It’s playoff time in the NFL. Super Wild Card Weekend starts today, and the first game will be between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cincinnati Bengals. The matchup will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It will also stream on Peacock, NBCSports.com, NFL.com, NBC Sports App, NFL App and Yahoo Sports App.
The Raiders (10-7) are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. However, they are looking to win its first playoff game since the 2002 season when they reached the Super Bowl. The Raiders were able to battle through several issues throughout the season, including their head coach Jon Gruden resigning. Rich Bisaccia took over as the interim head coach and won seven of the team’s final 12 games.
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“For me, it’s an exciting time,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said about reaching the playoffs, per ESPN. “Obviously, it’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was drafted. That’s all I want to do is get to the playoffs and try and win a championship. And the fact that we’re in the tournament, it’s really cool. Again, like I said afterwards, I’m super thankful. I’ve worked my tail off. I’ve prayed that I could experience that one day and I get to. It’s cool.”
The Bengals (10-7) are like the Raiders in terms of their playoff history. They are in the postseason for the first time since 2015 and looking to win its first playoff game since the 1990 season. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has big a big reason for the team’s success in 2021, throwing for 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a 108.3 passer rating. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is a leading candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, catching 81 passes for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
“I think one thing that is special about this team is that we’ve played some big games over the course of the season, but they’ve never really felt big the way the players acted,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on the team’s official website. “What I mean by that is they didn’t act uptight and make mistakes because they were nervous. This team has been really loose and done a great job with that. They’re confident in how they prepare. It’s going to serve us well.”
