Talkin' NFL Playoffs Divisional Round

by Eric Fulton & Julian Spivey

Julian: So, we’ve completed the NFL Playoffs Wild Card weekend and I’d have to say it’s easily the worst opening weekend of the NFL playoffs that I’ve ever seen. Four of the six games were blowouts and the other two weren’t very fun watches either. The NFL added two extra playoff teams and two extra playoff games this season and I can’t help but wonder if it’s played a factor into diluted the Wild Card round. Though, that being said, that really only impacted the Buccaneers/Eagles and Chiefs/Steelers matchups. It takes more than one year to really say something has changed for the worse, but what do you think was going on with football during Wild Card weekend. Is the product diluted or was this just a coincidence?
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Eric: Overall, this weekend was not that great. Really, I am not surprised all six teams won. They were all the better team. I think I would give it another year with the extra wild card game. Maybe having a week 18 also hurt a little bit. Let's just say I would give it incomplete grade for the whole weekend overall.

Julian: Which of the six games did you find the most compelling? All of them were duds for me personally. I’d say Cincy/Vegas was probably the best of the six, but even then, it felt like the Bengals had things under control from start-to-finish.

Eric: I agree that Raiders vs. Bengals were the best of the six. The rest of them were not that good. Bengals were in control most of their game. If the first game of the weekend was the best of the wild card weekend, then it shows you how bad the games were.

Julian: One of the most puzzling things of the NFL Wild Card Weekend was the entirety of the Dallas Cowboys/San Francisco 49ers game where the 49ers just came out like gang busters and piled it on the Cowboys. Then San Fran somehow forgot how to play football and let the Cowboys back in the game and then in a scenario where the Cowboys couldn’t stop the clock, they decided to let QB Dak Prescott run a draw with like 14 seconds on the clock up the middle of the field and let time expire. What the hell happened there?

Eric: One of the most bizarre things I have seen in a finish of a game. I could not understand the play call. No timeouts left. You have to throw the ball. Who cares if it is incomplete? You have to give it a shot in the end zone.

Julian: Who would you give Player of the Week to for the Wild Card weekend?

Eric: Patrick Mahomes. Over 400 yards and 5 touchdowns against a very decent Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Impressive performance.

Julian: Just to keep things interesting I’ll go with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen who also threw 5 touchdown passes with 308 yards and completed 21 of 25 passes. He also rushed for 66 yards, which was fifth most of all players during Wild Card weekend.

Julian: Ok, let’s get to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs coming up this weekend. The first game of the weekend sees the Cincinnati Bengals traveling to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans, the number one seed in the AFC. The Titans went 12-5 this season to win the AFC South. This game will be on CBS at 3:30 (CT). How do you see this one playing out?

Eric: I see the Titans winning this one. I believe they will have the return of Derrick Henry so that will be huge for Tennessee. I don't know if people are really sold on the Titans even if Henry coming back. Coaching matchup will be great to see. Mike Vrabel for Tennessee vs. Zach Taylor for Cincinnati. These two are one and two as far as coach of the year. I would give it to Taylor because no one thought the Bengals would this good so soon. But Tennessee will win this one 30-23.

Julian: I agree when you say people don’t seem to be sold on the Titans, despite the no. 1 seed. I can’t really blame people for that either, especially with their best player Henry coming back from injury. I think Henry is the best offensive player in the NFL not at the quarterback positions and still think he should’ve been the league’s MVP last season, but it’s a question mark coming back from injury. I wouldn’t be surprised with an upset from Cincy this weekend, but I’m still going to stick with the Titans making it to the AFC Championship game. I do think the best two teams in the AFC are the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills though who matchup in the other AFC playoff game this weekend and it’s kind of a shame that won’t be the AFC title matchup.

Julian: The second playoff game on Saturday is the San Francisco 49ers traveling to Lambeau Field in Green Bay to take on the Packers. How do you see this one playing out?

Eric: Rematch from a couple of years ago in the NFC championship game in which the 49ers won at home. Both teams played each other with the Packers winning on the road on a walk off field goal. No surprise San Francisco won last week at Dallas. But I am taking Aaron Rodgers and the Packers who are well rested in this match-up. Green Bay 31, San Francisco 20.

Julian: I feel like the Packers/49ers game is the game from the Divisional Round that's most likely to feel and look like the games from last weekend's Wild Card Round did. I believe it's going to be a blowout with the Packers winning quite handily. The 49ers got off to a hot start last weekend against Dallas, but just didn't seem to show they could finish the game letting that team back into the game. You can't do that against the Packers. I think the Packers are the Super Bowl favorites for many and I see them rolling over San Fran.

Julian: On Sunday at 2 pm the Los Angeles Rams travel to Tampa Bay to take on the defending champion Buccaneers in a battle of two warm climate teams. How do you see this game turning out Eric?

Eric: The Rams dominated the Bucs in their regular season matchup earlier this season. I know Tampa Bay is still dealing with injuries, but the Bucs are a different team now than they were when they met in Week 5. Rams defense will pressure Brady, but it won't be enough as Brady out duels Matthew Stafford. I got Tampa Bay winning 31-24.

Julian: The Rams were really impressive against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, but I have to think the defending champs will be a tougher game, especially with the Rams on one day less rest. You have the margin as a one touchdown game and that wouldn't surprise me. I'm definitely banking on the Buccs to make the NFC Championship game though.

Julian: The last playoff game of the weekend will be the Buffalo Bills traveling to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Chiefs, a team trying to reach its third consecutive Super Bowl. This game will be broadcast on CBS at 5:30 p.m. and is what I believe most NFL fans would view as the game of the week. You have two really talented young QBs in Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen going head-to-head. How will this one turn out, Eric?

Eric: This is going to be the best game of the four games for the weekend. These two teams know each other very well the last couple of years. Chiefs won the AFC championship game last year, but Buffalo blew out Kansas City earlier in the year. This is a different Chiefs team the Bills are facing. Boy this is a toss-up. I feel like whoever wins this game is going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Buffalo wins this game in a classic, 31-28 and I will say they will go to overtime just to make it fun.

Julian: I definitely agree with you that whoever wins this game is probably going to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl - which is why I wish this had been the AFC Championship Game matchup. I also agree that it's probably going to be a really close game and I hope an all-timer. It's probably just that I've seen more Chiefs games than Bills games over the last few years, but I can't help but feel Kansas City is the better team so I'm going to give my pick to them.

Eric: Arrowhead Stadium is probably the toughest venue to play as a visitor in the NFL. The Bills went in there earlier and dominated the Chiefs. I don't think it will be easy for Buffalo to win but can they do it? I think so.