On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers were one win away from making the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and the first time without LeBron James since 1998.
However, the Houston Rockets(18-57) stood in the way, but the Cavs had no issues. Cleveland led by as many as 20 points and defeated the Rockets 108-91 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and now, the Cavs are in the playoffs.
The Cavs(48-28) have won four straight and six of their last seven; Houston has now lost five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Rockets.
The Great:
Jarrett Allen did it all for Cleveland. He tied a season-high with 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and provided rim protection with three blocks. This was Allen’s career-high tying 32nd double-double of the season.
Evan Mobley also did it all for the Cavs. He scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists, and like Allen, he blocked three shots.
Donovan Mitchell had 22 points, including four threes and five rebounds; he was a game-best +24.
First Half: The Cavs got off to a strong start. They led 33-22 at the end of the first and took a 60-43 lead into the break. They were sizzling in the first half as they shot 58% from the field, including 46% from three-point range. They had an easy time making shots, which is unsurprising because the Rockets are not very good on the defensive end.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Cleveland pushed their lead to 20 in the third, but they let the Rockets get back into the game. Houston outscored the Cavs 37-25 in the quarter, and they allowed Houston to shoot 52% from the field. Cleveland led 85-80 at the end of three; the Cavs would eventually close things out in the fourth, but they let Houston stick around longer than they should.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs are in the playoffs!! It seemed like forever, but after a rebuild, Cleveland is back. None of this is a surprise. Cleveland became a playoff team the moment they acquired Mitchell from Utah. The Cavs are not a championship team, but they are dangerous and right on schedule.
Regarding the standings, the fourth-seeded Cavs are now 5.5 games up on the fifth-seeded Knicks in the East, so they will at least have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Also, they are now two games behind the third seed, the Philadelphia 76ers, so maybe they can catch the 76ers, but as stated numerous times by this scribe, expect the Cavs to capture the fourth seed.
What’s Next:
Cleveland gets back at it on Tuesday night as they go on the road to face the Hawks.
Best of the Rest:
-Jalen Green led the Rockets with a game-high 30 points.
-Darius Garland had 17 points and a game-high eight assists; Caris LeVert scored 10 points off the bench.
For the first three years of his career, the Wednesday after the end of the regular season has been when Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would be prepping for the offseason, but things are a little different for Jones this time.
Jones will get his first playoff start on Sunday when the Giants travel to Minnesota to battle the Vikings in the Wild Card Round of the NFC Playoffs. The fourth-year quarterback is looking forward to the opportunity and is happy to be preparing for a playoff game.
“I think it means a lot to all of us – a lot of guys who have been here these past few years,” Jones said Wednesday about preparing for the playoffs. “And to be on the other side of it, it means a lot. It’s about what we do now, from this point on, and how we handle this opportunity, how we prepare, and ultimately how we play how we execute on Sunday. We’re certainly happy we are where we are. But there’s a lot more. We got to do a lot more work left for us.”
The 25-year-old Jones can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so a playoff win could earn him some more money in the offseason, and while he’s never been to the playoffs, Jones knows what’s at stake. It’s win or go home.
“I think everyone understands where we are now,” he said. “We’re in the playoffs. We’re past the regular season. The games mean more from the sense that you lose; you go home. So, people understand that. They understand what’s at stake. But the only way we’re going to play as well as we want to play is to prepare how we have all year, to trust our process, and stick to that. So, that’s largely been the conversation amongst the guys.”
The first three seasons for Jones were not pretty. He struggled with turnovers, and New York lost ten or more games in each of those seasons, but through all the struggles, Jones knew things would turn around for New York.
“I think I was always confident this would happen, and we would have this chance, largely because the guys we have in the locker room, the type of guys they are, and how close we are as a group,” he said. “We had some tough years, but I think we learned a lot. That’s helped us get to where we are now. I think (I’ve) just always been confident in the group, the type of guys that we have, and ultimately that that would lead to success.”
Not many people expected the Giants to make the playoffs, so to some, the season is a success, and New York should be satisfied to just to make the postseason, but like his teammates, Jones wants more.
“I think we’re definitely not satisfied just to have made the playoffs,” he said. “That’s not how we see it as a group. We were confident in our team dating back to training camp and knew what we were able to accomplish. We’re by no means satisfied just to be in the playoffs. We expect to play well and to win. And that’s our expectation every week; that doesn’t change this week.”
The Giants have defied the odds to this point, so maybe they will keep defying the odds this week and beyond.
The Philadelphia Eagles got back their starting quarterback, and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts on Sunday against the Giants(9-7-1), who did not play many of its starters as they were locked into the sixth seed in the NFC.
While it wasn’t the prettiest performance from Hurts and the team, Philadelphia got the job done and defeated New York 22-16 at Lincoln Financial Field.
With the win, the Eagles(14-3) are NFC East champions, secured the number one seed in the conference, and will get a first-round bye. The last time the Eagles had the number one seed in the NFC was the Super Bowl-winning season back in 2017.
“It comes through Philly,” Hurts said after the game. “Job’s not done. Those are my thoughts.”
Hurts(shoulder) missed the last two games, both losses, and seemed to be protecting the injury against the Giants.
He finished the game 20/35 for 229 yards and an interception and had nine carries for 13 yards.
According to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, the team did not want Hurts to take any unnecessary punishment.
“I won’t get into too much of that, but sure you didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks,” Sirianni said about Hurts. “We needed to win the game. You saw he made some plays with his feet. They were doing a lot of different things on defense, just throwing some stuff out there. We obviously did some different things because we’ll always take into account the health of our players.”
Hurts added: “I’m just playing the game – playing the game and protecting myself. I think that’s what you all [the media] want to hear. I’m protecting myself.”
The third-year quarterback said he wanted to be out there for his team.
“I had some things I had to battle within myself,” he said. “I knew I wanted to be available for my team. It’s really tough being out, let alone taking some losses when you’re out. I want to be available for my team… We do what we have to do. We’re the number one seed, and we are the NFC champs, and that’s the goal we set out to do. Now I can continue to recover and be ready for playoffs.”
When asked if he was 100% healthy on Sunday, Hurts said this:
“Good enough to win today.”
Based on the game plan, it was clear that Hurts was not 100%, and the team was not going to put him in harm’s way. Fortunately for the Eagles, Hurts has two weeks to get that shoulder healthier and ready for the playoffs.
Milestones for the Eagles:
-Philadelphia finished the season with a franchise-record 477 points (previously 474 in 2014), including club records in total TDs (59), scrimmage TDs (57) and rushing TDs (32).
-The Eagles’ 32 rushing TDs are tied for the 4th-most in NFL single-season history, trailing only the 1962 Packers (36), 1948 49ers (35) and 1976 Steelers (33). Philadelphia is the only team in NFL history to rush for 25+ TDs in consecutive seasons.
Philadelphia established a single-season franchise record with 70 sacks this year. Only the 1984 Bears (72) and 1989 Vikings (71) recorded more QB takedowns in NFL history.
-The Eagles are the only NFL team to have four different players – Haason Reddick (16.0), Brandon Graham (11.0), Javon Hargrave (11.0) and Josh Sweat (11.0) (all career highs for everyone) – record 10.0+ sacks in the same season.
-A.J. Brown set a single-season franchise record with 1,496 receiving yards, eclipsing the previous mark owned by Mike Quick in 1983 (1,409). Brown, who finished with 4 receptions for 95 yards, broke Quick’s record with a 35-yard reception on Philadelphia’s first play from scrimmage
-DeVonta Smith, who produced 67 yards on a team-high 7 receptions, finished his second NFL season with 95 catches, which are the most by a WR in Eagles history. Overall, Smith’s 95 receptions are 2nd on the Eagles’ all-time list, trailing only Zach Ertz in 2018 (116).
We’re getting late in the NFL season, and some teams might be able to punch their tickets to the playoffs.
The two top teams in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, could be in the playoffs at the end of Sunday’s play. The Vikings could clinch the NFC North, while the Eagles can clinch at least a wild-card spot.
