Here we are once again. Its time for the divisional round of the National Football League playoffs. We started this playoff race with twelve teams, now the field has shrunk down to eight. Oakland, Detroit, Miami and the Giants are all heading home after getting eliminated from the playoffs last weekend. Of the eight teams that are left standing, seven of them are really good. Houston, not so much, they got lucky playing in a crappy division. A couple of big questions arise going into this weekend. Can Houston keep it close against New England? Can Dallas get payback on Green Bay for the Dez game two years ago? Can Seattle win on the road in Atlanta? How healthy and effective is Big Ben going to be for Pittsburgh? All those questions, and a whole lot more, will be answered in the next 72 hours. They are all rematches of games that were played earlier this season.
First up, at 4:35PM Saturday, the NFC West winners, the Seattle Seahawks, travel to the Georgia Dome, to take on the NFC South Champions, the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta won the NFC South this year, with an 11-5 record, making the playoffs for the first time since 2012. This was Atlanta's first division title, and winning season, since that 2012 playoff run. The falcons are looking to try to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time sin 1998. Atlanta is 7-12 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Seattle is playing in the divisional round for the 5th straight year, this coming after a 26-6 win over the Detroit Lions last week in the Wild Card game. The last time Seattle missed the Divisional Round was in 2011, when they last missed the playoffs. Seattle is looking to get a win in the divisional round for the first time since 2014. Seattle is 16-14 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between Seattle and Atlanta in the playoffs, with Atlanta winning the only other meeting between the teams in 2012. This year, they played each other during week six, a game which Seattle won 26-24.
This game should be a solid game to watch this week.
Picks:
Solly: Atlanta Falcons
Steve: Atlanta Falcons
3rd Mic Dan: Atlanta Falcons
Next up, at 8:15PM Saturday, the AFC South champions, the Houston Texans, travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the AFC East Champions, the New England Patriots. Houston won the South for the 2nd year in a row at a 9-7 record and are coming off a 27-14 win over the Raiders in the wild card game last weekend. Of Houston's four trips to the playoffs in their history, this is the 3rd time they are playing in the 2nd round. Houston has never gotten past this round in their history. Houston is now 3-3 all time in the playoffs. As For New England, they won the AFC East for the 8th straight year and the 14th time since 2002. New England finished the year 14-2. They haven't lost a game inn the divisional round since falling to the Jets in 2010. New England is 29-19 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the 2nd meeting between the teams in the playoffs, with New England winning the 1st one in 2012. They met in week three of this season in New England, a 27-0 Patriots win.
The meeting earlier this year was without Tom Brady in the lineup. Well guys what Texans fans, he's back for this matchup!
Picks:
Solly: New England Patriots
Steve: New England Patriots
3rd Mic Dan: New England Patriots
Next up, Sunday at 1:05PM on Sunday, the AFC North Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the AFC West Champions the Kansas City Chiefs. The 11-5 Steelers are coming off a win in Wild Card weekend, beating the Dolphins 30-12. This marks the 2nd year in a row that the Steelers are playing in the divisional round. The Steelers are looking to reach the AFC title game for the first time since 2010. Pittsburgh is now 35-23 lifetime in the playoffs. As for the Chiefs, they finished the year going 12-4, winning the AFC West for the first time since 2010. This marks the second year in a row the Chiefs are playing in the divisional round, a round which hasn't seen a Kansas City win since 1993. Kansas City is 9-16 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 2nd ever meeting between these two teams in the playoffs, Kansas City took the first meeting in overtime, 27-24, in the 1994 wild card game. These two clubs met in week four, a 43-14 whipping by the Steelers.
Lets make a bit of a long story short here, Andy Reid chached teams coming off a bye week, of sorts, in the playoffs is usually really good.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Last game of the weekend, at 4:40PM on Sunday, the NFC North Champions, the Green Bay Packers, head to AT&T Stadium to take on the NFC East Champions, the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas comes in having won the NFC East at 13-3, the most wins in a single season in Cowboys history, good enough for an NFC East title, the first win for the boys since 2014. Dallas is looking for payback, because the last time they were in the playoffs, they played the Green Bay Packers in the Dez Bryant "No Catch" game. Dallas is looking to get to the NFC title game for the first time since 1995. Dallas is 34-26 lifetime in the playoffs. As for Green Bay, they are coming off a 38-13 win over the New York Giants in Wild Card Weekend. Green Bay won the division at 12-4 and are looking to get to the NFC title game for the first time since the overtime loss to Seattle two years ago. Green Bay is 32-21 lifetime in the playoffs. This marks the 8th time that Dallas and Green Bay will face off in the post season, with Dallas holding the 4-3 advantage in the all time playoff matchup. During the regular season, these two teams met in week six, a 30-16 Cowboys win in Green Bay.
This will be the best game of the weekend, this I have no doubt.
Pick: Green Bay Packers
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