Articles by Tyler Hayes

The Ravens are a running football team — it’s how they put points on the board and generally beat the opposing teams this year. The Titans tried to keep Ravens QB Lamar Jackson put, but couldn’t fulfill that game plan. The Buffalo Bills will likely have the same plan and try to keep the Ravens running game at a standstill. With the worst passing record in the NFL, the Ravens without a running game most likely won’t be able to get its offense going enough to keep up with the Bills.

Josh Allen is a worthy QB to continue leading the Bills through another round of the postseason, but he’ll need to focus on the fundamentals against Baltimore. Occasionally he can try to turn lost plays into spectacular ones. That could end up costing the Bills if the Ravens take advantage of that.

Ultimately each team here has plenty of weaknesses and plenty of strengths. This game matches up pretty evenly at the end of the day so it’s anyone’s guess who ends up the victor here.

Baltimore Ravens vs. B…

The Rams are severely disadvantaged as they travel from Southern California where they’ve been practicing in 70 degree weather to Green Bay where the temperature is expected to be below 30. The cold weather with the home advantage will be a boost for the Packers, but the Rams have plenty of other factors playing against them as well.

Jared Goff’s thumb is still not completely healed and backup QB John Wolford left the wildcard game with a neck injury. Even if both quarterbacks are able to play on Saturday, not being at 100% is going to put the Rams’ offense in a less-than-idea place.

For the Rams to get a hold on the game, Los Angeles will have to put intense pressure on Aaron Rogers and keep him on the run. If the Packers bust open the Rams’ defense, it might be game over for the California team.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Green Bay Packers: Where and when?

The Rams and Packers go head-to-head on Saturday, January 16, starting at 4:35 PM ET. The game airs on FOX, but of course, there …

In a rematch of week 17, Cleveland heads to Pittsburgh to try and beat the Steelers for a second time in a row to advance in the playoffs. Of course, this time the Steelers won’t be resting their first-string starters like QB Ben Roethlisberger and will be pushing themselves to the limit this time.

Also coming off a restful weekend for the Steelers will be J.J. Watt and Cam Howard. Even without several impactful starters, Pittsburgh still nearly beat the Browns. It’s optimistic to assume Cleveland will be moving on past week 18. To add to their troubles, the Browns had renewed COVID-19 problems.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive for COVID and will miss this wildcard game. Mike Priefer, special teams coordinator will serve in the role for the game. Two players and two other coaches have also tested positive, but the names of those affected were not disclosed when Stefanski was announced. Can the Browns overcome the Steelers without their head coach? It will sure make th…

The Titans and Ravens are fairly evenly matched on paper. Both even have solid 11-5 records going into this Sunday’s game. The question is whether the actual game will playout as evenly matched as it seems like it might. Luckily, there are past games this season between the two to get a sense of what might happen.

Baltimore is the overall favorite with a slight advantage, but look at the last two times the Titans have met the Ravens it would probably prove savvy to pick the Titans. In last year’s playoff game between the two Tennessee shocked everyone with the win. Two months ago, just past the season’s halfway mark, the Titans also walked away with the win against the Ravens.

The Titans have a great run game and the Ravens are having trouble stopping the ground game. Derrick Henry will likely come in clutch in this week 18 game. If he doesn’t, the Ravens have a chance.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans: Where and when?

The Ravens battle the Titans on January 10, at 1:05 PM E…

The Los Angeles Rams have had a respectable season, most of the time the team to be feared, but going into this wildcard weekend, they are on the other end of the stick. The Rams will have to battle back Russell Wilson and the Seahawks to advance to the next stage.

Making things tougher for the Rams is the fact that QB Jared Goff has a thumb injury that might keep him from performing at 100%. It’s unclear whether backup quarterback John Wolford will make an appearance in the game or possibly even start for Goff. While Wolford played well during his single start this season, it is just a single instance and the experience is not there.

