Watchability rankings: NFL Wildcard Weekend

Ranking the four wildcard playoff games coming up this weekend.

The NFL playoffs are upon us. It has been a fantastic season, really one of the more unpredictable, surprising seasons in recent memory. The last 17 weeks have twisted and turned, winded forth and back to get us to this point, and we now arrive at the position where one of 12 teams remaining will lift the Vince Lombardi trophy as Super Bowl champions.

Of the 12 teams the Carolina Panthers, sitting at 15-1, are most people’s favorites. Cam Newton has played at an MVP level all year long, and while the Panthers will be challenged by the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC, they will be expected to at least make the NFC Championship Game.

The AFC is slightly more open with every team having it’s pros and cons. The Denver Broncos, as the No. 1 seed, have possibly the best defense in the NFL, but have serious issues on the opposite side of the ball. The Patriots will always be fancied to win the AFC, but injuries have seriously put a dent in their season. The same goes for the Bengals, who are without Andy Dalton, at least for the wildcard round.

The Wildcard round of the playoffs is always a wonderful weekend of football, with some top quality matches available. On Saturday afternoon, we get to see two of the hottest teams in the NFL face up to each other. In the evening, the Steelers and Bengals match up in an AFC North game. Meanwhile, on Sunday the two NFC Wildcard games will be played: the Minnesota Vikings face the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins face the struggling Green Bay Packers.

It is set to be a jam-packed, quality weekend of football. But what is the most intriguing, must-watch game of the weekend? Let’s take a look.

Next: No. 4