NFL Wild Card weekend preview and predictions: The year of road warriors

After an unpredictable Week 17 to cap off the regular season, the NFL Wild Card matchups have been set and bring together a slate of promising games.

NFL Wild Card weekend has arrived. After finalizing the first group of playoff matchups and a surprising collection of first-round byes, we find ourselves with a collection of games that will give some of the young hopeful teams of the NFL a platform to launch their first postseason campaign from.

Quarterbacks Josh Allen, Deshaun Watson, Ryan Tannehill, and Carson Wentz all lack the playoff success to establish themselves as elite quarterbacks but find themselves pitted against the old guard of the certified elite such as Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and Drew Brees. These young rosters with additional stars alongside their quarterbacks will look to dethrone the former and begin a new decade in the NFL.

For the elite quarterbacks of the 2010s, this may be the beginning of the end, one of their last chances for playoff success and a super bowl victory. Brees has accumulated an assortment of personal statistical victories, yet lacks the Super Bowl resume to match. Wilson, still in his prime, can look to guide his young roster back to the promised land and redeem himself from his last pass attempt in Super Bowl 49.

This piece will be providing a summary of each NFL wild card matchup, including a key matchup between a specific offensive and defensive unit, as well as an x-factor for each roster.