Predictions for the NFL bracket wild card rounds

Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) and Chicago Bears (11-6) 

The Bears and Packers game is likely going to be a close one, with one team barely taking the cake.

The Packers have recently acquired Trevon Diggs, although Micah Parsons and other key players are injured. Jordan Love is back, so the Packers are gonna leave it all on the field.

The Bears are the two seed and a heavy favorite, however, they have their top WRs out (DJ Moore and Rome Odunze).

Caleb Williams, the starting QB, has been known for his late comebacks and a weak start. The Bears will probably take control of the game early on and eventually hold off long enough to win. The final will be 21-17 Bears.

San Francisco 49ers (12-5) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) 

This game will be a much closer match, as both teams have their strengths and weaknesses.

The 49ers have been suffering with injuries for the whole season, with key defense and main offensive players being out. For this reason, the 49ers run defense is weak, as displayed in the Seahawks game.

The Eagles have one of the best running backs: Saquon Barkley. The Eagles have a very strong run game, but their passing game is subpar.

Jalen Hurts against the Bills had zero passing yards in the second half, and some are saying that he is an overrated system QB.

For these reasons, Shaquan is going to run all over the Niners defense and eventually come out on top. The final will be 35-28 Eagles.

LA Rams (12-5) and Carolina Panthers (8-9)

The Rams have locked in a playoff start easily, and they have been a strong team the whole season. Mathew Stafford is also an MVP candidate.

The Panthers barely made the playoffs, getting lucky after losing to the Buccaneers and still making them. The Panthers have a very young team, so they’ll probably make some rookie mistakes and let the Rams take an early lead and hold on.

The Rams have an older team, but they have one of the best WRs in the league: Puca Nacua, a favorite offensive player of the year.

I believe that Stafford and Nacua will shred this defense, while the Rams’ defense will hold Bryce Young off and end up on top. The final will be 38-14 Rams.

Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) and New England Patriots (14-3)

Even though this seems like a mismatch on paper, the Chargers have played amazingly in these final weeks.

The quarterback for the Patriots, Drake Maye, has been playing MVP caliber football despite being 4-13 last season.

The Patriots will be battling for the game, but with five minutes left, they will pull away with a final score of 35-26.

Buffalo Bills (12-5) and Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4) 

The Bills will be fighting for this game. Even though the Jags have been good, they have played many quality opponents, and they are up and down in the big games.

The Bills are inconsistent in the second half, and they fold easily under pressure, especially Josh Allen (though he has played fairly well this season). The score will be Jacksonville holding on in double overtime 46-43.

Houston Texans (12-5) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) 

This game will be a blowout win for the Texans, especially when the Steelers barely squeaked by against the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in week 18.

This was a lucky win after the Ravens key defensive players got hurt and Tyler Loop missed a game winning field goal.

Aaron Rodgers is inconsistent, but credit where credit is due, he is 41 years old. The Texans will win 34-10.