With a lot of bumps along the way, the NFL has reached an on-time start to the postseason, and thanks to an expanded playoff format, the wild-card round will feature two days of triple-headers.
The Athletic asked one coach, one scout and one active player who will win each game this weekend and why. All three were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor. They’ll share their picks throughout the playoffs.
Colts at Bills
The coach thinks these are two of the league’s most balanced teams, good in all three phases of the game. But toward the end of the regular season, the Colts recorded two narrow victories over a bad Texans team and collapsed in the second half of a game against the Steelers. Meanwhile, all three men agreed the Bills are the NFL’s hottest team. If not for a Kyler Murray-to-DeAndre Hopkins Hail Mary — one of the best plays of the year — Buffalo would be riding a 10-game winning streak.
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