Below are the playoff scenarios for the Eagles and Vikings:
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (9-2) (vs. N.Y. Jets (7-4), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)
Minnesota clinches NFC North division title with:
1) MIN win + DET loss or tie OR
2) MIN tie + DET loss
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-1) (vs. Tennessee (7-4), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Philadelphia clinches playoff berth with:
1) PHI win + WAS loss + SF loss or tie + SEA loss or tie
(as long as both SF and SEA each don’t tie) OR
2) PHI win + WAS tie + SF loss + SEA loss
The Atlanta Hawks announced plans to increase attendance for postseason play to 7,625 fans, approximately 45 percent of State Farm Arena’s full capacity, the team announced on Monday.
According to the team, the plan received approval from both the NBA and the Georgia Department of Public Health. The Hawks opened the 2020-21 season with no fans in attendance before increasing capacity to 1300 fans on January 26 and later increasing to 3000 fans for the second half of the season on March 13.
At 35-30 (.538), the Hawks are currently in 5th place in the Eastern Conference with seven games remaining (six at State Farm Arena) in the regular season.
In addition, the Hawks will offer a 500-person vaccinated fan section, in which fans with proof of vaccination can be seated without social distancing. Additional lower bowl seating will be added to the East side of the building as plexiglass will be added behind player benches and other areas throughout the building for additional safety. Masks will continue to be required for all fans inside the arena.
This is welcomed news for the Hawks and gives them more of a home-court advantage come playoff time.
Two weeks left in the NFL, and at times with COVID-19 out there, many thought the NFL would not get to this point, but they have, and the playoffs are around the corner.
At this point, six out of the 14 playoff spots have been secured. In the AFC, Bills, Steelers, and Chiefs have clinched spots, while in the NFC, the Packers, Saints, and Seahawks have clinched spots.
Who will join them?
See below the teams that can clinch playoff spots in Week 16:
AFC
CLINCHED:
Buffalo Bills – AFC East division title
Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West division title
Pittsburgh Steelers – playoff berth
CLEVELAND BROWNS (10-4) (at New York Jets (1-13), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)
Cleveland clinches playoff berth with:
-
CLE win + BAL loss or tie OR
-
CLE win + MIA loss or tie OR
-
CLE win + IND loss OR
-
CLE tie + BAL loss OR
-
CLE tie + MIA loss
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-4) (at Pittsburgh (11-3), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)
Indianapolis clinches playoff berth with:
-
IND win + BAL loss or tie OR
-
IND win + MIA loss or tie OR
-
IND tie + BAL loss OR
-
IND tie + MIA loss
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (13-1) (vs. Atlanta (4-10), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, FOX)
Kansas City clinches the first-round bye with:
-
KC win or tie OR
-
PIT loss or tie OR
-
BUF loss or tie OR
-
KC clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over PIT or BUF AND clinches at least a tie in strength of victory tiebreaker over the other club
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11-3) (vs. Indianapolis (10-4), Sunday, 1:00 PM ET, CBS)
Pittsburgh clinches AFC North division title with:
-
PIT win OR
-
CLE loss OR
-
PIT tie + CLE tie
TENNESSEE TITANS (10-4) (at Green Bay (11-3), Sunday night, 8:20 PM ET, NBC)
Tennessee clinches AFC South division title with:
-
TEN win + IND loss
Tennessee clinches playoff berth with:
-
TEN win OR
-
MIA loss OR
-
BAL loss OR
-
TEN tie + BAL tie
NFC
CLINCHED:
Green Bay Packers – NFC North division title
New Orleans Saints – playoff berth
Seattle Seahawks – playoff berth
ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-6) (vs. San Francisco (5-9), Saturday, 4:30 PM ET, Amazon)
Arizona clinches playoff berth with:
-
ARI win + CHI loss or tie OR
-
