SPORTS: NFL Wild Card Weekend Recap

BY: ISAIAH LAMPTON

JANUARY 18, 2023

The NFL regular season ended in dramatic fashion, and it’s officially playoff time. The 2023 NFL Playoffs will be strange this year, as there is no clear cut Super Bowl favorite. The Super Bowl will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. The most likely Super Bowl matchup is Bills vs 49ers with a 50% chance to occur.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the NFC 1-seed for the first time since 2017, led by Pro Bowl QB Jalen Hurts. This youthful, fierce club found themselves as the last undefeated team in the league, sitting at 8-0 before falling to the Washington Commanders in Week 10. Other favorites to make it out of the NFC include the San Francisco 49ers, and the Dallas Cowboys.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the best in the AFC for the third time in five years, led by All-Pro and MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes. Even with the loss of Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs offense is still thriving, which has led them to the top spot in the conference. Travis Kelce is also having one of the best Tight End seasons in recent memory. Other possible teams to win the AFC Championship include the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Wild Card weekend kicked off on Saturday, as the Seattle Seahawks travelled  to Levi Stadium to play the NFC West Champion 49ers. The 49ers defense was firing on all cylinders, and “Mr Irrelevant” Brock Purdy proved he can be a game manager at the highest level. The Niners beat the Seahawks  41-23, and will host the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. The Chargers headed to Jacksonville to face off against the AFC South Champion Jaguars, Trevor Lawernce is playing his best football since Clemson, yet the Jags were down 27-0. The Jaguars slowly climbed back into the game and eventually took the lead and beat the Chargers, 33-30. They head to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs.