We have narrowed it down to eight. Eight teams that believe they have a chance to win it all. Eight teams remaining, representing all eight divisions of the NFL. All but one of eight divisional champions have made it this far (the role of AFC North Champion will be played by understudy, the Baltimore Ravens). Eight teams. One divisional round. We are in the thick of the playoffs now. All four games have clear cut favorites, but that doesn't necessarily mean that those are the four teams we will see in the Conference Title games. Let's look at the matchups.
Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @ New England Patriots (12-4)
Saturday, 4:35 PM ET (Current Line, Patriots -7.0)
New England is the clear favorite in this matchup; however, I don't expect things to be so straightforward for the AFC's number one seed. Joe Flacco seems to turn it up to the next level in the playoffs. He will need to be at the top of his form if Baltimore hopes to leave New England with a playoff victory. Unfortunately for the Ravens, Tom Brady has been turning it up in the playoffs for well over a decade now. The Patriots have been an impressive team for a long time now, but this season feels different. This is the best New England has looked in awhile now. Since the Patriots were inexplicably crushed by Kansas City on Monday Night Football in Week 4, they have looked nearly unstoppable, with their only loss (other than a meaningless Week 17 game) coming in a close game in Green Bay. During that run, they have blown out the Colts, Broncos, Bengals, and Lions. That's an impressive list of teams. However, Baltimore will also be feeling confident, as they defeated Pittsburgh convincingly in the Wild Card Round just last weekend. They Ravens will need all the confidence they can get, as they look to upset the Patriots in the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons.
Prediction: Flacco throws his first interceptions of the post-season in three years on the first drive of the game. New England stays in control for most of the game, and a late comeback attempt by the Ravens is squashed when Flacco throws his third pick. Patriots win 29-17.
Carolina Panthers (7-8-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
Saturday, 8:15 PM ET (Current Line, Seahawks -10.5)
The Seahawks are heavy favorites against an overachieving Panthers team. Carolina comes into this game having won 5 straight, having needed all five of those wins to get to where they are in the playoffs right now. However, Carolina's list of victories are really not all that impressive. Three of those wins came against the other three teams of the lowly NFC South, and one of them came against Cleveland. They were able to defeat the Cardinals in the Wild Card Round; however, with Ryan Lindley at quarterback, I don't know if there is a team in the NFL that the Cardinals could have beaten last weekend. Meanwhile, Seattle comes into this game having won six straight and nine of their last ten. During that time, they have re-established themselves as one of the best defenses in the NFL. It seems like a long time ago that fans in Seattle were worried about their team's 3-3 start to the season. The Panthers strong defense will certainly keep them in this game. And if they play mistake free football, they may even have a chance to win it. However, I, and everyone else, expect Cam Newton to have a very tough time dealing with the noise and the Legion of Boom at Century Link Field.
Prediction: Newton throws three interceptions in the first half. Seattle in unable to take full advantage of these turnovers, though. Carolina trails by six, late in the fourth quarter, with Cam Newton and the Panthers driving. However, a fourth and final interception dooms the Panthers. Seattle wins 16-10.
Dallas Cowboys (12-4) @ Green Bay Packers (12-4)
Sunday, 1:05 PM ET (Current Line, Packers -6.0)
There are lots of big story lines in this game. The Packers were 8-0 at home and the Cowboys were 8-0 on the road this year. Which perfect record will break in this NFC clash? Rodgers will be playing with a slight tear in his calf. Will he be able to overcome this injury? And the weather is once again expected to be a factor in cold Green Bay. Which team will be able to defy the elements? It is fun to mull over these interesting story lines. I find Dallas' 8-0 road record particularly interesting. However, in the end, this game will be about which team performs on this day. Both teams have proven that they can win and win big. Dallas boasts impressive wins against Seattle and Indianapolis, while the Packers have proven their worth, with wins against New England and Detroit. The Packers are the clear favorites, and that should come as no surprise. However, it will be interesting to see how the cold affects these high-powered offenses. Rodgers has the edge in the cold, thanks to starting at quarterback in Green Bay for about seven years now, but the injury may hinder his ability to perform. I expect Dallas to start fast in this one, after their slow start in Detroit last week. If Dallas expects to defeat Green Bay, their defense will have to step up. Simply outscoring Green Bay may be too tall an order for Tony Romo and the Dallas offense. The Packers are hoping to win so they can get their revenge in Seattle next weekend (or maybe they are hoping Carolina pulls off the upset). Either way, they have to get through the Cowboys first.
Prediction: The cold weather does not affect either teams potent offenses. The Packers and Cowboys trade touchdowns all game. Romo hits Cole Beasley in the slot for a game-tying touchdown with 1:45 left in the fourth. However, that's way too much time for Rodgers, as the Packers drive down the field and set up Crosby for the game-winner with no time remaining. Packers win 38-35.
Indianapolis Colts (11-5) @ Denver Broncos (12-4)
Sunday, 4:40 PM ET (Current Line, Broncos -7.0)
The weekend will be capped off by the game I am looking forward to most. For the first time, Peyton will face off against his old team in the playoffs. This classic battle will be a rematch from Week 1, where the Broncos defeated Luck and the Colts in Denver, 31-24. However, Week 1 of the regular season is a whole lot different than the post-season. Since that time, Denver has converted to a run-first team. Peyton has now taken on the role of game manager in the Denver offense, as his running game has begun to flourish. The Colts defense will have to stop CJ Anderson before they can think about slowing down Peyton Manning. The Indianapolis defense looked good against the Bengals last weekend, but comparing Cincinnati's offense and Denver's offense is silly. Meanwhile, the Denver defense will have their hands full with the top passing offense in the NFL. The Colts have looked great in many games this season, but their inability to beat the top teams will have fans in Indianapolis worried. The Colts were blown out by Dallas and New England this year, to go along with the previously mentioned loss to Denver. The Colts will look to avenge that regular season loss to the Broncos. This will be the first of Luck's many chances to make a statement in the playoffs. Will he be able to come through? Meanwhile, this will be one of Peyton's last chances to make a playoff statement. The pressure is on Manning to win now.
Prediction: The Colts have the ball, trailing by four late in the fourth quarter. Luck is in the midst of a career-defining drive, when Austin Collie fumbles the ball. Aqib Talib returns it for the game-sealing touchdown. Broncos win 31-20.
I know it's not all that bold, but I expect all of the top seeds to advance to the Conference Championship Round. All of the top teams have been in excellent form lately, and it is hard to imagine any of them faltering in their first game of the post-season. Hopefully this weekend of games is an improvement from the Wild Card Round. Happy football watching!
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