While past performance is no guarantee for future games, it is at least an indicator. So the stat that Seattle has never lost a home playoff game under head coach Pete Carroll does not mean they won’t lose here, but it’s a solid track record to build on moving forward. Seattle should have all its starters ready to go.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Sea…

The Raiders played themselves and tanked big time. Even if you’re not a fan, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed in how Las Vegas handled themselves over the course of the season. They went from being impressive and often scary to near laughable. It’s really a shame that year after year this is becoming commonplace because there are lots of highlights and special talent on the field.

Technically the Raiders are still on the bubble and their season isn’t over yet, but it isn’t looking good. The Dolphins on the other hand have done well at 9-5, but are still chasing a definitive postseason slot. Coach Flores is looking at every week as critical which is why he’s saying that this game against the Raiders is like week one of the playoffs. It’s that serious.

If the Dolphins can win the last two games of the season they remain in control of their own destiny. If they don’t they’ll be relying on others to punch their ticket. That’s not where any team wants to be.

Miami Dolphins vs….

The Arizona Cardinals remain in the hunt for a playoff spot while the 49ers collapsed several weeks ago. This game will likely only be interesting for Cardinals fans or those who enjoy the pain that seems to come each week from San Francisco.

While anything can happen, Kyler Murray, Arizona quarterback has been on fire. He is coming off a huge week where he passed for 400+ yards. Even a solid 49ers defense is going to have a hard time containing those kinds of numbers.

On the flip side, San Francisco QB Nick Mullens had a terrible week against the Dallas Cowboys. There’s also little chance things turn around significantly in week 16 for the Bay Area team.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: Where and when?

The 49ers take on the Cardinals on December 26 starting at 4:30 PM ET. The game airs on FOX, but Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to catch the game streaming for free on Prime Video.

Watch San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals online from outside your country

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It’s week 15 and the New York Jets are still looking for their first win. It may seem like a gimme game for the Rams who are playing well. Coach McVay has already said that he thinks the players and coaches will remain motivated to give it their all. Both Seattle and Los Angeles are tied for first in the NFC West with a record of 9-4 going into week 15. (The Cardinals are trying to stay in the hunt at 7-6.)

Seattle will face the Washington Football Team which poses a tougher challenge than the Jets look to do for the Rams. But, again, it’s 2020 and anything can happen.

If you’re the betting type there’s a wide spread, of course, but not as large as when the Chiefs played the Jets. New York only has a 14 point average per game while LA has more than 25 per game. Place your money accordingly.

New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Rams: Where and when?

The New York Jets take on the Los Angeles Rams on December 20 starting at 4:05 PM ET. The game airs on FOX, but of course, there are several…

A few weeks ago the NFC East was a complete toss up. The Eagles were struggling, but keeping the lead. Now, a month later and with four straight wins under their belt, the Washington Football Team is looking more worthy of their first place position. Despite the success and four straight wins, Washington hasn’t reached a .500 record so nothing it set in stone in the division yet.

Washington’s recent success has really come with solid performances from QB Alex Smith. Unfortunately, during week 14 in the first half of the 49ers game, Smith exited with a calf strain, a similar injury to one that sidelined him a few years ago. Whether Smith makes an appearance during the game with Seattle will likely play a big role in how close and competitive it is.

The Seahawks haven’t had a perfect season, but it’s been solid and they remain a threat for every team they face each week. While Seattle may be the favorite here, they are also tied in their division with the Rams and so they need a win …

This won’t be the least important week 15 game, but as these two last place teams face off, it definitely won’t be the most important. The Niners held on through the first half of the season, but as injuries kept hammering the players, the overall performance collapsed. Mostly, the offense has had a difficult time putting up points even when the defense has held steady.

The Niners are the slight favorite in this game, but it should be close. The Cowboys collapsed early in the season, but did manage to win last week against the Bengals. If, and this is a big if, the Cowboys can win this week against the 49ers then it would mark the first back-to-back wins for the team this year.

Andy Dalton has been shaky overall, but he did put together a solid performance against Cincinnati. If Dallas is out to prove something to themselves then he’ll need to put together another stellar performance.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys: Where and when?

The San Francisco 49ers take on the Dall…