SATURDAY’S NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFF GAMES

Questions flow prior to Saturday’s National Football League doubleheader of the playoffs.

First the early afternoon opener between the 4th-seeded Cincinnati Bengals at the AFC’s No. 1-seeded Tennessee Titans scheduled for a 1:05 kickoff, followed by the late afternoon closer that sends the 6th-seeded San Francisco 49ers to the NFC’s top-seeded Green Bay Packers for a slated 6:15 start.

Number one, can the Bengals’ offensive line protect quarterback Joe Burrow?

Well, one of the biggest debates heading into last year’s draft was whether Cincinnati should select either defensive tackle Ja Marr Chase or offensive tackle Penel Sewell with the fifth overall pick.

Bingo, it was Chase and he has proven the franchise did a smart thing via an excellent defensive campaign, except that the offensive line nonetheless remains a problem area for the AFC North champions that finally got over the long drought of gaining the post-season.

Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner out of Louisiana State, has done well in his third year as the stater. He has been the team leader, has

orchestrated a mixture of pass and run, and has been a fan favorite for a city that’s finally welcomed in the playoffs.

But he also has been sacked 51 times this season, and whether Tennessee can get pressure on him to disrupt the Bengals’ potent passing attack, could be a difference-maker in a tilt that has the Titans favored by 3 and one-half points, a slight jump from the early-line 3 points.

That’s one big question. Another is will stellar running back Derrick Henry be enough to get Tennessee into the conference championship game? It isn’t yet a lock that Henry will play Saturday, for he was on pace for a second-straight 2,000-yard season before injuring his foot halfway through the campaign.

With the 6-foot-3, 216-pound strength and speedster Henry, the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner while at national champion Alabama, Tennessee aims to win with its running game and play-action aerial attack, and whose line has struggled with pass protection issues.

But Henry is determined and anxious to return to the field, while Cincinnati’s defensive line had a pair of key injuries in last week’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Tackle Larry Ogunjobi will miss this game while Trey Hendrickson is questionable with a concussion.

A heavy dose of Henry, along with play passing to A.J. Brown and the newly healthy receiving standout Julio Jones, could be a lot for the Bengals to overcome. The home field advantage at Nashville’s Music City also falls to the Titans.

Next comes San Francisco to the cold and windy weather conditions with always a chance of snow and frozen tundra at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay is the only team in these playoffs that has been unbeaten at home.

Now can San Fran’s pass-run offense match the Packers’ big-play offense led by veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers?

The visiting Niners were very impressive last week in getting past the 3rd-seeded Dallas Cowboys before approximately 93,000 fans at the huge A T & T Stadium in Arlington. But they also left themselves with a banged-up defense that is needed to slow down the Rodgers’ passing game.

Here, the Pack opened as four-point favorites that is now 6 points, and probably the reason for this is that the 49ers’ two best defenders in pass rusher, defensive end Nick Bosa (concussion) and linebacker Fred Warner (foot). If both are able to play, this is a unit capable of as least limiting the veteran Rodgers and Green Bay’s passing offense.

Thus, the pass rush will need to be disruptive the way it was versus the high-powered Cowboys’ offense.

Now can the Packers stop explosive running back Deebo Samuel? Well, much of the San Francisco offense revolves around veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who is probably playing his final game in a Niners’ uniform and will need to play a great game for his team to pull off another upset, and that won’t be easy while he’s dealing with thumb and shoulder injuries.

But Samuel could also be the biggest difference-maker on the field. He has been a dual threat as a pass-catcher and running back, and defense haven’t been able to slow him down. He has averaged 18.2 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per run this season, and has scored 14 touchdowns.

The 49ers will need to match the Pack’s big-play ability, and Samuel needs to play a big part.