NFL - PLAYOFFS - DIVISIONAL ROUND the World in 80 Days

The Game Room
1

Well, the wildcard games, for the most part, lived up to the hype. 2 overtime games. Every game within 8 points. Exciting stuff last weekend. Let’s hope it continues this week.

I felt really bad for the Bills. It feels like they’re squandering a Super Bowl caliber defense and a solid running game with an inaccurate, in-over-his-head QB. Of course I said the same thing about the Bears last year, and look how wrong I was. The Titans, however, have a veteran, if unspectacular, QB in Tannehill and get the win against the hated Pats.

I did enjoy Kirk Cousins getting a playoff win. He’s a “my guy” and has yet to really blossom in the big games. Here’s hoping he and the Vikings can beat the Niners next week.

I felt bad for Drew Brees and the Eagles. Drew Brees because I kinda like him, and the Eagles just getting hammered by injuries. If I liked Carson Wentz, I’d feel bad for him too.

In other news, the Cowboys correctly fire their coach and make a potentially good hiring of ex-Packer Mike McCarthy. Seeing as how the issue doesn’t appear to be talent of offense, McCarthy should have them in contention next year. But the biggest problem will always be a problem for Dallas. So glad to see their continued non-success. I can’t wait until they make Dak the highest paid player in the NFL.

Meanwhile, two guys I’ve never heard of are now head coaches. The Panthers hire the next college vunderkind Matt Rhule, who turned around a cheating, horrible place Byalor into a one year winner. Good luck with that, I’m sure he won’t be in over his head. And the Giants pick from the Bellicheck tree and hire Joe Judge, the Pats special teams coach. With quality candidates like Eric Bieniemy, Marv Lewis, Greg Roman, and Brian Daboll, it’s fun to see owners buy into the “next young college genius” and “Bill Bellicheck is good, so his assistants must be good too”.

Which brings us to the Browns, who now have a ton of great options. I like Saleh from the Niners or any of the guys I mentioned before. Which means the Browns will likely go with Josh McDaniels. Heh.

Here’s our games this weekend:

**Divisional Round

Saturday, January 11

Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers (-7, 45), 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens (-9, 47) 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS

Sunday, January 12

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5, 50), 3:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers (-4, 46), 6:40 p.m. ET, FOX**

All the games look good. The health of the Vikings’ wide receivers is a huge issue, but I do like them to do much better than a 7 point underdog. Plus I get to watch Jimmy G throw 6 yard passes that go for 40 yards.

I think the bubble burst for both the Titans and the Texans this week. I would be super-impressed if Mike Vrabel was able to figure out how to contain Lamar Jackson and that his team could execute it, but I just don’t see that happening. And the Chiefs are looking very good indeed.

Finally, the Packers get no respect. Which is well deserved. The offense has struggled all season, despite having Aaron Rodgers. I place the blame firmly on vunderkind Matt LaFleur, but I’m really hoping Rodgers finds, and flips, the switch and goes from very good to ethereally great in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, I will be attending a Kpop concert on Sunday night because I love my daughters more than football. Don’t tell them, but it was a lot tougher call than I thought. Hopefully, they’ll be so enthralled by dancing pretty boys I’ll be able to check my phone every so often.

Enjoy the games, and let’s here your thoughts.

2

I agree that the AFC favorites will win this weekend, so it’ll be KC at Baltimore for the AFC crown next week.

If the weather isn’t a factor, I think Seattle wins at GB, and the Niners beat the Vikes in a close game. Seahawks/Niners III for the NFC championship.

3

Ravens should win easily - they’ve had more rest, they are at home, and they are the better team. More or less the same for KC, although the chance for an upset seems higher.

I think SF can handle Minnesota.

Seattle - Green Bay is the hardest one to call. Green Bay is at home, rested, and the weather might be a factor in their favor. But Seattle is the better team, all in all. I am looking forward to the game.

4

No predictions from me, except this: that if Jadeveon Clowney hits Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau the same way he hit Carson Wentz last Sunday, he’ll be ejected.

5

No, Seattle will not win in GB. They are not in very good shape right now, not good enough to take out the Packers in Lambeau in January (where they have yet to win a playoff game). The Vikings, on the other hand, could possibly off the Niners. My numbers look much closer than the line – but my numbers are not very reliable, so SF will probably blow them out.