ARI tie + CHI loss
GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-3) (vs. Tennessee (10-4), Sunday night, 8:20 PM ET, NBC)
Green Bay clinches the first-round bye with:
-
GB win + SEA loss or tie OR
-
GB tie + NO loss or tie + SEA loss or tie, as long as both NO and SEA don’t tie
LOS ANGELES RAMS (9-5) (at Seattle (10-4), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX)
Los Angeles clinches playoff berth with:
-
LAR win or tie OR
-
CHI loss or tie OR
-
ARI win or tie
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-4) (vs. Minnesota (6-8), Friday, 4:30 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon)
New Orleans clinches NFC South division title with:
-
NO win OR
-
TB loss OR
-
NO tie + TB tie
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-4) (vs. Los Angeles Rams (9-5), Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, FOX)
Seattle clinches NFC West division title with:
-
SEA win
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-5) (at Detroit (5-9), Saturday, 1:00 PM ET, NFLN)
Tampa Bay clinches playoff berth with:
-
TB win or tie OR
-
CHI loss or tie
WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (6-8) (vs. Carolina (4-10), Sunday, 4:05 PM ET, CBS)
Washington clinches NFC East division title with:
-
WAS win + NYG loss or tie OR
-
WAS tie + NYG loss + PHI-DAL tie
The No. 7 seed Dallas Mavericks announced today the schedule for their first round playoff series with the No. 2 seed L.A. Clippers, which will open on Monday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. CT and be broadcast live on ESPN and Fox Sports Southwest.
Games 2 and 3 of the series, which are scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19, and Friday, Aug. 21, respectively, will also tip-off at 8 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on TNT and Fox Sports Southwest. Game 4 will be played on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 2:30 p.m. CT and be carried exclusively by ABC.
If necessary, Games 5, 6 and 7 are scheduled for Aug. 25, Aug. 27 and Aug. 29, respectively (game times and TV schedule TBD).
Dallas is set to make its 22nd playoff appearance (first since 2016) in the franchise’s 40-year history. The Mavericks have now made the playoffs 16 times in the last 20 years.
2020 DALLAS MAVERICKS FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
GAME
|
|
DATE
|
|
OPPONENT
|
|
TIME (CT)
|
|
ARENA
|
|
TV
|
|
1
|
|
Monday, Aug. 17
|
|
@ L.A. Clippers
|
|
8:00 p.m.
|
|
AdventHealth Arena
|
|
ESPN/FSSW
|
|
2
|
|
Wednesday, Aug. 19
|
|
@ L.A. Clippers
|
|
8:00 p.m.
|
|
AdventHealth Arena
|
|
TNT/FSSW
|
|
3
|
|
Friday, Aug. 21
|
|
vs. L.A. Clippers
|
|
8:00 p.m.
|
|
AdventHealth Arena
|
|
TNT/FSSW
|
|
4
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 23
|
|
vs. L.A. Clippers
|
|
2:30 p.m.
|
|
AdventHealth Arena
|
|
ABC
|
|
5*
|
|
Tuesday, Aug. 25
|
|
@ L.A. Clippers
|
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
TBD
|
|
6*
|
|
Thursday, Aug. 27
|
|
vs. L.A. Clippers
|
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
ESPN/FSSW
|
|
7*
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 29
|
|
@ L.A. Clippers
|
|
TBD
|
|
|
|
TNT/FSSW
|
|
* If necessary
The scrimmages have come to an end, and now it’s time for the real thing. The seeding games begin on Thursday in the NBA. For the Washington Wizards(24-40), things get underway on Friday when they play the Phoenix Suns. As they enter the final eight games of the regular season, Washington hopes to make up some ground on the eighth-seeded Magic and seventh-seeded Nets. The goal is for the Wizards to get within four games of the Magic or Nets to force a play-in game. Currently, Washington is five and a half games behind the Magic and six games behind the Nets.
Obviously, without their two top scorers, Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, making the playoffs will be an arduous task for Washington. As we predict the final eight games for the Wizards, know, we are all guessing at this point because no one knows what’s going to happen in the bubble.
So, how will the Wizards do in Orlando? Let’s take a look.
