NFL Midweek Update: Big guns progress, and is Tom Brady done?

The seven-time Super Bowl champion, now 45 years old, saw his immediate hopes of an eighth ring evaporate on Monday Night Football in a 31-14 home drubbing by the Dallas Cowboys.

Brady has already retired once - in early 2022 before ‘unretiring’ a few short weeks later - and now the wait goes on to find out if he hangs up his cleats or plays on.

Elsewhere, big guns Buffalo and San Francisco both progressed to the Divisional Playoffs with home wins over the weekend, while the New York Giants continued their terrific season with a victory in Minnesota.

Now we are down to just four teams in each conference bidding to make it to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona next month. Our Midweek Update is intended to keep you across all the major storylines which could impact picking against the spread this weekend.

NFL Injury Report

Pro football is a brutal game, played by powerful athletes at devastating speed. Not surprisingly the injuries which inevitably result have a massive impact on a team’s eventual success.

Here are some of the major injuries to hit the headlines in Super Wild Card Weekend, with a particular eye on how they affect things moving forward:

• Jonah Williams (OT, Cincinnati Bengals): Williams exited the win over Baltimore with a dislocated kneecap, but incredibly he still could face the Buffalo Bills this weekend. The left tackle has suffered the injury before, and the hope is there is no significant damage and he could still suit up for the Divisional Playoffs. His presence would be huge for the Bengals - who are already without OT La’el Collins and OG Alex Cappa.
• Jason Peters (OT, Dallas Cowboys): The early-season signing of the veteran Peters was a masterstroke by Dallas as he added valuable experience and depth to help the team through the long absence of LT Tyron Smith. Peters suffered a hip injury in the win at Tampa though, and he could now miss the trip to San Francisco on Sunday.
• Jayron Kearse (S, Dallas Cowboys): Kearse was excellent in the win over the Bucs, snagging a crucial interception of Tom Brady before being forced to leave the game with a knee injury. The post-game noise was positive though, with Kearse claiming he will be good to go for that massive test against the 49ers despite what was later diagnosed as an MCL sprain.
• Azeez Ojulari (OLB, New York Giants): Ojulari suffered a quad injury during Sunday’s win in Minnesota and he is listed as day-to-day ahead of this weekend’s trip to Philadelphia. The G Men will need all the pass rush they can get to slow Jalen Hurts and the explosive Eagle offense.
• Jason Pinnock (S, New York Giants): Another Giant to leave Minnesota with an injury was safety Pinnock, specifically an abdomen issue. Early-week vibes though were relatively positive and again he is listed as day-to-day for the big showdown at the Linc.
• Dane Jackson (CB, Buffalo Bills): Jackson suffered a knee injury during the win over Miami, and his absence would be a blow with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd heading into town this weekend. As it stands the likelihood appears to be that Jackson will be good to go, though his status officially is uncertain.

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Here are just some of the performances which really caught the eye in Super Wild Card Weekend, again very much with an eye to what lies in store for the upcoming matchups:

• Dak Prescott (QB, Dallas Cowboys): It’s not easy playing for one of sport’s most entitled fanbases, especially when your predecessors include the likes of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. Prescott was hammered by media and fans alike following an abject showing in Week 18 in Washington, but boy did he bounce back as the playoffs kicked off in Tampa. Dak outplayed Tom Brady in throwing for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also ran for a TD.
• Daniel Jones (QB, New York Giants): As we approach the end of Jones’ fourth year as a Giant, the question marks about him are disappearing in a big way. He produced probably the best game of his career when it really mattered in Minnesota, throwing for 301 yards and a pair of scores and running for 78 yards. He has been playing with a short deck all year when it comes to receiving weapons, but in spite of that he is still leading the Giants to unexpected wins. Another game or two like the last one, and a huge paycheck likely awaits in the offseason.
• Andrew Thomas (OT, New York Giants): Thomas has proved himself one of the league’s best left tackles this season, if not the best. He was stellar in Minnesota as he gave up zero sacks, hits or hurries in a faultless display of pass blocking. His matchup with a formidable Philly front seven will be one of the keys to this weekend’s Divisional Playoff showdown.
• Deebo Samuel (WR, San Francisco 49ers): The bad news for the rest of the NFL is that Deebo is unquestionably fully healthy again, and back at the peak of his powers. He caught 6 passes for 133 yards in the win over Seattle and ran for another 32 yards. Samuel’s versatility and big-play potential adds just another headache for teams facing the red-hot Niners.
• Tyler Smith (OL, Dallas Cowboys): Smith was terrific in Tampa as he produced a faultless performance on his playoff debut. The rookie has spent time at tackle and guard in his rookie season, and he is quietly silencing the doubters who questioned the wisdom of Dallas spending a first-round draft pick on him.

NFL Divisional Playoff Schedule

Top seeds Kansas City and Philadelphia enter the fray this weekend as we arrive at the conference semi-finals.

Here are the games on the playoff schedule, along with kickoff times (all times are Eastern US time, the UK is 5 hours ahead):

Saturday January 21, 2023

● Jacksonville Jaguars vs Kansas City Chiefs (4.30pm ET)

● New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles (8.15pm ET)

Sunday January 22, 2023

● Cincinnati Bengals vs Buffalo Bills (3pm ET)

● Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers (6.30pm ET)

NFL Game Of The Week: Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills (3pm ET, Sunday)

These two teams of course met just a couple of weeks ago in a game which was postponed due to the on-field cardiac arrest suffered by Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

Hamlin appears to be recovering well and now the Bengals and Bills lock horns again on Sunday with a place in the AFC Championship Game on the line.

Both of these teams struggled in their Wild Card games, the Bills only just overcoming the big underdog Miami Dolphins and the Bengals needing a massive play from DE Sam Hubbard to eliminate the Baltimore Ravens.

Cincinnati has issues on its rebuilt offensive line with injuries really starting to bite, and that could be the crucial factor here. The lack of protection for Joe Burrow ultimately cost the Bengals a Super Bowl title last season, and the fear is it could happen again in 2023. The fact Cincy is a 5-point underdog in the early betting is extremely telling.

Buffalo meanwhile must be concerned about the tendency for superstar QB Josh Allen to turn the ball over in big games - he gave it up 3 times in that win over Miami.

Allen vs Burrow is a true marquee QB matchup, and the supporting cast of superstars means we have the potential for a spectacular shootout in Orchard Park. It could be one for the ages.