Welcome to Super Wild Card Weekend. But before we get into that, anything new happen this week?

History unfolded before our eyes, not just in Foxborough, but all over the football landscape. When have you ever see three Hall of Fame coaches leave or lose their jobs in a 24-48 hour period?

It looks like Nick Saban was the only one who went out on his terms at Alabama. Pete Carroll fought to keep his job then thought better of it and took the bump upstairs.

And then there’s the sad ending to Bill Belichick’s reign in Foxborough. Now we know why the Krafts were so certain they would make this move as they had a succession deal with Jerod Mayo all along.

The easy part – of course it wasn’t easy to say farewell to Belichick probably a year earlier than anticipated – is done for Robert Kraft as he anointed Mayo. The hard part may be to make sure the real problem is solved: picking the players. Maybe it’s current scouting director Elliott Wolf, maybe not.

In any event, that’s the big question mark, because we remember the last time the Patriots played on Wild Card Weekend.

It wasn’t so super.

Meanwhile, let’s see how super these picks are:

CLEVELAND 27, HOUSTON 17

Welcome back to your late Saturday afternoon playoff slotted time, Houston Texans. Unfortunately, thanks to this guy named Flacco and a superb defense, you’re going to fact the same result as in most of the other games you’ve had on Wild Card Saturday.

DOLPHINS 20, CHIEFS 17

Brrrrrrrr. This is going to be a fun one to watch, and the way the Chiefs have played this year, they may not have what it takes to beat the Dolphins a second time. One can see Tyreek Hill somehow making some bg plays with frozen fingers. This should be the best game of the weekend.

BILLS 30, STEELERS 10

Some people really give Pittsburgh a chance in this one. Not us. Bills are on a roll, and will earn themseles another home game. Josh Allen vs. Mason Rudloph? Puh-leeeeeze.

COWBOYS 40, PACKERS 13

Sorry Green Bay, this isn’t the good ol’ days. Dallas is simply explosive at home and the Packers can’t do it defensively. Lock of the weekend.

RAMS 27, LIONS 21

This could be the second best game of the weekend. The difference may be the Lions’ defensive issues – plus the fact we don’t trust Jared Goff in a playoff game. That’s the reason the Rams traded him in the first place, right? Detroit can blame the bad officiating a couple of weeks ago, they should have drawn the Packers.

EAGLES 30, BUCS 14

Are we really that impatient when we’re talking about Eagles coach Nick Siriani’s job being in peril? Slumps happen, even in the NFL. And his team will break out of this one and move on. Probably to a loss, but they’ll still get one playoff win and Belichick will have to scratch that job off his list.

LAST WEEK: 5-2.

REGULAR SEASON: 79-47

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow King on X (@Telegraph_TomK).

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