NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round

The Game Room
1

Here we go…

Baltimore at Denver
The common thinking here is that Denver should win fairly easily. After all they did beat the Ravens by a couple of TDs just a few weeks ago. I do think the Broncos win, but I don’t think it will be as easy as folks think. I actually think the Ravens may have the ball in the 4th with a chance to win or tie, but in the end I think the Broncos take it.

Green Bay at San Francisco
The Packers players are getting healthy and playing well. the Niners, great defense and all, but they absolutely need Justin Smith, who looks like he will play. I am not sold on Kaepernick yet and I think this is the game where his inexperience shows itself. Rodgers is a beast in the post-season and I see the Packers taking this one on the road.

Seattle at Atlanta
Another very intriguing game. There are plenty of reasons to like the Seahawks and plenty of reasons to doubt the Falcons…which is why I am taking the Falcons. Seattle defense is great, but the Falcons have a lot of weapons and I just think it is time the Falcons won a playoff game. Seattle has had quite a run, but they cannot afford to go down by 14 to the Falcons like they did against the Redskins. However, this is the game I am least confident on (the other NFC game is close behind).

Houston at New England
If Houston can control the clock and force Brady into some mistakes they have a chance. But the Patriots are a fast paced team and the Texans have a very thin line for success here. I just cannot see them scoring with the Patriots, especially with Gronkowski playing. This could be close, but I am leaning toward a double digit victory for the Pats/.

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Here are your 4 winners:

Houston - In a surprise (OK I do not really believe it but despise the Pats)
Atlanta - Tony G finally gets a playoff win!
SF - Better QB as the dog? Yes but no running game and meh defense
Baltimore - Flacco matches Manning and the better Defense advances

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Since this is exactly how I made my bets, I really hope you’re correct. Of course, it would be better if SF and Atlanta both win by at least a field goal. On the other hand, Baltimore and Houston are both getting 9.5 points so I have some room for error on those.

4

I’m thinking the winners will be

Denver
San Francisco
Atlanta
Houston

Of course, I’ve been wrong before.

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All the home teams.

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Confused:

Team defense - yards/game

  1. Denver 290.8
  2. Baltimore 350.9

Team defense - points/game

  1. Denver 18.1
  2. Baltimore 21.5

Source: NFL 2024 Player Stats | passing Stats | NFL.com

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Clothing, maybe, if he calls Peyton ahead of time and asks what he’s wearing. As an NFL QB, not even close.

While I would love to see a Seahawks v. Packers in the NFC Championship, I think the Falcons get the win against Seattle. A lot is riding on Julio Jones to go muscle to muscle against the PED twins in the Seattle secondary, but I think he’ll have a big game this weekend. I think the rookie QB dream ends, and the Falcons get a win at home in the playoffs.

The Packers/ 49ers game should be a great one to watch. The Niners looked really good in week one, but this isn’t the same Packer team (or coach). I think Kaerpernick will try to run too much, and Dom Capers will have his guys ready to contain him. Frank Gore scares me, and the best plan for the 49ers is to cram the ball down the Packers throat and keep the ball away from Rodgers. Go Pack Go.

For absolutely no reason at all (other than the underdog and my distaste for the Pats) I’m going for the Texans over the Pats. Of course I wouldn’t bet actual money on it, because I’m not stupid, but I do think they have a better chance than everyone is giving them. And a helluva lot better chance than the Ravens. I think Denver walks all over the Ravens.

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Well G.O., you pretty much nailed my picks and for all the same reasons. And I agree that while the Pats should win, it’ll be a different Houston team and a different game than the last time they met.

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I have more hope that Seattle will win then the rest of you.

Green Bay/SF is going to be a great came. Impossible to predict, but I’ll go with Green Bay (although I’d prefer the 49ers.)

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I see the swing factor all coming down to Ryan’s play that day.

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Baltimore at Denver: Baltimore takes it. Flacco is clutch, and has gotten consistently better in the playoffs, Caldwell actually has the balls to let Flacco use his monster arm, the team is finally healthy, and the Ray Rice/Bernard Pierce combo is a two-headed monster. Oft forgot, I might add, is that the Ravens have held Manning below 300 yards passing for quite a streak of meetings now. Additionally, the weather forecast is predicting temperatures in the 20’s, and Manning has an 0-3 playoff record in sub-40’s weather. He didn’t deal well with freezing cold to begin with, and the neck can’t make it any easier - look for Manning to make an ugly mistake or two. If the Ravens can establish a running game (which they will), that’ll open up the play-action and deep passing game. Manning has to throw it, deals badly with the weather, and the Ravens take it by at least one score.

Packers at SF: I just don’t trust Kaepernick to not make a mistake against that secondary. 49’ers took the reverse at Lambeau on the back of tough running, defence and clock control - you can’t throw yourself to victory against Aaron Rodgers, so if the 49’ers fall behind, this could get ugly. On the other hand, if Mr. & Mr. Smith can keep Rodgers running around to the tune of Benny Hill, the Packers are screwed; DeJuan Rodgers isn’t a great running back, and he will be shut down, so it all depends on the protection Rodgers gets. Packers win, but it might be a tight, tight scrape.

