Chairshot Picks: 2020-2021 NFL Playoffs Week 1

The Chairshot crew comes together to present their picks for Week 1 of the NFL playoffs! (For entertainment purposes only, of course).

Welcome to the start of the NFL second season–the playoffs! As we continue to expand our world here at The Chairshot (Sports… Entertainment… and Sports Entertainment!), our crack staff has put together their picks for this week’s Wildcard round. Being dubbed by some as “Super Wildcard Weekend,” we get six games instead of the traditional four, three each day on Saturday and Sunday. Games are listed in chronological order.

Odds are provided by the William Hill Sportsbook, as of 8:00 AM Friday morning.

Your panel features:

• PC Tunney (@PCTunney)
• Rey Ca$h – (@itsreycash)
• Dave Ungar (@AttitudeAgg)
• Andrew Balaz (@IWCWarChief)
• DPP – (@itsmedpp)
• Steve Cook (@stevecook84)
• Patrick O’Dowd (@wrestlngrealist)
• Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg)

We will track records straight up as well as against the spread, but the overall winner will be determined against the spread. On with the for-entertainment-purposes-only picks!

NFL Playoffs Week 1 – Saturday

1:05 PM – 7. Indianapolis Colts @ 2. Buffalo Bills (-6.5)

Two well balanced teams, but one is coming in hot and the other has definitely sputtered down the stretch. Indy struggled against a bad Texans team, and collapsed against the Steelers, the only win for Pittsburgh in its final 5 games. The Bills won their last four games by a combined 99 points, including an 11 point win over those same Steelers. Are the Bills for real as a Super Bowl contender? Handling the Colts, at home, would be a step in proving just that.

• PC – Buffalo wins, Buffalo covers
• Rey – Buffalo wins, Indianapolis covers
• Dave – Buffalo wins, Indianapolis covers
• Andrew – Buffalo wins, Buffalo covers
• DPP – Buffalo wins, Indianapolis covers
• Steve – Buffalo wins, Indianapolis covers
• Patrick – Buffalo wins, Buffalo covers
• Greg – Buffalo wins, Buffalo covers

4:40 PM – 6. LA Rams @ 3. Seattle Seahawks (-3)

The third meeting of the season for these NFC West Division rivals, a division won by The Seahawks. The Rams got into the playoffs with an ugly Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals that saw both teams primarily play back-up quarterbacks. These teams played twice in the second half of the season, LA winning the first match-up by 7 and Seattle winning the second by 9. The Rams also lost to the Jets by a field goal, so….

• PC – Seattle wins, Seattle covers
• Rey – Seattle wins, Seattle covers
• Dave – Seattle wins, Seattle covers
• Andrew – LA Rams win outright
• DPP – LA Rams win outright
• Steve – Seattle wins, Seattle covers
• Patrick – Seattle wins, LA Rams cover –
• Greg – Seattle wins, LA Rams cover

8:15 PM – 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) @ 4. Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team emerged out of a really bad NFC East, thanks in no small part to Doug Pederson benching his starting QB later in the final game of the season. As a New York Football Giants fan, that one (Jalen) hurts, but how mad can I really get at my 6-10 team not making it to the post season? Realistically, out of the entire NFC East, Washington has the best chance to beat Tampa Bay if their defensive line can get after Tom Brady. Will it? We’ll see.

• PC – Tampa Bay wins, Tampa Bay covers
• Rey – Tampa Bay wins, Washington covers
• Dave – Tampa Bay wins, Tampa Bay covers
• Andrew – Tampa Bay wins, Washington covers
• DPP – Tampa Bay wins, Tampa Bay covers
• Steve – Tampa Bay wins, Tampa Bay covers
• Patrick – Tampa Bay wins, Tampa Bay covers
• Greg – Tampa Bay wins, Washington covers

NFL Playoffs Week – Sunday

1:05 PM – 5. Baltimore Ravens (-3) @ 4. Tennessee Titans

Baltimore visits Nashville to play a Titans team that limped into the Playoffs, but did so on the still very capable legs of Derrick Henry. Henry ran for 2000 yards this year, and could carry his team to a win. But this game is about revenge for the Ravens, who seemed poised to make a run last year but got cut off by Tennessee. The Titans won the regular season clash in overtime, and wouldn’t you know it Derrick Henry amassed 133 yards in that game. Will it be more of the same, or will Baltimore truly “get their bike back?”

• PC – Baltimore wins, Baltimore covers
• Rey – Baltimore wins, Baltimore covers
• Dave – Baltimore wins, Baltimore covers
• Andrew – Tennessee wins outright
• DPP – Tennessee wins outright
• Steve – Tennessee wins outright
• Patrick – Tennessee wins outright
• Greg – Tennessee wins outright

4:40 PM – 7. Chicago Bears @ 2. New Orleans Saints (-10)

Will Alvin Kamara play? He says so, and that might be all we need to hear in picking this game. Even without Kamara, the Saints appear to be the better pick, and possibly the last hurrah in the legendary career of Drew Brees. Chicago won 3 of their last 4 to get into the playoffs, but only one opponent–the loss–made it to the playoffs. That team also happens to be the Green Bay Packers, the NFC #1 seed.

• PC – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Rey – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Dave – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Andrew – New Orleans wins, Chicago covers
• DPP – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Steve – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Patrick – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers
• Greg – New Orleans wins, New Orleans covers

8:15 PM – 6. Cleveland Browns @ 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (-6)

The Pittsburgh Steelers started 11-0, but then closed the season 1-4, including a 10-point loss to the Bengals (and Ryan Finley) and a win over Indianapolis that you can probably say “the Colts lost” more than you can say “the Steelers won.” Cleveland finished the season 11-5, with one loss coming to the New York Jets and one to the Las Vegas Raiders. They also have four wins over playoff teams, including this Sunday’s opponent.

Of course, unless the league changes a rule, or moves the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski won’t be on the sidelines for Cleveland. Pittsburgh ranks first in the league in defensive DVOA, #1 against the pass and #5 against the rush. Their losses started when they lost edge rusher Bud Dupree to a torn ACL, and also went 1-3 without linebacker Robert “Bob Spokane” Spillane down the stretch. He figures to be back for this game.

• PC – Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh covers
• Rey – Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh covers
• Dave – Pittsburgh wins, Cleveland covers
• Andrew – Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh covers
• DPP – Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh covers
• Steve – Pittsburgh wins, Cleveland covers
• Patrick – Pittsburgh wins, Cleveland covers
• Greg – Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh covers

There are your Chairshot Picks for week 1 of the NFL Playoffs! We will be back next week with another round of picks, along with updated records for all 8 of our so-called experts…