The opening week of the NFL playoffs is here and with it we get a couple more games than we normally see this weekend as the additional playoff team for each conference means there’s only one team for the AFC and NFC that’s on bye this week. So lucky us, we get six games this weekend instead of just four. We will keep the normal form of this article going throughout the playoffs including for the Super Bowl.

As always there will be 30-plus stats for each game including stats and ranks for each. There will also be quick breakdowns to show the mismatches or intriguing stats about each game and where we can find upside for DFS or fantasy football match-ups. The color-coding in the tables are from an offensive point of view so the more green you see, the better for the offensive players and the more red in the table, the tougher a match-up is for the offensive players.

Indianapolis at Buffalo

Saturday 1:05 PM ET
ColtsatBills
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
28.29PPG231.3
30:5810T.O.P.331:45
378.110Total Yards2396.4
64.516Off Plays1564.6
28.710Rush Att.1725.7
124.811Rush Yds20107.7
4.314Rush YPA204.2
34.520Pass Att.1137.2
253.311Pass Yds3288.8
7.39Pass YPA47.8
ColtsatBills
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
22.610PPG Allowed1623.4
332.18Yds/G Allowed14352.5
5.410Yds/P Allowed155.5
90.52Rush Yds/G17119.6
3.72Rush Yds/Att264.6
241.620Pass Yds/G13232.9
6.919Pass Yds/Att96.5
17.923Def vs. QB1719.3
16.424Def vs. RB1219.2
24.214Def vs. WR2820.1
630Def vs. TE89.1
ColtsatBills
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
27.9223Pace2828.65
44.5%8Rush %2039.8%
55.5%25Pass %1360.3%
58.3%18RZ %1361.8%
61.5%15RZ % Allowed2865.5%
-9.5%7Total DVOA12-2.2%
-2.9%8Pass DVOA122.2%
-19.7%9Rush DVOA17-8.2%
2.80%19DVOA v. #1 WR2312.90%
-11.40%8DVOA v. #2 WR3-21.10%
3.90%17DVOA v. #3/4 WR4-21.80%
-17.80%4DVOA v. TE13-4.10%

This is a battle between two teams who have kind of taken two different paths to the playoffs. The Colts haven’t been great over the last few weeks but did enough to make the playoffs, while the Bills have won seven of their last eight games with all of the wins coming by at least 10 points and hung a 50-spot on the Dolphins last week. Buffalo tied a franchise-high with 13 wins this year and both of the last two times they’ve hit that mark they’ve made the Super Bowl, however they have lost six straight playoff games which is the third-longest active streak in the NFL. Josh Allen has been on fire over the last four games with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions and in the same span Indianapolis has allowed 311.4 yards per game passing which is second-most in the league. The Colts are going to need Jonathan Taylor to keep up the pace he’s been on the last few games if they hope to keep Allen and Stefon Diggs and company off the field.

Los Angeles at Seattle

Saturday 4:40 PM ET
RamsatSeahawks
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
23.223PPG828.7
32:012T.O.P.1929:43
37711Total Yards17369.5
683Off Plays2063.9
29.67Rush Att.1825.7
126.110Rush Yds12123.2
4.317Rush YPA64.8
36.912Pass Att.1735.2
250.913Pass Yds16246.3
6.819Pass YPA157
RamsatSeahawks
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
18.51PPG Allowed1523.2
281.91Yds/G Allowed22380.6
4.61Yds/P Allowed125.5
91.23Rush Yds/G595.6
3.83Rush Yds/Att53.9
190.71Pass Yds/G31285
5.61Pass Yds/Att156.8
14.432Def vs. QB720.6
14.930Def vs. RB1818.2
1632Def vs. WR1025.6
7.222Def vs. TE217.3
RamsatSeahawks
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
27.6216Pace1927.72
43.5%11Rush %1940.2%
56.5%22Pass %1459.8%
57.9%19RZ %473.2%
58.7%12RZ % Allowed1962.5%
-17.0%4Total DVOA160.4%
-12.0%4Pass DVOA2012.3%
-24.1%3Rush DVOA7-20.1%
-4.30%13DVOA v. #1 WR2110.60%
-33.40%1DVOA v. #2 WR10-9.50%
-2.00%14DVOA v. #3/4 WR2514.10%
-11.50%10DVOA v. TE11-7.50%

Normally this is a game with a great feel about it but not this particular match-up. The Rams are down their quarterback and are rolling out John Wolford under center who didn’t exactly light things up last week in his first start. Meanwhile, Seattle does have Russell Wilson at the helm but it’s not the same Wilson we saw earlier in the season who was an MVP candidate as in the last 10 games, on deep passes, he’s completed just 29.5-percent of them with nearly as many picks as touchdowns and a passer rating just over 70 compared to the first six games of the season posting a nearly 141 passer rating with an 8:0 TD:INT. The Seahawks defense on the other hand has improved greatly over the last half of the season allowing 150 fewer yards a game. This will be a highly defensive, low-scoring game.

