Wild card weekend is over, and 4 teams have been eliminated from the NFL Playoffs. The Bengals, Colts, Vikings, and Redskins all lost over the weekend, and now it is time to look forward to the divisional round match-ups taking place this weekend.
The first game takes place on Saturday the 12th, as the Ravens hit the road and travel to Mile High Stadium in Denver to face the Broncos.
The Ravens knocked off the 5th seeded Colts last week, ending their season only a week after Chuck Pagano’s inspirational return to the organization after being diagnosed with leukemia. Andrew Luck and the Colt’s offense did all they could, but they simply weren’t effective against the Ray Lewis lead Raven’s defense. On offense, Anquan Boldin “put the team on his back”. Boldin set a franchise record for receiving yards with 145 yards on only 5 receptions while also catching the game clinching touchdown catch.
The Ravens have drawn the #1 seeded Broncos, who obliterated the Ravens in Week 15, 34-17. But anything can happen in the playoffs, and Brandon Stokley knows that no victory is easy in the playoffs. “I think it’s going to be a lot harder than when we faced them the first time,” Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley told The Denver Post on Sunday night. “They had a lot of injuries, especially defensively. I think a lot of those guys are back now. When they’ve got all their guys, they’ve got a great defense, especially in the red zone.” On the other hand, the Broncos are riding an 11 game winning streak, led by the greatest quarterback ever (arguably), and show no signs of slowing down. This should be a great game, but I think the Broncos will manage a victory to move on to the AFC Championship game.
The next game takes place Saturday night in San Francisco. The Packers hit the road to battle the 49ers, who look for leadership from Colin Kaepernick, who has never started a playoff game. The Packers, on the other hand, have playoff experience and know that Aaron Rodgers has what it takes to win in the playoffs. Green Bay looked better last week against the Vikings, after losing to the Vikings in week 17.
The 49ers are going to give the Packers their first challenge of the playoffs, as they are on the road against a tough 49ers defense. All in all, the Packers should win this game under the leadership of Aaron Rodgers and the play making ability of Greg Jennings. The 49ers definitely have a chance to win; I believe their hopes fall on the shoulders of Kaepernick, and how well he responds to the pressure of playoff football.
On Sunday, at 1 PM, the Seahawks, after eliminating the Redskins, travel to Atlanta to take on Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Russel Wilson, the rookie QB for the Seahawks, has been overshadowed by Andrew Luck and RG3, but is the only rookie QB playing this weekend. He put up great stats and tied Peyton Manning for the most touchdowns passes by a rookie. Wilson has got a great cast around him, including Marshawn Lynch at running back, a literal beast, and Sidney Rice at receiver.
The Falcons have had a dominant season, however, going 13-3, and locking up home field advantage for the NFC. Not to mention that they are coming off of a bye week, fully rested. Matt Ryan has had a great year, throwing for 4,719 yards and 32 TDs. I like the Seahawks and what they have done this year, but it is hard to go against the Falcons, so I am choosing them to win this game. Look for Matt Ryan to have a prolific day with at least 300 yards.
The last game of the weekend takes place in Foxborough, Mass., at Gillette Stadium. The Texans visit the Patriots and look to avenge their week 14 loss, when the Patriots destroyed the Texans, 42-14. Last week, the Texans defeated the Bengals 19-13 at home. Houston has looked like the top AFC team until they lost 3 out of their last 4 regular season games, falling to the 3rd seed.
Tom Brady and the Patriots have been on a roll recently, except losing 34-31 to the 49ers in week 15, and look to continue their success into the playoffs. It’s hard for me to go against the Patriots in this game, as they will have home field advantage, and Tom Brady has played well in the playoffs throughout his career.
The deciding factor will be how well the Texans’ defense can contain the Patriots prolific offense. Also, if the Texans’ offense can’t possess the ball for that long, the defense will have a long day. Tom Brady is as good as any quarterback at picking apart a defense. I pick the Patriots to win this one by anywhere from 7 to 14 points, and to move on to play the Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
For more info concerning the NFL Playoffs, please visit http://www.nfl.com/playoffs