Last week was amazing and nearly had the best playoff football weekend since the 2021-22 Divisional Round. All four games ended with either a game-winning field goal or touchdown That postseason, we also saw the best playoff game ever in the Bills vs Chiefs. I am really excited for this upcoming weekend of football. Three NFC West teams in the Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers are all in the Divisional round. And then, there’s my Cardinals. sigh.
Another interesting fact is that 7 of the 8 remaIning QBs in the playoffs have never won the Super Bowl. The only team that has are Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. It has never been as closer and competitive like this in quite a while.
I went 3 – 3 in my predictions last week. The Bears are actually legit. I have to admit that I was actually doubting them and thought that their season was a fluke. Without further do, lets get into my Divisional Round Preview and Predictions.
Game 1: Buffalo Bills (6) @ Denver Broncos (1)
Our first Saturday Game will be the Denver Broncos hosting the Buffalo Bills. The Bills went into Jacksonville and took down the Jaguars. The Jaguars were efficient in running the ball as they had almost 150 rushing yards, but for some reason, they didn’t do that all game. Instead of James Cook being a factor on the rushing side, it was instead Josh Allen, who ended up having two rushing touchdowns. Josh Allen has always been efficient and stepped up his game in the playoffs. His 26 Touchdowns and 4 interceptions are the best TD-Int ratio in NFL Playoff history. The Bills also had solid contributions from Khalil Shakir and the Bills secondary who ended up forcing two turnovers, which ended up being a crucial factor in last week’s game. Even though the Broncos have the second-best rushing defense, the Bills just beat the Jaguars who has the best rushing defense in the entire league.
What I’m about to say may be a little critical, but I believe that the Denver Broncos are one of the most fraudulent teams in the NFL this season. They are 11 – 2 in one score games. They beat the Raiders, the worst team in the NFL, barely by one-score. They also barely beat the Giants, who are the second-worst team in the league. They beat the Titans by one score and barely won against the Chiefs, who were without Mahomes. Adding on, they barely beat the Jets in London, which was also the game where Justin Fields threw for net negative passing yards. They also lost an overtime game by one point to the Commanders, who were missing their QB in Jayden Daniels. They also weren’t able to throw any touchdowns against the Chargers backups in week 18. All of this means that the Broncos barely have any momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Broncos defense will be an x-factor as they have to contain Josh Allen and force him to commit turnovers. They have the second-best rushing defense like I just mentioned, third in points allowed, and also have a top-10 passing defense. The Bills have to take advantage of the injured Broncos offense, who will be without J.K. Dobbins. Due to that, R.J. Harvey needs to step up and contribute. He needs to have a solid game, which will allow the Broncos to take advantage of the time of possession. However, the Broncos offense is worse than the Jaguars, and the Bills on the other hand have the best passing defense in the entire league. If they can force Bo Nix to commit turnovers like they did with Trevor Lawrence, the Bills can seriously have a chance in this game. Overall, its going to come down to the Bills offense against the Broncos defense.
It’s going to be an close and competitive game, but at the end, I just feel like this is the year for Josh Allen and the Bills. No Patrick Mahomes. No Joe Burrow. No Lamar Jackson. The Broncos won 8 games by one-score, similar to last year’s Kansas City Chiefs, and if they some how, some way win, I won’t be shocked. The Bills are also on a short week heading into Denver. However, once again, I have the Bills winning. I feel like they have more momentum, especially after last week’s win against the Jaguars.
(Winner Prediction: Buffalo Bills)
Game 2: San Francisco 49ers (6) @ Seattle Seahawks (1)
The second Saturday game will have an classic NFC West rivalry and round three of the 49ers versus the Seahawks. The last time these teams faced off in Week 18, the Seahawks ended up winning a low scoring game (13 – 3), which helped them clinch the NFC 1-seed. The 49ers are coming off an impressive win against the defending Super Bowl champions. Brock Purdy played a solid game as he was able to get the ball to his receivers like Demarcus Robinson. Even though McCaffrey didn’t have an explosive running game, he was able to get open and get two receiving touchdowns. However, they will be heading into Seattle without two of their top defenders Fred Warner or Nick Bosa. The 49ers will also be without George Kittle, who ended up suffering a season-ending achillies injury. The 49ers are also not sure if Trent Williams will be back either.
As an interesting fact, Brock Purdy is the only remaining. QB in playoffs that was not a first-round pick. Also, the 49ers have the most playoff wins by any team in NFL History. Also, Purdy is 4 – 0 whenever the 49ers play the Seahawks at Seattle.
What a story by the Seahawks. They went from a 10-win team last year to being this year’s 1-seed. They have the best defense in the entire league, including points allowed. The Seahawks defense hasn’t allowed a single rush over 11 yards in 5 games this season. They definitely have one of the best defenses in the entire league alongside the Texans. The defensive line is able to generate pressure while their secondary is also very effective. Their offense is also really good led by their best WR in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He led the league in receiving yards and also got First-Team All-Pro. They also have a strong running back duo in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. They have the 11th best rushing offense in the league, which really came to formation during the final three weeks of the season. Finally, they also have Sam Darnold, who is making the Vikings regret their decision of cutting him after last year. The last time these two teams played, Darnold didn’t have a big game, yet he didn;t have any turnovers. The Seahawks were able to win because of their run defense and offense.