Tampa Bay at Washington

Saturday 8:15 PM ET
BuccaneersatWashington
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
30.83PPG2520.9
28:5424T.O.P.1829:54
384.17Total Yards30317.2
63.623Off Plays865.7
23.129Rush Att.2525
94.928Rush Yds26100.7
4.125Rush YPA284
39.16Pass Att.937.6
289.12Pass Yds25216.6
7.48Pass YPA305.8
BuccaneersatWashington
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
22.28PPG Allowed420.6
327.16Yds/G Allowed2304.6
5.16Yds/P Allowed24.9
80.61Rush Yds/G13112.8
3.61Rush Yds/Att114.2
246.621Pass Yds/G2191.8
6.48Pass Yds/Att25.8
19.218Def vs. QB2916.7
1432Def vs. RB2915
24.313Def vs. WR3119.2
8.611Def vs. TE256.8
BuccaneersatWashington
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
26.499Pace1026.52
36.3%30Rush %2438.1%
63.7%3Pass %961.9%
68.9%7RZ %2057.5%
62.8%20RZ % Allowed453.5%
-14.6%5Total DVOA3-18.3%
-5.4%5Pass DVOA2-18.0%
-31.4%1Rush DVOA11-18.8%
-15.60%6DVOA v. #1 WR2413.40%
4.50%22DVOA v. #2 WR2-29.90%
-28.60%1DVOA v. #3/4 WR3-23.30%
11.60%25DVOA v. TE174.00%

The last time a team made the playoffs with a losing record, like Washington’s 7-9 mark, was Carolina in 2014 who’s coach was Ron Rivera. They won the first round game. Tampa Bay has looked like one of the best offenses in the league the last few games as the loaded passing attack has started to hit their stride but now they face the second-ranked pass defense in DVOA and a defense that is allowing the fourth-fewest points per game at 20.6 and the second-fewest yards per game at 304.6. Washington may or may not be rotating out quarterbacks in the game as Alex Smith is still dealing with a calf injury and while Washington has been decent at running the ball this year, they’re facing the best rush defense in the league. A sneaky good match-up though is Logan Thomas for Washington as Tampa is 25th against the TE in DVOA and allows an average of 8.6 fantasy points a game to them in half-PPR formats.

Baltimore at Tennessee

Sunday 1:05 PM ET
RavensatTitans
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
29.27PPG430.7
31:227T.O.P.2828:19
363.119Total Yards3396.4
62.126Off Plays1764.4
34.71Rush Att.232.6
191.91Rush Yds2168.1
5.51Rush YPA25.2
25.432Pass Att.3030.3
171.232Pass Yds23228.3
6.720Pass YPA77.5
RavensatTitans
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
18.92PPG Allowed2427.4
329.87Yds/G Allowed28398.2
5.27Yds/P Allowed255.9
108.88Rush Yds/G19120.8
4.622Rush Yds/Att194.5
2216Pass Yds/G29277.4
5.94Pass Yds/Att207
17.525Def vs. QB522.1
16.722Def vs. RB820.9
19.730Def vs. WR428.2
7.123Def vs. TE138.1
RavensatTitans
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
29.5731Pace425.99
55.9%1Rush %350.5%
44.1%32Pass %3049.5%
63.3%12RZ %275.0%
62.2%18RZ % Allowed3069.2%
-6.9%9Total DVOA2911.1%
0.4%10Pass DVOA3025.3%
-18.5%12Rush DVOA16-9.6%
-22.80%3DVOA v. #1 WR16-2.30%
-0.50%16DVOA v. #2 WR190.80%
-21.20%5DVOA v. #3/4 WR8-15.10%
6.80%22DVOA v. TE3236.50%

This is a pretty interesting match-up from a number of different ways. Firstly, of the 589 teams to make the playoffs in the Super Bowl era, the Titans have allowed the second-most points per game on defense at 27.4. Secondly, this is the fifth time that the Ravens and Titans have met in the playoffs and the road team is 4-0 in the prior meetings, however, Lamar Jackson is the fifth reigning MVP to rematch the team that knocked him out of the playoffs the year before and the MVP has lost each of the previous four matchups. Tennessee hasn’t been great on defense by any stretch, ranking middle-of-the-road in Rush DVOA and 30th in Pass DVOA, and so they will have to really work to slow down a reinvigorated Baltimore offense that has been lights out down the stretch. Though one thing in the Titans favor is that the Ravens have managed just 14.5 points per game in their two playoff games with Jackson at quarterback. Derrick Henry is also the second-leading rusher in playoff history in terms of average yards per game with 126.0.

