ESPN’s computer is out with its predictions of this weekend’s wild card playoff games.
The computer model, also known as The Football Power Index, has crunched its numbers and made its picks. But there’s a reason why they play the games on the field.
Sometimes, the numbers on the paper – or on the microchip – don’t compute in real life.
Let’s check out what the AI says and I’ll toss in my picks to. Feel free to come back after Monday night’s game and laugh at me, or it, or both of us.
Spoiler alert: We both picked Dallas to beat Green Bay on Sunday.
Browns At Texans (Sat. 3:30 p.m., NBC)
The Computer is giving the Browns a slight edge with a 50.5% chance to win on the road.
Cleveland does have Joe Flacco – who has a Super Bowl ring on his finger – as a feel good story. Cleveland already beat Houston 36-22 a few weeks ago.
But the Texans have their Cinderella story going too.
Rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud are making waves in Houston. No one saw this coming.
The Texans have homefield and they have been pulling off some amazing wins this year.
Can the old gunfighter hold off the young guns?
No. Sorry Joe, but right now the Texans have all the mojo (and there’s my hat tip to the first high school team I ever covered – Odessa Permian.)
I’ll go with Houston winning the rematch 27-24 on a late C.J. Stroud touchdown pass.
Dolphins At Chiefs (Sat. 7 p.m., Peacock)
First, shame on the NFL and NBC for putting a playoff game on a subscription-only service.
Second, shame on them for not putting the Eagles-Bucs game in this slot and making the Dolphins-Chiefs game the Monday night game.
That being said, the computer is giving Kansas City a 52.9 percent chance to win. That seems about right as both teams have issues.
Neither team has looked like world beaters down the stretch.
The Dolphins’ offense can score on any play from anywhere on the field. Patrick Mahomes is equally as dangerous.
It will come down to which teams screws up the least.
Chiefs 35-31 as Mahomes finds Rashee Rice for the game winner after Tyreek Hill scores an 80-yard touchdown on his old team.
Steelers At Buffalo (Sun. 11 a.m., CBS)
Seriously? Who at the NFL thinks its funny to have all three AFC games played first, then the three NFC games?
I mean, come on man!
The computer thinks the Bills will curb-stomp the Steelers, giving Buffalo a 78.6 percent chance to win.
I fully agree, The Steelers have no business being in this game. Josh Allen and company will show us all why.
Buffalo in a laugher, 42-13.
Packers At Cowboys (Sun. 3:30 p.m., FOX)
Now we’re talking.
Mike McCarthy faces his old team in the playoffs.
The good news? Aaron Rodgers isn’t playing for the Packers.
The bad news? The Cowboys have lost nine of the last 10 meetings against the Packers.
McCarthy is 0-1 against Green Bay, a 31-28 overtime loss at home when Dak Prescott threw two costly interceptions to keep the Packers in the game.
But again, that was all with Aaron Rodgers on the roster. Jordan Love is no Aaron Rodgers.
The computer gives the Cowboys the nod at 75.5 percent.
I say that Dallas should win Sunday’s game, 27-17.
Rams At Lions (Sun. 7 p.m., NBC)
The computer is giving the Lions a 54.3 percent chance to win.
But the computer is not taking into account a couple of key factors.
One, Matthew Stafford is coming back to face the team that traded him away. Two, the Rams’ offense is starting to click.
And that’s scary.
Jared Goff tosses two critical interceptions and Stafford hits Puca Nacua for three touchdowns in a 35-24 Rams’ rout.
Eagles At Bucs (Mon. 7:15 p.m., ABC/ESPN)
The computer gives the Eagles the nod at 57.9 percent.
The computer has not watched this team imploding over the last six weeks.
Baker Mayfield has played this year with a huge chip on his shoulder. I’m taking Tampa Bay 26-14 over the Eagles.