The 49ers are injured on both sides of the ball and the Seahawks have been one of the most dominating teams all season long. Sam Darnold will need to limit his turnovers. Even though anything is possible in a divisional matchup like this, however the 49ers will be without Trent Williams and their best defenders. Like I said before, the Seahawks have JSN, an effective running game, and best defense in the NFL. Due to that defense, I believe they will be able to limit Christian McCaffrey. Overall, I have the Seahawks moving on to the NFC Championship game.
(Winner Prediction: Seattle Seahawks)
Game 3: Houston Texans (4) @ New England Patriots (2)
The first Sunday game will have the Houston Texans travelling to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.
The Texans got an ugly win against the Steelers last week due to their defense dominating the fourth quarter. The other three quarters were so close and tight. The Texans offense couldn’t really do anything and had many fumbles. They also had an costly interception in the endzone. Like I said last week, the Texans defense has carried them so far this season, and they can continue to do so till the Super Bowl. That’s because they can generate pressure on opposing QBs and even force turnovers. They had a strip sack returned for a touchdown and even a pick-six, which may end up being Aaron Rodgers’ last throw ever in the NFL. If the Chargers could get after Drake Maye and sack him, the Texans defense could cause more damage and have more of an impact in this game. However, the Texans still have problems with their Offensive Line and CJ Stroud is coming off one off his worst played games in his career. Also, Nico Collins is in concussion protocol. The Texans will need to have big games from their receivers like Christian Kirk and be able to effectively run the ball. They have a solid running back duo in Woody Marks and Nick Chubb, and both of them will need to play good if they even want to have a chance against the Patriots.
The Patriots also played in an ugly game last week against the Chargers. They were able to go ahead in the fourth quarter and win the game. Drake Maye was able to generate some good looks on offense, but also had some turnovers. He threw an interception and also had a strip sack on him. Maye was also sacked five times. However, the Chargers have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and the Patriots were able to get to and sack Justin Herbert six times, preventing him to do anything. Having Milton Williams back was definitely a boost for the defense. Even though CB Christian Gonzalez is on concussion protocol, he is expected to play this upcoming Sunday. That will be huge for the Patriots defense.
Overall, I think think this will be a close and defensive battle. Both QBs need to commit less turnovers. Drake Maye is in the MVP race alongside Matthew Stafford. The Patriots also have an solid run game in Henderson and Stevenson, both of whom can break out for solid runs. However, the Patriots are at home, and that will make the difference. Even though the Patriots have had a similar easy schedule like the Broncos, they nearly blew out all the teams they played against. They have the third biggest point differential in the NFL with a +170. In terms of offense, the Patriots are ranked second in points and nearly top six in every other metric. The Texans will need to rely on their defense, who I believe can carry them to the Super Bowl. If their offense can show up and limit the turnovers, they can potentially pull off the upset. However, even though CJ Stroud and the Texans are more experienced in the Playoffs, the Patriots are at home and are more consistent on both sides of the ball than the Texans. The Patriots will win and move on to the AFC Championship game for the first time since the 2018-19 season, which was also the last time they advanced to and won Super Bowl 53.
(Winner Prediction: New England Patriots)
Game 4: Los Angeles Rams (5) @ Chicago Bears (2)
Finally, on Sunday Night Football, we have the Los Angeles Rams heading to Chicago to take on the Bears.
The Rams have went through a lot the past couple of weeks ever since losing to the Seahawks. They ended up blowing a 16 point lead and losing in OT. They then lost to the Falcons on MNF. The Rams got off to a quick 14 – 0 lead against the Panthers last week. However, things went been back-and-forth since, and the Panthers ended up taking the lead, going up 4 with less than three minutes to go. Matthew Stafford then led a comeback drive that led the Rams to victory. The Rams have the best offense in the entire league. They got off to a hot 9 – 2 start, but ended the season 3 – 3. That also happened last week against the Panthers when they ended up with a 14 – 0 lead to start the game.
The Bears had an eventful game against their divisional rivals, the Packers, last weekend. They didn’t show up as they only scored 6 points throughout the first three quarters, but then turned it up in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points, which was just enough to beat the Packers. They were also down 21 – 3 at halftime. The Bears also beat the Packers in week 16 in OT by coming back. They have had many fourth quarter comebacks throughout this season. They can score in many different ways and they have found ways to win. Caleb Williams has stepped up when it matters the most and have a top-3 rushing offense in the league.
The Bears defense was also a huge part of why they were able to win last week. They took advantage of finding good opportunities and getting key stops at the right time. They will need to do the same this week against Matthew Stafford, who is dealing with an injured index finger in his passing hand. Playing outside in the Chicago col could be a tough challenge. The Bears receivers will also need to show up and win their matchups against the Rams secondary. They should also look to control the time of possession by running the ball.
This will be an offensive shootout, but I just believe the Rams have a little more offensive weapons in Puka Nacua and Davantae Adams. I also feel like the Rams defense is slightly better than the Bears. Matthew Stafford will able to come up with some clutch plays to give the Rams an edge. It will be close, but the Rams will get the job done and move on to an NFC West showdown in the NFC Championship Game. Being a Cardinals fan myself, that will really hurt.
(Winner Prediction: Los Angeles Rams)
