The New York Giants face the Green Bay Packers Sunday (4:40 p.m. ET/FOX) in the final game of NFL Wild-Card Weekend. There is, however, a lot of playoff football to be played between now and kickoff of the game you really care about. This will be your playoff open thread for the day. This is a game between two teams who are, obviously, happy to be in the playoffs yet find themselves in situations they don’t want to be in. Both teams are entering the playoffs with quarterbacks they would prefer not to be using. Oakland is down to third-string quarterback Connor Cook after a season-ending injury to Derek Carr and a shoulder injury suffered last week by Matt McGloin. Cook, a fourth-round pick, will be the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to make his first start in a playoff game. Cook did go 14-of-21 with a touchdown and an interception in relief of McGloin last week vs. the Denver Broncos. This, though, isn’t how the Raiders wanted to go into the playoffs. For the Texans, Brock Osweiler will be under center. Osweiler was pulled in favor of Tom Savage in Week 15 and will only be back in the lineup because of a concussion Savage suffered in Houston’s season finale against the Tennessee Titans. Osweiler, in the first year of a four-year $72 million free-agent contract, has been a major disappointment. There is also speculation that Houston coach Bill O’Brien could be on shaky ground.
The Lions made the playoffs on the strength of the right arm of quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Lions won nine games, with Stafford leading a single-season NFL record eight fourth-quarter comebacks. The Seahawks have the pedigree, but this isn’t the Seattle team of years gone by. All-Pro safety Earl Thomas is out for the year and the defense isn’t quite the same. Running back Marshawn Lynch is retired and the Seahawks struggle to run the ball, putting more pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson. If you are a Giants fan you want the Lions to win this game. That would eliminate the possibility of Big Blue having to go to Seattle for the NFC Championship Game, should they advance that far. Jesse’s pick against the spread: Seahawks - SB Nation blogs: Pride of Detroit (Lions) | Field Gulls (Seahawks)
