Former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, who was primarily a special teams ace, caught just four passes for 35 yards and no touchdowns in the 2007 regular season.
When the Giants advanced to the Super Bowl, it was hard to pinpoint him being much of a factor in the team's quest to knock off the undefeated New England Patriots.
However, Tyree caught a touchdown pass before making the now-legendary Helmet Catch to help propel the Giants to a 17-14 Super Bowl victory.
The lesson here is that you never know which player could step up and make a big play at any given time.
Here's a look at three possible unsung heroes who could shine on center stage during Wild Card Weekend, in addition to the schedule and some picks.
Wild-Card Schedule and Predictions
Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC: No. 5 Tennessee Titans at No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs (Pick: Chiefs 27, Titans 13)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC: No. 6 Atlanta Falcons at No. 3 Los Angeles Rams (Pick: Rams 27, Falcons 24)
Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET on CBS: No. 6 Buffalo Bills at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (Pick: Jaguars 31, Bills 10)
Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET on Fox: No. 5 Carolina Panthers at No. 4 New Orleans Saints (Pick: Saints 24, Panthers 16)
Three X-Factors
Kansas City Chiefs WR Albert Wilson
After accruing 10 catches for 147 yards to close the regular season against the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson is heading into the playoffs on a high note.
Impressively, Wilson accomplished that feat with rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes making his first start (regular starter Alex Smith rested to get ready for the playoffs).
The former Texas Tech star signal-caller likely has a bright future in this league, but it was impressive that Wilson was able to establish a strong rapport right away.
Wilson has done well with Smith in recent weeks, seeing no fewer than five targets in four of his past five games. Notably, Wilson caught five passes for 72 yards against the Oakland Raiders.
The Tennessee Titans are susceptible to short passes (per Football Outsiders, the Titans rank last in the NFL in defense-adjusted value over average there), and Wilson's calling card is running shorter routes to help move the sticks. Therefore, Wilson could be in line for another big game.
Carolina Panthers WR Brenton Bersin
This pick may look like it's out of left field considering that the Panthers wideout has only accumulated eight catches for 128 yards (and no touchdowns) for the entire season, but Brenton Bersin might have the matchup in his favor for Sunday.
First and foremost, the Saints have two stout outside cornerbacks in Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley. That should be a problem for Panthers wideouts Kaelin Clay and Devin Funchess, but Bersin runs his routes from the slot, so he'll be avoiding that dynamic duo.
Second, Bersin has seen eight targets in the past two weeks. That may not seem like a lot, but that more than doubled his total from the rest of the year. The former Wofford Terrier parlayed those chances into five catches for 81 yards.
Third, if the Saints jump out to an early lead, the Panthers may be forced to throw the ball more often, which could lead to more chances for Bersin.
This isn't to say that Bersin is about to become the next David Tyree, but some circumstances are in place for him to find success on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills RB Marcus Murphy
Regular Buffalo Bills starter LeSean McCoy has a sprained ankle and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Rapoport went on to note that "the belief is he'll play," but questions remain as to how much he'll play and how effective he will be on the field.
If McCoy is at all limited, then Marcus Murphy should get some additional touches. The former Missouri Tiger wasn't even on the Bills' active roster until five days before their Week 17 game against the Miami Dolphins. However, Murphy saw some action and rushed seven times for 41 yards in addition to two catches for seven more.
Picked in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, Murphy was compared to returner Dexter McCluster in his NFL.com draft profile. The report offered praise, citing that he causes "mismatches inside 'backers with razor-sharp cuts to the sideline, creating easy throws for the quarterback."
Murphy is only 5'8", but he wouldn't be the first shorter running back to find success in the NFL. Perhaps he'll find some on Sunday. If the Bills are having trouble moving the ball through their wide receivers (and that's a distinct possibility given the Jaguars' No. 1 pass defense), then maybe Murphy could be the target quarterback Tyrod Taylor needs.
Also, Jacksonville has not fared as well against the run (4.3 yards allowed per carry, which ranks 26th in the NFL). Therefore, Murphy may be able to find success on the ground as well.
Read Again http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2752653-nfl-playoffs-2018-schedule-predictions-and-more-for-wild-card-weekendBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NFL Playoffs 2018: Schedule, Predictions and More for Wild Card Weekend"
Post a Comment