Suns-Wizards
Washington beat the Suns on the road 140-132 back in November behind Bradley Beal’s 35 points. However, as we all know, Beal won’t be walking through those doors in Orlando. In that contest, Thomas Bryant scored 23 points, and Ish Smith poured in 21 points off the bench, and these two will play a bigger role without Beal and Bertans. Obviously, shutting down Devin Booker won’t be easy, and on paper, the Suns have more talent, and like Washington, is fighting to make the playoffs, which makes this game a tough one to call. But, one thing about the Wizards is they play hard and are scrappy. Expect another high scoring affair. However, the Wizards will find a way to get it done.
The Wizards start 1-0 in the bubble.
Wizards-Nets
If the Wizards want to make the playoffs, they can’t afford to lose this one. On paper and in terms of talent, this is a battle of the two worst teams in the bubble. Brooklyn is without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, and more. The Nets don’t have much talent on their roster right now, and Washington appears to be the better team. The Wizards are 2-0 against the Nets this season, including a 110-106 victory over Brooklyn at home back in late February. It’s going to be difficult for the Nets to win a game in Orlando. This game against the Wizards is their best opportunity to get a victory, but because the Wizards are the team chasing, expect Washington to be motivated for this one and get the win.
The Wizards are now 2-0.
Pacers-Wizards
After initially opting out of Orlando, Pacers G Victor Oladipo changed his mind and played reasonably well in the team’s scrimmages. Unfortunately for Indiana, they may not have Domantas Sabonis, who injured his foot in Orlando. These two teams played very early in the season, and Indiana got the victory at home.
While not official, Indiana will probably have its starting backcourt of Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon back together. That backcourt gives the Pacers a clear advantage, and like Washington, the Pacers always play hard. Additionally, Indiana and Philadelphia are tied for the fifth spot in the East. In reality, the Pacers might want to drop to the sixth spot to avoid the Bucks in the second round of the playoffs, something to watch.
Indiana is the better team and should win this game. Expect the Pacers to get the victory.
The Wizards fall to 2-1.
76ers-Wizards
Washington has had some decent success against the 76ers over the past few years, especially at home. Philadelphia has not won in Washington since 2013, and this is considered a home game for the Wizards(not sure how much that helps). However, If Philadelphia is completely healthy, the talent gap between the two teams is enormous. Based on what we have seen in Orlando with Ben Simmons at the four spot, the 76ers could be a formidable team in the bubble.
Washington will have to play one of its best games to win this one, and even if they do, I don’t think it matters. Philly gets this one, and the Wizards fall to 2-2 in the bubble.
Wizards-Pelicans
The Pelicans are an interesting team entering the bubble. This team is a very talented bunch, and after missing some time in Orlando due to a family emergency, rookie Zion Williamson is back. These two teams will matchup for the first time this season. At this point, we are making an educated guess. New Orleans, like the Wizards, are on the outside of the playoffs. If New Orleans wants to make the playoffs, they need to win, which means they can’t lose any winnable games.
The Pelicans win this one. Washington falls to 2-3 in Orlando.
Wizards-Thunder
Before the season was suspended in March, the Thunder were playing some excellent basketball. Oklahoma City had won eight of their last ten games and was on a three-game winning streak. These two teams met once this season, and Washington beat OKC on the road back in October. In that game, Bryant(21 points) and Hachimura(19 points) had success. Currently, OKC is fifth in the West. They have an outside chance of getting the third spot(2.5 behind Nuggets).
OKC is a good basketball team and will probably have something to play for in this game. Expect the Thunder to get revenge from earlier in the season and defeat Washington.
The Wizards are now 2-4 with two games to play.
Bucks-Wizards
By the time we get to this point, Milwaukee will probably have nothing to play for, making it meaningless to the Bucks. Milwaukee is six and a half games up on the Raptors for the Eastern Conference’s best record, so it would take an epic collapse for Milwaukee not to be the number one seed. Forget what happened when these two teams met in the regular season(Milwaukee 2-0 against Wiz), Washington will be battling for their playoff lives, and the Bucks will be on cruise control, which means Washington gets the victory and moves to 3-4 in the bubble.