6

I haven’t had time to follow the league like I used to, but my picks for this weekend are:

San Fran over Minnesota
Green Bay over Seattle
Baltimore over Tennessee
KC over Houston

I can’t say I’m confident about these, though. Minnesota is especially interesting because they demonstrated that they can get pressure on Drew Brees with their front four. Will be interested to see if they can do the same to Garappolo.

Green Bay did not look good down the stretch, and Seattle is a savvy team. However, I think the 2 weeks off will pay dividends for Rodgers and the Packers. I think the extra week is an even bigger factor than playing at home. It could be a tight game but I think Rodgers will find a way to win.

Tennessee is a tough, physical team, but I think Baltimore has been the best team all year and I don’t see them being exposed against the Titans. If they meet KC next week, the Chiefs might be a different story.

Houston got away with one last week, but I think KC will end their season.

7

Apparently Clowney’s not even getting fined.

Seattle is in really bad shape. But Green Bay at its healthiest isn’t that great, and they spent their off week getting sick, so that might just even out the playing field.

8

Couple of nice little tidbits I saw while watching North Dakota State (36-game win streak coming in) defeat James Madison (14-game win streak coming in) for the FCS championship: 1) Houston has never won a road playoff game, but 2) Kansas City has lost 7 of its last 8 home playoff games (not much of a “home field advantage” for a city that claims the “Loudest Stadium in the World” [above Seattle’s Century Link Field]). 3) Russell Wilson has never won at Lambeau Field (0 - 3) and the Seahawks haven’t won there since 1999, but 4) Green Bay - at one point in time seemingly invincible at home in the playoffs - is only 5 - 5 in its last 10 home playoff games. Hmmmmm. . .

9

I think [COLOR=“DarkOrange”]San Francisco[/COLOR] is better than [COLOR=“Yellow”]Minnesota[/COLOR], too. But I also thought that “Nawlins” was better than the [COLOR=“Yellow”]Vikings[/COLOR]. Fun fact: the [COLOR=“Yellow”]Minnesota Vikings[/COLOR] haven’t won more than one playoff game in one post-season since 1987 (the last year that a strike forced the cancellation of some games in the N.F.L.). The two teams they beat in the playoffs that year (before losing to the Washington “Natives” in the N.F.C. championship game)? “Nawlins” and [COLOR=“DarkOrange”]San Francisco[/COLOR]!

10

Why would you schedule a game for 8pm in Baltimore? That just sounds crazy.

11

Hoping for TEN-KCC and MIN-SEA in the conference title games.

12

Why?

It’s 6 minutes into the Niners/Vikings game, and San Francisco are looking pretty damn good on both sides of the ball. A three-and-out to start on D, and then a march down the field for a TD.

13

The N.F.L.'s done that kind of thing before. The year Seattle played N.E. in the S.B. I thought for sure going into conference championship Sunday that the N.E. game would be first. But, nope - for some strange reason the N.F.L. saw fit to schedule Seattle vs. Green Bay in the earlier time slot that day and N.E. vs. (I forget which team. The Colts?) in the later time slot. I have no idea why the N.F.L. would do that on a work night. Seems pretty darn silly, to me.

14

Is it just me or is the 1st down pylon kind of confusing? What happened to the orange arrow?

15

Man, the 49ers were just more physical than the Vikings today, which was a little surprising to me after watching the Vikes last week.

16

Wellp - I shoulda known better than to trust the “Grapes” to win anything this time of year. I still don’t know how the “Grapes” beat the Saints last weekend but the 49ers made sure the same thing wouldn’t happen to them. Lucky for me - now no matter which team wins the N.F.C. I’ll be totally okay with it.

17

It’s probably a case of the 49ers being healthy and rested and more physical on both sides of the football than the Saints. The power running of SF today was like watching 1980s NFC East football.

18

That was a 49ers performance just like I was seeing the first half of the season. Dominant D-line play and the running game working so well Jimmy hardly had to throw. A lot of great individual plays made this for a fun watch.

19

A little early yet, but Tennessee is playing some impressive football. They’re making Lamar Jackson work and making flat-out huge plays on offense.

20

Lamar Jackson has gone from being the dogs bollocks to simply bollocks in about 2 hours.

Now watch him make me eat my words in the 4th quarter.