The regular season is finally over and now we head into the best part of football, the playoffs. There are several familiar faces going head to head and should contain some great games this weekend. Who’s going to the divisional round? Read and find out!
AFC Matchups:
(7) Steelers vs (2) Bills
There are two things certain in the NFL world, Mike Tomlinson’s Steelers having a winning record and Josh Allen’s Bills winning the division. This matchup has two teams that play surprisingly similar. The Steelers are known for their strong defense led by 2021 DPOY and six time pro bowler TJ Watt. The Bills who are mostly known for their star QB and wide receivers in Allen and Diggs are also a more defensive team this season. The Bills defense has allowed only 18.6 points per game which is the 4th fewest allowed in the entire league. In how badly the Steelers offense has struggled throughout the season, the Bills should hold the Steelers to a minimal amount of scoring. These defense will both show up but it’s a matter of which team can atleast provide some type of offense. Despite Josh Allen turning the ball over at times, he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Other playmakers such as James Cook providing a decent ground game and wide out Stefon Diggs gives the Bills some agency to move the ball. The Steelers will bring physical defense but at the end of the day the Bills can produce more on offense and should advance Buffalo to the divisional round for the fourth year in a row.
Prediction: Bills win 24-10
(6) Dolphins vs (3) Chiefs
Tyreek Hill makes his official return to Kansas City for the first time as a Dolphin. The first reunion game was in Germany, week 9, where the Chiefs walked away with a 21-14 victory. So in another matchup between the two, what has changed? The Dolphins and Chiefs have both had their struggles especially offensively as of late. In an expected -2 degree weather, this gives another reason as to why the offenses will struggle to score. The Dolphins have not scored 20 points in their last 2 games and this may be the case once more. However Miami is expected to get Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert back which will have more arsenal to impact the game. The Chiefs on the other side have struggled immensely with receiving and dropped passed this season. The plus side is the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes under center and hold a really good defense. Kansas City is top 5 in fewest passing yards allowed and in this game the Chiefs will focus solely on stopping the rushing attack. In a classic freezing game that favors defense this plays into the Chiefs hands. Kansas City should get by a struggling Dolphins team in a low scoring affair.
Prediction: Chiefs win 17-13
(5) Browns vs (4) Texans
A rematch of week 16 as the Browns will look to have a repeat of their 36-22 victory over the Texans. However this time the Texans will have CJ Stroud back for this game (missed due to concussion). The Rookie of the Year favorite has thrown for over 4,000 yards and has brought Houston their first playoff appearance but it was not the best matchup for this young Texans team to draw. While Stroud will not let Houston trail by as much as 29, the Browns still have a top notch defense with pro bowlers Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward leading this unit to the fewest yards allowed per game. Not to mention the Browns have had the renaissance of Joe Flacco averaging 323.2 passing yards per game. The Browns have much more talent on both sides of the ball and are the more experience team. Expect Cleveland to replicate controlling the game tempo and walking out of Houston with a win.
Prediction: Browns win 31-20
NFC Matchups:
(7) Packers vs (2) Cowboys
The surging Packers are facing off against one of the most talented teams in the NFL, the Cowboys. Dallas went undefeated at home with an 8-0 record. For the Packers to beat the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium they need to get Aaron Jones the ball and run it down the throats of the Dallas defense. Jones has rushed for over 110 yards in the last 3 games. This may be the Packers only way to win as the Cowboys have the advantage everywhere else on the field. The Cowboys should limit Green Bays passing with a stout defense. One of the best defenders, Michael Parsons will be a headache for the Packers offensive line along with rookie Daron Bland giving the Green Bay wide receivers trouble in the secondary. The Cowboys also have more weapons on offense with the dynamic duo of Dak Prescott and Cedee Lamb. Although the Packers may keep it a respectable game, the Cowboys just have way too much talent for the Packers. Dallas can win this game with their defense or offense and if either side shows up then the Packers will have a tall task ahead of them. Cowboys have way too much talent for Green Bay and should continue their undefeated streak at home.
Prediction: Cowboys 27-17
(6) Rams vs (3) Lions
For the first time in 30 years the Lions will host a playoff game as division winners. They will face none other than Matt Stafford, who spent the first 12 seasons of his career as a Lion. They traded Stafford for the Rams former quarterback, Jared Goff. The storyline is there for a great game and so will the product on the field. These teams like to score the ball and the coaches like flashy plays. The Lions have a finesse offense with weapons like Sam LaPorta, Amon Ra-St. Brown and Jahmir Gibbs to create an offensive explosion. The Rams have plenty of offensive weapons such as Puka Nakia, Kyren Williams, and Superbowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp. These teams will bring the fireworks as both squads should trade blows throughout this entire game. A big factor in this game will execution in the clutch and Sean McVay is one of the best coaches to have in this situation. McVay is a Superbowl winning coach and one of the best in the business. Campbell is a great coach but In a chess match the Rams have the one of the best guys to have. Although this game could go either way, Stafford should lead the game winning field goal drive to deliver a victory over his former team in Detroit.
Prediction: Rams win 41-38
(5) Eagles vs (4) Buccaneers
In week 3 the Eagles had 472 total yards of offense and won handily 25-11 against the Buccaneers. At that time the Eagles were viewed as a Superbowl favorite and a clear cut elite NFL team. Approximately four months later Philly has been anything but a contender. After having control of the 1 seed Philadelphia has lost 5 of their last 6 games. On the other hand after starting 4-7 Tampa has gone 5-1 in their last 6 games and winning with controlling the turnover margin. The Bucs rank 9th in the league in the turnover margin with +8 on giveaways for the year. Philly has thrown 6 interceptions in the last 4 games and against a Tampa team that doesn’t turn the ball over, makes the Bucs have the upper hand in this game. As long as the Bucs don’t turn it over and get the ageless wonder, Mike Evans the targets he needs then Tampa can control the game around. The Eagles are running on absolute fumes while the Buccaneers are a steady ship heading into this matchup. The Bucs should pull off the upset against NFC Champion Eagles in a close lower scoring game.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 19-14