Chicago at New Orleans

Sunday 4:40 PM ET
BearsatSaints
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
23.222PPG530.1
30:1616T.O.P.531:32
331.426Total Yards12376.4
65.212Off Plays1065.3
24.627Rush Att.530.9
102.925Rush Yds6141.6
4.221Rush YPA104.6
38.48Pass Att.2532.6
228.422Pass Yds19234.9
627Pass YPA107.2
BearsatSaints
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
23.114PPG Allowed521.1
344.911Yds/G Allowed4310.9
5.411Yds/P Allowed45
113.415Rush Yds/G493.9
4.19Rush Yds/Att43.9
231.612Pass Yds/G5217
6.817Pass Yds/Att66.2
1822Def vs. QB2717
16.523Def vs. RB3114
21.226Def vs. WR1623.5
10.22Def vs. TE148.1
BearsatSaints
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
27.2114Pace2928.83
37.7%27Rush %547.3%
62.3%6Pass %2852.7%
56.4%22RZ %572.1%
54.7%5RZ % Allowed2968.0%
-7.5%8Total DVOA2-19.0%
3.4%13Pass DVOA3-14.7%
-22.5%4Rush DVOA2-25.6%
-24.90%2DVOA v. #1 WR11-10.80%
-9.00%11DVOA v. #2 WR12-8.80%
30.10%32DVOA v. #3/4 WR15-1.40%
5.30%19DVOA v. TE2-34.50%

The Bears got some help getting into the playoffs and they may not have wanted to see the opponent they got handed in the first round given their history against the Saints over the last decade. Drew Brees is 5-0 with a 10:0 TD:INT ratio against the Bears and the Bears have lost six straight to the Saints. While the Bears passing defense is quite good this year, they’ll be put to the test facing Brees who also has averaged the most passing yards per game in the playoffs (310.4) of any quarterback in the Super Bowl era. The Bears have been good at shutting down the top target for their opponent through the air ranking second in the league in DVOA vs. number-one WRs but Thomas is averaging nearly 100 yards receiving a game in his playoff career. David Montgomery might also find tough sledding against the second-ranked Saints’ rush defense based on Rush DVOA.

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

Sunday 8:15 PM ET
BrownsatSteelers
StatRankOffensive StatsRankStat
25.514PPG1226
30:5411T.O.P.1330:48
369.616Total Yards25334.6
63.921Off Plays1165.2
30.94Rush Att.2823.3
148.43Rush Yds3284.4
4.85Rush YPA323.6
31.328Pass Att.141
221.224Pass Yds15250.2
7.113Pass YPA256.1
BrownsatSteelers
StatRankDefensive StatsRankStat
26.221PPG Allowed319.5
358.417Yds/G Allowed3305.8
5.517Yds/P Allowed34.9
110.89Rush Yds/G11111.4
4.312Rush Yds/Att134.3
247.622Pass Yds/G3194.4
6.816Pass Yds/Att35.9
20.68Def vs. QB3115.3
15.925Def vs. RB2715.5
26.37Def vs. WR2022.4
9.45Def vs. TE315.1
BrownsatSteelers
StatRankAdvanced StatsRankStat
28.427Pace2027.72
48.4%4Rush %3135.8%
51.6%29Pass %264.2%
73.6%3RZ %1163.5%
60.7%14RZ % Allowed655.6%
7.4%25Total DVOA1-20.2%
16.4%25Pass DVOA1-19.8%
-5.4%19Rush DVOA5-20.7%
-18.90%4DVOA v. #1 WR2713.90%
0.70%18DVOA v. #2 WR4-16.20%
19.60%29DVOA v. #3/4 WR2-27.10%
18.50%28DVOA v. TE1-48.90%

Cleveland had to win last week to make the playoffs and now they get a rematch in the Steel City. On paper, this is a big mismatch given the Steelers defense and the lack of a pass defense for Cleveland. However, they play the games for this reason. Both Baker Mayfield and Ben Roethlisberger have very similar stats in terms of yards per game and nearly identical TD per INT numbers (3.25 for Mayfield and 3.3 for Roethlisberger) and Mayfield has a slightly better Passer Rating. The key to this game will be how well the Browns can run the ball this week. They have 17 (at last count) players and staff on the Covid list including their head coach, and how the Steelers usually defend the run. Here’s a sneaky stat though, Pittsburgh has allowed 158.7 rushing yards per game inside the AFC North this year so the Browns may have a shot at the 148.4 yards rushing they’ve averaged per game this year.