The first round of the 2020 playoffs is complete, and some (but maybe not all) of our Wild Card questions were answered. Now, we’ve got four more postseason contests this weekend in the divisional round, and as such, we’ve got even more queries about what will happen when the ball is kicked off for the Rams-Packers, Bills-Ravens, Browns-Chiefs and Buccaneers-Saints games.
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Here are the five pressing questions for the second round of the 2020 NFL playoffs.
1. Can the Ravens pass defense stop Josh Allen?: The Bills quarterback emerged as one of the best players in the league this year, and though he’s still effective on the ground, he was incredible as a passer, completing nearly 70% of his attempts for 4,544 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It’s not just his passing prowess. It’s about the decisions he makes on the field when his team needs him the most.
But the Ravens pass defense could be ready for him. Baltimore allowed 221 passing yards per game, sixth-best in the NFL, and only twice this year did an opponent manage more than 300 passing yards against it (Allen has managed to surpass that total eight times this season). Baltimore has blitzed more than any NFL team this year, but the potential issue with that approach is that Allen has been fantastic against that kind of pressure this year, completing 67.5% percent of his throws for 14 touchdown passes and 8.2 yards per attempt against only two interceptions and eight sacks. If Allen has that much success against the Ravens pressure, it might be tough for Baltimore to overcome. But remember this: Last year, Baltimore blitzed Allen 62.5% of the time, according to the Buffalo News. On that day, a Ravens victory, Allen was sacked five times, and he went 7 of 23 for only 64 yards when he felt the pressure.
2. Are the Saints peaking at the right time? The Ravens know all about peaking at the right time just as the playoffs begin. That’s what happened with Baltimore and Joe Flacco on their way to Super Bowl glory during the 2012 season. Now, it seems as if New Orleans is experiencing some of the same momentum. Drew Brees has played well the past two weeks after initially struggling in his return from his ribs and lung injuries, and the defense, which is already a top-five unit, has only allowed 16 points in its last two games. But can the Saints beat the Buccaneers for the third time this season? According to CBS Sports, teams have completed the three-game sweep in the playoffs against divisional foes in 14 of 21 attempts. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is 0-4 against New Orleans since he took over in Tampa Bay. None of those trends are good for the Buccaneers. What might be even worse for his team, though? New Orleans has been playing its best football of the season, and with running back Alvin Kamara and receiver Michael Thomas back and healthy, that trend very well could continue.
3. Who will win between Davante Adams and Jalen Ramsey? One of the most fascinating matchups for the entire weekend will occur between Adams, the Packers receiver who led the league with 18 touchdown catches and was second with 115 receptions despite missing two games, and Ramsey—the Rams shutdown cornerback who, according to Action Network, “was as perfect as possible in the regular season, allowing just 4.4 yards per target on a 44.6% catch rate and four targets per game while shadowing opposing No. 1 receivers almost every week.” Said Adams, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “I respect Jalen’s game. He’s at the top of the list, for sure. I think there’s probably three or four super elite … corners, and he’s definitely one of those guys. He’s been playing at a high level, got great confidence. Does a lot of barking, which feeds into his confidence more. And he’s made a lot of plays. He’s definitely earned that.” Ramsey will need to make even more plays vs. Adams for the Rams, who are about a seven-point underdog, to pull off the upset in Green Bay.
4. Can the Browns recreate their offensive magic against the best team in the league? The Browns were significant underdogs against the Steelers last week, predictions that looked awfully silly when Cleveland built a 35-10 halftime lead against the Steelers before holding on for the 48-37 victory. But we’ve known for the past several weeks that Pittsburgh was a flawed team. Kansas City is an even bigger favorite vs. Cleveland (the Browns were +5.5 vs. Pittsburgh but are about +10 vs. the Chiefs). So, does Cleveland have a chance to pull off another unexpected victory?
Unlike last week, the Browns will have their head coach on the sidelines. Kevin Stefanski, who was quarantining after a COVID-19 diagnosis last week, will return, and even though interim head coach Mike Priefer was coaching only the second game of his career and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was calling plays for the first time, the Browns offense was awfully effective in his absence. And remember: The Steelers defense ranked No. 3 in the league in points allowed and yards given up this year. The Chiefs were No. 10 and No. 16, respectively. So while I wouldn’t bet on the Browns to win this game, I would probably pick them to cover the spread and keep it close.
5. Will the Chiefs be stymied after so many starters haven’t played for 21 days? Patrick Mahomes hasn’t taken the field since Dec. 27 when the Chiefs grabbed their 14th win of the season with a narrow win vs. the Falcons. Neither has Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce or Tyrann Mathieu. Now, the Chiefs starters, who were off in Week 17 and during their Wild Card weekend bye, are tasked with facing an upstart Browns with plenty of momentum. Will their recent inactivity hurt? Kansas City coach Andy Reid is the master of playing off a bye week (19-3 during the regular season and 5-2 after his team got to skip the postseason’s first round), but it’ll be interesting to see how his starters perform after not playing for three weeks. Sports Illustrated notes that of the last 40 teams who have had a playoff bye in the past 10 years, only six opted to sit their starters in Week 17. For what it’s worth, those teams went 2-4 in the divisional round.
NFL Analyst
Josh Katzowitz is a longtime sports writer who covers boxing for Forbes and who previously reported on the NFL for CBSSports.com. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. He’s currently a writer and editor at the Daily Dot. His work has been noted twice in the Best American Sports Writing book series.