NFL Playoff Predictions: 2017 match ups, winners, and Super Bowl champion

Raiders vs Texans

The last time these two teams played, they were in Mexico City singing a different tune. Oakland was in the middle of a truly impressive run, and Derek Carr and Brock Osweiler still saw the field.

Albeit they’re off for very different reasons, the changes at quarterback means a different kind of game on the gridiron.

Osweiler was recently benched for backup Tom Savage, while Carr suffered a broken fibula shortly before the regular season wrapped up.

This will be the Raiders’ first playoff game in over a decade, and it’ll start in the same stadium they hope to play in for this year’s Super Bowl.

After going with Matt McGloin for their final regular season game, injury forces the Raiders into a corner with Connor Cook.

For a rookie quarterback, he will have a lot of weight on his shoulders, but could deliver if the Texans crack.

The fact that Houston is also having major quarterback problems gives the Raiders a serious chance they might not have against other teams. If they’d been somehow stuck playing a team like Pittsburgh in the first round, good luck to you.

While it’s true they’ll be a different team without Derek Carr, that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be back.

There’s plenty of offense to watch in this game, and we could end up seeing a lot of fireworks.

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