Wizards-Celtics
This game is the season finale for both teams. Before the league suspended the season, these two teams split the season series. Boston is currently the third seed in the East, and barring anything dramatic, will probably stay there. The Celtics are two and a half games up on the fourth-seeded Heat and are three games behind the second-seeded Raptors. Therefore, this could be another situation where the Wizards could face a team that may not need to win.
Luck will be on the Wizards’ side because this is another game they steal and move to 4-4 in the bubble.
In our opinion, Washington finishes the season 28-44. Remember, they only need to get within four games of the eighth-seeded team to be eligible for the play-in game. When you look at Brooklyn, who are six games up on Washington, there is no way that team can win more than two games in the bubble.
Therefore, we believe the Nets will drop to the eighth spot in the conference. To make the playoffs, Washington, as the ninth-seeded team, would have to beat Brooklyn twice, while the Nets would only have to beat the Wizards once.
While it won’t be easy to beat any team twice in such a short span, the Wizards will have a great shot to do it against Brooklyn.
All this could be wishful thinking, but hey, anything can happen.
NFL clubs voted today to expand the postseason by two teams beginning with the 2020 season.
Expanding the NFL postseason was addressed in the new NFL-NFLPA Collective BargainingAgreement. Players and clubs both recognized that nothing energizes fans like the chance to see their team qualify for the playoffs and compete for the Super Bowl.
Today’s vote during a league meeting held remotely follows the recommendation of the Competition Committee, Management Council Executive Committee and Media Committee on increasing the number of playoff teams from 12 to 14.
Two additional Wild Card teams – one each in the American and National Football Conferences – will qualify for the playoffs. The No. 1 seed in each conference will receive a bye in the Wild Card round. The remaining division champions in each conference with the best records will be seeded 2, 3, and 4, followed by the next three teams per conference with the best records seeded 5, 6, and 7.
AFC and NFC Wild Card games will feature the 2 seed hosting the 7 seed, the 3 seed hosting the 6 seed and the 4 seed hosting the 5 seed.
Wild Card Weekend for the 2020 season will consist of three games on Saturday, January 9, and three games on Sunday, January 10, 2021.
CBS will broadcast one additional Wild Card game on January 10 with kickoff at approximately 4:40 p.m. ET. The game will also be available via a livestream on CBS All Access. Additionally, as part of CBS’ coverage, a separately produced telecast of the game will air on Nickelodeon, tailored for a younger audience.
NBC, its new streaming service Peacock, as well as Telemundo will all broadcast an additional Wild Card game on January 10 with kickoff at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET.
The NFL last expanded the playoffs for the 1990 season, increasing from 10 to 12 the number of teams to qualify for the postseason. Since 1990, at least four new teams have qualified for the playoffs that missed the postseason the year before – a streak of 30 consecutive seasons.
In life, when you know what to expect, you can better prepare for all the possibilities, which is the case for the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2017, Minnesota went to the NFC title game, and a lot of players who made that run for the Vikings are still with the team. Conversely, for the 49ers, that is not the case. The last time San Francisco made the playoffs was 2013. On Saturday, their QB Jimmy Garoppolo will be making his playoff debut as a starter when the 49ers host Minnesota in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Regarding experience, you have to favor Minnesota, and while Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer thinks experience will help his team, it’s still about playing good football.
“I can’t speak for their team,” Zimmer said on Thursday. “I do feel like us being in the NFC Championship game two years ago, we can draw on some things through that course of that process that we had. One thing is the number of media that’s going to be out on the field before the game. As these games continue getting bigger, the distractions become bigger. I think we can draw on that. It’s still going out and playing good football.”
The stage does get much bigger as you move on in the playoffs, and whether the 49ers are equipped to handle the big stage, will be revealed on Saturday. It’s much easier to win in the regular season than it is in the playoffs, and because it’s win or go home, the stakes are much higher.
Beating two 13-win teams in consecutive weeks on the road is never easy, but that’s what the Vikings will have to do to if they want to move on. They have the experience, and they will need all of that and more to beat the Niners on Saturday.
