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Paul Pierce might have retired from playing a long time ago, but the former NBA superstar is still prominent in the sports world. He's part of "Speak" on FS1 alongside Joy Taylor and Keyshawn Johnson, and while he played basketball, giving football takes is not out of the question.
With Week 18 concluding and the NFL playoff bracket set, the focus has been strong on teams such as the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. However, Pierce is not siding with the majority of the fans.
The Washington Commanders, who won 12 games during the regular season and are the No. 6 seed in this postseason, have been noted by Pierce as the possible surprise in the NFC, and he believes that a trip to the NFC Championship Game is on the cards:
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"The scariest team is the Washington Commanders. You know why? Because they have nothing to lose," Pierce said. When you got a team that has no pressure on their back; and to me, I think they got the best quarterback, if not the most talented quarterback, in the NFC.
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"I truly believe that they can get to the NFC Championship. When you have a guy who's as talented and unpredictable as him, and who is tough to scout, anything can happen with Jayden Daniels. So in my eyes, they're the scariest team in the NFL, because I honestly can see them in the NFC Championship and possibly the Super Bowl," he added.
What's the pathway for the Commanders to fulfill Pierce's bet and play in the conference championship?
Washington, as the No. 6 seed, will start its playoff run by traveling to Florida to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game will be played on Sunday Night Football, and the winner will advance to the Divisional Round.
Later, it depends. If the Green Bay Packers defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, then the Commanders would play the winner of Rams-Vikings. However, if the Eagles win, then the Commanders would have a tough time traveling to Detroit to play the Lions, making Pierce's NFC Championship Game hopes unlikely.
