz, who led the Eagles to four straight wins (albeit against the dreadful NFC East) down the stretch, averaging over 300 yards passing and throwing 10 TDs to only 1 INT. The four-year pro became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards without having a single wide receiver with at least 500 yards (NFL). This will be his first playoff appearance in what figures to be a plus matchup against a Seahawks defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in most statistical categories - 26th in yards allowed (381.6), 27th in passing (263.9), 22nd in points (24.9 ppg).

The one battle that Philly must win (or at least tie): turnovers. The Eagles are 8-2 when they win or tie in turnover margin (1-5 when they lose it). Seattle ranked fourth in the league in turnover margin (+12) with the third-most takeaways (32). The Eagles were 22nd (-3). Wentz tied for second with most fumbles lost (7). Philly must protect the ball in a game where each possession is heightened all the more.   

Under Pederson's tenure, Philly has won at least one game in each of the team's two postseason appearances. They make it a third, narrowly escaping the Hawks.   

Prediction: Eagles 24, Seahawks 23