With the conclusion of Wild Card weekend in the NFL playoffs we preview the upcoming divisional round matchups taking place this weekend.
Bills vs. Broncos Sat, Jan 17 4:30 PM
The number 1 seed in the AFC hosts the sixth seeded Bills in the first divisional round match this weekend. The Broncos are fresh off a bye week thanks to their defensive prowess throughout the season. Although there haven’t been too many superstars carrying this team, their ability to remain consistent and eventually dethrone the Chiefs for the AFC West title proves that they are a force to be reckoned with. As for the Bills they came hot off a road win in Jacksonville where they upsetted the third seed 27-24. Although he didn’t have a huge game against the Jaguars, running back James Cook has been a vital asset to Josh Allen and this offense as the rushing leader with 1,621 yards. We have to see how this team fairs against an elite Denver defense, but what could dictate this game is how well the offense performs. Bo Nix has been on and off and without any true weapon it could be a possible on the road upset for the Bills.
49ers vs. Seahawks Sat, Jan 17 8:00 PM
Coming off a bye week the Seahawks face a familiar opponent in the San Francisco 49ers for the third time this year. They split their previous two meetings with the most recent one being in the last week of the regular season where the Seahawks won 13-3. This means that the last game the Seahawks played was against San Francisco and they won. However, the 49ers showed some level of resilience in their first round match against the Eagles with an eventual game winning drive in the dying minutes.
The San Francisco pass defense will have to watch out for breakout wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who racked up the highest amount of receiving yards this regular season with 1,793. Nonetheless this San Francisco offense can’t be overlooked with players such as Christian McCaffrey and Brock Purdy having a strong showing on Sunday against the Eagles. So will San Francisco’s passing attack exploit Seattle, or does the bye give the Seahawks the edge in a potential slugfest?
Patriots vs. Texans Sun, Jan 18 3:00 PM
Both young quarterbacks fight for a spot in their first AFC championship this weekend. The Patriots are led by MVP candidate Drake Maye who has flipped this franchise on its head taking them from 4-13 to 14-3 in the span of one year. Their postseason started off a bit shaky with a low scoring win over the Chargers 16-3. This was most likely a bit of playoff jitters that the team should take and learn from when facing a team like the Texans. Contrary to prior seasons this Texans team doesn’t run through its offense but rather its defense that includes stars such as Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter and Will Anderson Jr. They scored an astonishing 2 defensive touchdowns against the Steelers while holding them to 6 points. It’ll be a tough matchup for the Patriots on the offensive side of the ball but what could help is the inconsistency of quarterback C.J. Stroud who despite winning this past Monday still had a poor showing throwing an interception in a win that was thanks to their defense. So how will the Patriots manage the best defense in the league and how can the Texans limit turnovers on their side of the ball so that they can sneak away with another on the road victory?
Bears vs. Rams Sun, Jan 18 6:30 PM
Caleb Williams aka (Iceman) late game heroics once again saved the Bears and beat the Packers for the second time in the past four weeks. After being down 21-3 at the half the Bears regrouped to outscore Green Bay by 22 points including two passing touchdowns by Caleb Williams in the last 5 minutes. Their path to the NFC championship won’t come without a fight as they face the fifth seeded Rams at home. Los Angeles is coming off a last minute nail-biter against the Panthers which they barely won 34-31. This team is captained by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford who leads the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). However, both teams showed flaws in their defense allowing over 25 points each in their first round matches. Expect to see a shootout where both teams draw on the lack of secondary in each of their defenses.
