This is my favorite weekend in sports, much less the NFL. Six teams that have survived and advanced look to take the next step, including the two teams that earned a bye week by virtue of their strong start.
A case can be made for all the underdogs on the spread and none of the home teams are seen as locks to win and advance. Before laying down their starters in Week 18, the Cincinnati Bengals were 5-2 on the road. The San Francisco 49ers have blown out Green Bay in two of their last three games. Despite losing in Week 3 this season, San Francisco overcame a 17-0 deficit to take a lead with 37 seconds to go – only to have the Packers drive 42 yards in 34 seconds to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.
The Sunday games hold just as much drama. The Los Angeles Rams have beaten Tom Brady in both of their meetings since he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a 34-24 win in Week 3. The same goes for the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo went into Kansas City in Week 5 and throttled the Chiefs 38-20. They return to the scene of the crime Sunday looking to do the same.
