NFL Wild Card Sunday open thread

Two AFC matchups and the Giants and Vikings today as the playoffs roll on.

Today brings three playoff games. After the 49ers thumped the Seahawks on Saturday and the Jaguars fell behind and then furiously rallied to win yesterday, we’ll hopefully be seeing some competitive games today.

Here’s the trio of contests, and be sure to use this as your open thread for the rest of the day.

Dolphins vs. Bills, 1 p.m. EST

Miracles do happen, but the Dolphins are starting rookie Skylar Thompson against a juggernaut. Buffalo should win this one going away, but divisional games do sometimes get weird. I wouldn’t have high expectations for the quality of this one, though.

Giants vs. Vikings, 4:30 p.m. EST

Two of the NFL’s most improbable success stories face off. Brian Daboll has worked minor miracles in his first season in New York, squeezing every last win out of a roster that needs significant help, while the Vikings have somehow cruised to a fantastic record despite rarely looking like a dominant team. My early prediction is that this will end up being the closest game today.

Ravens vs. Bengals, 8:15 p.m. EST

This is another game that could be quite close. The Ravens are rolling with Tyler Huntley and counting on their ground game and defense to keep pace with a very good Bengals team, and while the usual divisional caveat applies here, it’s hard to think that Baltimore will be able to pull this one off.