INTRO
With 8 teams left in the playoffs, the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs is the round that separates the contenders from the pretenders. 4 teams will win and advance to the Conference Finals, and 4 teams will lose and get slandered on social media for crumbling under the pressure. There’s no time for fumbles now, because it’s the divisional round.
AFC
RAVENS #1 VS TEXANS #4 JAN 20TH 3:30PM
The Ravens had the first round bye, so they didn’t play. Their regular season went great though. Regular season highlights for the Ravens consist of beating down the 49ers and the Lions, 2 playoff contenders. Meanwhile, the Texans just came off an underdog upset win over the Joe Flacco-led Browns. The offense is strong with CJ Stroud in the driver’s seat. The defense was strong, allowing 14 points and just silencing the Browns offense. Lamar Jackson will put up a challenge for the defense though, as it’s going to be a back and forth between MVP frontrunner and Offensive Rookie Of The Year frontrunner. Though the Ravens might seem like the obvious favorites to win, there always is a chance for a divisional round shock result. With that being said, I think the Texans will take revenge on the ravens and pull out a win.
Connor’s Prediction: 38 – 35 Texans
iUP poll: 5-5 tie
BILLS #2 VS CHIEFS #3 JAN 21TH 5:30
With both teams coming off stellar wins in the Wild Card, this is sure to be a good match up. The Bills destroyed the Steelers with several turnovers and several amazing offensive plays. The Bills had a wild regular season going from 6-6 to 11-6 and have many offensive weapons such as Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and James Cook. The Chiefs came off a win over the Dolphins to pass through. The Chiefs are a strong squad with an amazing defense, but the offense has been going downhill. The amazing Super Bowl winning offense we saw last year has vanished. Patrick Mahomes is still amazing, of course, but he doesn’t have a consistent wide receiver to throw to. I don’t think this Kansas City offense will be able to face this Bills defense and the Bills will come out on top.
Connor’s Prediction 45 – 35 Bills
iUP poll: 6-4 Chiefs
NFC
49ers #1 vs Packers #7 7:15 PM JAN 20th
The 49ers had the bye after coming off an amazing regular season marked with wins over the Cowboys and the Eagles. San Francisco has an insane offense with the highlight being at running back with Christian McCaffrey. Brock Purdy also put up good numbers and at one point, he was even in contention for MVP. In addition, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samual have been playing great this season as well. As for Green Bay’s situation, the Packers just came off a shock win over the Dallas Cowboys away from home. Quarterback Jordan Love has great numbers and has been doing great, proving himself as the next great QB in Green Bay. Let’s be honest, though, the Packer’s wild card game was not as much determined by how good they were, but rather by how atrocious the Cowboys were playing in that matchup. When the well rested 49ers come at them, I don’t think it will be a question on who will be victorious.
Connor’s Prediction 38 – 10 49ers
iUP poll: 7-3 49ers
LIONS #3 VS BUCCANEERS #4 JAN 21TH 2:00 PM
The Lions came off a close win against the Rams but have been doing great. Jared Goff has been doing amazing and has Amor St Brown and Sam LaPorta to throw to. The defense has been doing solid and so has the offense. The Buccaneers just cooked the Eagles, and while the Eagles had multiple injuries, that isn’t enough of an excuse to justify that large of a defeat. Baker Mayfield has been doing great and Tampa Bay’s receivers have been playing very well, with Mike Evans in particular leading the Buccaneers in receiving yards in what has been his best season yet. Despite how good Tampa Bay has been, I do think the Lions are ultimately the better team and the Buccaneers will not be able to beat them on the road.
Connor’s Prediction: 31- 21 Lions
iUP Poll: 6-4 Buccaneers
CONCLUSION
That is all the games for the divisional round. I hope you enjoyed reading and hope you have a great time watching the games. Have a great day!