Seahawks at Falcons: Yeah, no way in hell Matty Ice wins this. The Seahawks are inarguably better in every single aspect of the game except passing. The Falcons’ running game will be an easy stop, Ryan will have to throw all day, and against that secondary, that means turnovers. Multiple turnovers. Seahawks walk into the Georgia dome, bend the Falcons over their knee, and spank them. Hard. Matt rightfully keeps his reputation as a quarterback that turns useless the minute the playoffs arrive.

Texans at Pats: Much as I despise Tom Diva, Diva and the Divas will take this if the Texans fall behind early. Matt Schaub has looked absolutely abominable for a while now, so unless the Texans put themselves in position to feed Foster all goddamn day, they’re in for a walloping.

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Peyton and Tom will meet next week.

The NFC Championship Game will be all West.

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Nothing appears to be able to stop Denver lately. I don’t think Baltimore is going to change that.

Atlanta has a fairly good record against mobile QBs. They’re pretty mediocre against the run, so Lynch may be enough for Seattle. I’m going to preduct the Falcons jumping to an early lead and removing Lynch from the game for a Falcons win.

I think Houston is still in their slide. Last week did not convince me otherwise. Patriots win.

49ers and Green Bay should be a hell of a game. It won’t shock me if it’s a 2-0 game in double overtime or 56-54 shootout (8 touchdowns vs 16 field goals and 3 safeties). If Justin Smith is back, Aldon Smith should be back to his normal routine of giving quarterbacks nightmares, and Rodgers gets sacked a lot to begin with. I think Kaepernick will show poise in his first playoff game, and I expect him to do it with his arm. The Packers have the rush to make Kaepernick scramble and make put pressure on, so I hope they don’t fall behind early. I’ll predict Kaepernick deep to Walker or Moss for an early TD, then Gore and James grinding the Pack down for the 49er victory.

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GO NINERS!!!
Packers (11-5) at Niners (11-4-1): let’s not forget a key reason this game is being played in San Francisco instead of Green Bay. Back in Week 3 in September, the Packers at Seahawks in the Monday Night game, the replacement refs made that terrible endzone call at the end of the game to give the Seahawks the victory. The Packers should be 12-4 and the second seeded team, not the Niners. Playing this one at Candlestick is a huge advantage for the 49ers. Go Niners, but this game scares me.
Ravens at Broncos: Broncos win handily (not quite easily). Maybe 31-24, and it’s not even that close because the Ravens score a TD late, too late. Ray Lewis’ stellar career ends at Mile High.

Packers at 49ers: 49ers, 28-24, in a nail-biter. Will it end with “The Catch III”? A Kaepernick to Vernon Davis TD to win it? Yes, I did say Vernon Davis.

Seahawks at Falcons: Seahawks, 27-21. The Seahawks are for real. Russell Wilson’s rookie season continues, while both Andrew Luck and RG-III watch from home.

Texans at Patriots: Texans(!), 31-30, in the other nail-biter this weekend. Yes, Texans! Sit down, Tom Brady. And shut up, too.
GO NINERS!!!

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Going all-in homer and predicting a Ravens win. Because they’re totally gonna win. Not even close. Ray and Ed are going all the way to New Orleans. Book it.

And if not, it was still a good season. I won’t be upset at all if it doesn’t happen. It’s just football. Lots to be happy about. It’ll be all good as long as Tom Brady, Manning, the Texans, Falcons, Seahawks, or 49ers don’t win the Lombardi. :cool:

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Texans never should let Holliday go.

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Just wanted to use this comment in relation to Manning’s pick-six in the first quarter. On the stat sheet, it looks like a Manning mistake - but if you saw it, you know the Raven defender mugged the receiver and held his arm away from the ball before it got there. Ball pops up in the air (not surprising, since the receiver only has one free hand), gets picked and returned for a TD.

In case people who weren’t watching chalk that Ravens TD to a Manning mistake, when actually Baltimore got away with PI on the play. Not to say Peyton still won’t screw up today, but he looks pretty good so far.

Entertaining start, too, especially compared to the lineup of snoozers in the wild card round. It’s already 14-14 just about ten minutes into the game. If only we didn’t have to listen to Dierdorf … he’s barely better than Millen.

18

This has been an exciting game so far. Big plays all over the place a a lot of bad officiating hurting the Broncos.

Random note: I’m annoyed that the Bears let Corey Graham go. He’s been pretty solid for the Ravens this year and the Bears have struggled without a good Nickel for the 3 years of the DJ Moore experiment. Damn you Lovie.

19

I agree the non-PI call on that interception was a bad break for Denver, but what other bad calls are you seeing here?

20

Too funny! A Raven just tackled his own guy!

Wow, a lot of scoring so far.