Irish In The NFL: Who’s In The Playoffs?

In the spring, the NFL and the NFLPA finished a new collective bargaining agreement. One of the major changes was the first shift in the NFL Playoff format since 2002 and the first time additional playoff slots were added since 1990, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This year’s postseason will include two additional playoff teams for a total of 14, seven from each conference. Instead of the top two teams in the AFC and NFC receiving first-round byes, it’ll now just be the No. 1 seeds. That means only the 14-2 Kansas City Chiefs and the 13-3 Green Bay Packers have this weekend off, while the other 12 teams face elimination.

This equates to even more former Fighting Irish players having a chance to appear on the sport’s biggest stage. Last year, both offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey and defensive tackle Sheldon Day started for the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

Currently, that same opportunity is still alive for 11 Notre Dame alumni. All but one could be in action this weekend.

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This season, Quenton Nelson sustained his dominant play at left guard for the Indianapolis Colts. For the third year in a row, he was named to the NFL Pro Bowl and a member of the All-Pro Team. He was the only former Notre Dame player to garner either honor. His team will face a gritty Bills team.

The two franchises did not meet in the regular season and their preseason matchup was canceled.

There are no former Fighting Irish players on either roster.

There’s an off chance you could see two Notre Dame alumni in this game.

Running back CJ Prosise spent most of the season with the Houston Texans, where he received 15 offensive touches for 37 yards and a touchdown. But he was signed to the Buccaneers practice squad on Tuesday. He plays a position where Tampa Bay has lacked depth all season and Tom Brady has always loved pass-catching running backs.

Defensive back Cole Luke saw action on special teams in five of the Washington Football Team’s games this season, including the final three and recorded one tackle. Expect to see him do the same on Saturday and maybe he’ll make another excellent one-handed grab while standing on the sidelines:

The two franchises did not meet in the regular season.

Some Ravens fans are disappointed in the production of Miles Boykin thus far, but the 6-foot-4 receiver still had a solid sophomore campaign. He snagged 19 receptions this season for 266 yards and three touchdowns, playing in all 16 games this season.

Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley is also a member of the Ravens but he fractured and dislocated his left ankle in a 28-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 1. Fortunately for him, he had just signed a five-year, $98.75 million contract extension.

The Titans defeated the Ravens 30-24 on Nov. 22. Boykin played offense and special team in the contest but was not targeted.

Sam Mustipher and Alex Bars became starters for the Bears mid-season and helped transform the offensive line into a productive, cohesive unit. For Chicago, you’ll also see rookie tight end Cole Kmet, who played in all 16 games this season and started five of the last six. On the season, he recorded 28 catches for 243 yards and two scores.

For the Saints, there’s also a chance rookie running back Tony Jones Jr. could make an appearance. He was called up from the practice squad last week after five players were added to the team’s COVID-19/Reserve list, and Jones made his NFL debut. He carried the ball three times for 13 yards. It’s unclear if he’ll be active on Sunday but it can’t be ruled out.

The Saint defeated the Bears 26-23 on Nov. 1. Kmet caught one pass for two yards and Mustipher earned the first start of his career. Bars played special teams and one snap on offense.

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A pair of former Notre Dame players will be heavily featured in this game on both sides of the ball.

Chase Claypool quickly became one of the most popular rookie wide receivers in 2020. In 16 games, he contributed 62 receptions for 873 yards and nine touchdowns, 10 carries for 16 yards and two scores, and six special teams tackles. He also became the first wide receiver in the Super Bowl era to score 10 touchdowns in his first 10 NFL games.

In his seventh NFL season, defensive tackle Stephon Tuitt had a career year. He played in 15 games and recorded 46 tackles (13 for loss), 11 sacks (eighth in the NFL), two forced fumbles and 26 quarterback hits in 15 games played.

There’s also a chance defensive tackle Sheldon Day could play in the game. He was signed to the Browns’ practice squad on Dec. 30.

This will be the third matchup between the Steelers and the Browns this season. Pittsburgh dominated the first contest on Oct. 18, winning 38-7. But Cleveland was victorious in their most recent game, earning a playoff berth with a 24-22 victory in week 17.

In those two contests, Claypool compiled 182 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. Tuitt had seven total tackles (one for loss) 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits.

Third-year wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown came on late in the season for the Green Bay Packers. In nine games, he registered seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, one carry for seven yards and one tackle on special teams.

The Packers will face the lowest remaining seed in the playoffs after the wild card weekend. They could face the Bears, Buccaneers, Rams or Washington in the second round.

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