Both the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings came away with road victories in the wildcard in the NFC. Here is the updated NFC playoff picture and schedule.
The second and final day of the NFL Wildcard weekend delivered every bit and then some, as both wild card teams pulled off a win on the road to advance to the Divisional round.
For the third straight year, the New Orleans Saints season ends in torment. The Minnesota Vikings marched into New Orleans as massive underdogs but pulled off the upset with a 26-20 overtime win against the highly touted Saints. The victory marked the first-ever playoff win for Kirk Cousins
Later, the Seattle Seahawks took care of business on the road and took out the Philadelphia Eagles with a 17-9 win to send them to the Divisional round. The Eagles succumbed to their season-long struggle with injuries, as Carson Wentz went down with a concussion in the first quarter, leaving the game on the shoulders of 40-year-old Josh McCown. With a decimated offense all around, the Eagles had no chance.
Here is the updated NFC playoff picture and television schedule.
Saturday, Jan. 11
No.6 Minnesota Vikings at No.1 San Francisco 49ers, 4:35 PM EST (NBC)
Sunday, Jan 12
No.5 Seattle Seahawks at No.2 Green Bay Packers, 6:40 PM EST (FOX)
The Vikings put the NFC on notice with their statement victory over the Saints, but they’ll have their work cut out for them against the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers. While the 49ers definitely have the edge on paper, they cannot take this Vikings team lightly when they’re firing on all cylinders like they were against the Saints.
It wasn’t a pretty win for Seattle against the Eagles, but they got the job done and are off to Green Bay The Green Bay Packers are a talented team but they left a lot to be desired in the last few weeks of the season, and Seahawks have the skill to match them. If nothing else, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson facing off once again in the postseason always has the makings of an instant classic.
The three of four wildcard teams advancing past the first week of the playoffs, the Super Bowl is up for grabs this year. Can either the Vikings or Seahawks pull of another road win and advance past the some of NFL’s best in the 49ers and Packers for a trip to the NFC championship?