NFL playoffs: Vikings on upset alert and other predictions for wild-card weekend

The NFL playoffs are finally here. Which games are must-watch in this weekend's wild-card round?

After 18 weeks, the NFL playoffs are finally here. Over the next three days we’ll have six wild-card games to decide who will move on to the divisional round. The schedule is as follows:

With a multitude of storylines to watch, NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni and Andrew Grief and NBC Sports’ Patrick Daugherty are here to break it down from every angle. 

Nadkarni: Ravens-Steelers. It’s hard not to be romantic about these two teams. I know Pittsburgh is entering the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, but I’m all for a matchup featuring two physical, cold-weather teams that already have a built-in dislike for one another. Add in the funkiness associated with divisional games, I believe we could get a close one even if Baltimore is the much better team on paper.

The Steelers also provide a promising beginning to the narrative arc if this is finally the year Lamar Jackson makes a Super Bowl. Jackson could do worse than beating a formidable AFC North rival in the opening round, not to mention knocking off Russell Wilson, who even in the later part of his career deserves respect for his postseason resumé. Whether it’s an upset or a smash-mouth game between bitter rivals, the spectrum of outcomes here is great. 

Greif: Ravens-Steelers, because Pittsburgh has repeatedly been able to frustrate Ravens quarterback and perennial MVP candidate Jackson during his career in ways few others have. Jackson is often saddled with the criticism that he can’t win when it matters, but this year he’s become a more accurate passer than ever and is complemented by a better ground game than ever. The thought of watching Jackson at his most talented and most motivated equals entertaining TV.

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-playoffs-preview-eagles-packers-steelers-ravens-rcna186711

---