By: Brandon Carr
After a wild Wild Card weekend, we are now into the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. These next four matchups will determine the conference title games for next week. Here is what to expect in these four games….
Minnesota Vikings @ San Francisco 49ers
4:35pm EST (NBC)
The 6th seeded Vikings are coming off of a huge upset in New Orleans beating the 13-3 Saints. Their playoff schedule doesn’t get any easier as now they have to play the 1st seeded San Francisco 49ers.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Kirk Cousins vs Jimmy Garoppolo: Kirk Cousins has received a lot of backlash in his career in terms of him beating good teams. He shut a lot of people up last week as Kirk came through in the clutch in overtime; making the best throw of his career to Adam Thielen to set up the Kyle Rudolph touchdown. He now has the opportunity to silence his critics again, as he goes up against the 49ers number one ranked pass defense. The Vikings are going to need Kirk Cousins to have more magic in him to pull off this game.
Jimmy Garoppolo has never taken a snap in a playoff game before. However, he was part of those New England Patriots Super Bowl winning teams and he saw first hand how Tom Brady prepared for a playoff matchup. Garoppolo in his last game looked good against the Seahawks he needs to continue playing at a level like that. Jimmy Garoppolo has to play his best football in order for his 49ers to move on.
Both of these quarterbacks have a lot to prove this game. Both quarterbacks can’t make mistakes, as cliche as that may sound.
The Battle of Running Games: Both teams are coming into this matchup with two of the best running games in football. The 49ers are second in the NFL in rushing yards per game and the Vikings are 6th.
Dalvin Cook looked healthy and like himself last week. Cook finished with 130 yards from scrimmage with 2 touchdowns. Cook is the best player on this Vikings offense. If he’s healthy and playing at a high level, the 49ers need to watch out. Cook has established himself as one of the top running backs in the league. The 49ers rush defense is not particularly great as they are 17th in rushing yards allowed per game.
The 49ers rushing attack is what can lead them to a championship. They have one of if not the best backfield in football. Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, and Tevin Coleman all will get touches in this game. Kyle Shanahan knows how to get his running backs involved and the Vikings rush defense is 13th so it’s about league average.
Both defenses need to be able to limit the running games for both teams. Make one of these two quarterbacks beat you.
The Return of Kwon Alexander: What isn’t being talked about enough is the return of 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander. He had been placed on IR on November 5th with a torn pectoral. His versatility was missed for the 49ers defense as he is one of the better linebackers they have on the roster. He can cover and is fast enough to play sideline to sideline. He will provide the 49ers defense with a nice boost in stopping Dalvin Cook.
WHO WINS?
I believe that this game will be closer than what most people think considering the momentum that the Vikings now have beating a really good Saints team in their building. But I believe this 49ers defense will get after Kirk Cousins and the 49ers offense will do a better job at controlling the clock than the Vikings offense.
Prediction: 24-20 49ers
Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens
8:15 EST (CBS)
The 6th seeded Tennessee Titans, coming off of a huge win in Foxborough against the defending champion New England Patriots. They now take their momentum against number one seeded Baltimore Ravens.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Lamar Jackson: Lamar Jackson has been near unstoppable this season. No team has found an answer in stopping him as he can beat you with his legs and his arm. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said this about stopping Lamar Jackson, “other than try to tie his shoelaces together, not many people have had success…. They have the best player in the league who’s impossible to tackle. A great scheme. I think on any other day, it would be fun to watch but not when you’re trying to prepare for them and stop them.” Lamar last season in the playoffs had a game that he would like to forget against the Los Angeles Chargers. Lamar had 248 total yards 2 touchdowns but he had 2 turnovers and fumbled the ball 3 times. Now as he has improved drastically and knows what a playoff atmosphere feels like, he will feel more comfortable out there. It will be hard for Tennessee to stop this Ravens offense if Lamar isn’t rusty from his 3 week break.
Derrick Henry: Arguably the hottest player in the NFL right now, Derrick Henry is coming off a huge performance against the Patriots in the divisional round where he put up 204 total yards and a touchdown. In 6 of the last 7 games Henry has played, he has ran for over 100 yards. Henry has the ability to wear down defenses with his huge frame and running at your throat type of mentality and play style. The Ravens number one priority has to be to stack the box and not let Henry wear them down.
Ryan Tannehill: The Titans offense last week may have won, but they need to put up more than 14 points in order to keep up with the Ravens. Ryan Tannehill needs to be more effective in this game. Tannehill only had 8 completions for 72 yards last week. That is not going to be enough to keep up with this Ravens offense. Tannehill had the most success with running play action. The Titans need to incorporate this more into their game plan to keep the Ravens defense on their feet. Ryan Tannehill can’t be just a game manager this game, he needs to have a big night for the Titans to pull off the upset.
WHO WINS?
This game will more than likely be the most physical football game this weekend. It will feature a lot of running of the football. Most of the Ravens starters have not played since Week 16 against the Browns so there will be rust they need to shake off. I do see this game being close in the first half, but I believe the Ravens will shake off a slow start in this game and run away with this game in the second quarter.
Prediction: 27-13 Ravens
Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs
3:05pm EST (CBS)
The 4th seeded Houston Texans after a hard fought victory in overtime against the Buffalo Bills will go into Arrowhead Stadium to go up against the 2nd seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Injuries: Both teams have some players who are dealing with some injuries heading into this game.
Texans starting safety, Jaheel Addae and starting cornerback Jonathan Joseph are both questionable to play with injuries. Receivers Will Fuller V and Kenny Stills are also questionable heading into this game. These are all starters in the Texans lineup and would be huge losses for this team.
Two of Kansas City’s best players are dealing with injuries. Defensive tackle Chris Jones and star tight end Travis Kelce are both questionable heading into this game. Both would be big time losses for the Chiefs offense and defense. Starting cornerback Morris Claiborne is already ruled out with a shoulder injury and rookie starting safety Juan Thornhill tore his ACL in Week 17 is out for the season.
Both teams are dealing with key players with injuries and will need to hope for the best for their availability on Sunday.
Deshaun Watson vs Patrick Mahomes: The battle between two of the NFL’s best young quarterbacks. Both were taken in the same draft and both have been successful at the next level. These two quarterbacks played earlier this season and Deshaun Watson got the victory over Pat Mahomes’ Chiefs. This is the next battle in their saga.
Deshaun Watson is coming off of a clutch performance against the Buffalo Bills where he brought his team back down 16 points and won the game in overtime. The Texans offensive line will need to protect Watson better this game as last week Watson was sacked 7 times. He can’t be superman again this game. He will need to have more time in the pocket in order for the Texans to have a chance.
Pat Mahomes is looking to extract revenge for the loss the Texans handed this team earlier in the season and him and his squad are more motivated than ever to win the Super Bowl this year. He hasn’t been the MVP that we saw last season where he put up amazing numbers, but he has an easier challenge in this game with a Texans defense that has been awful this season.
Both quarterbacks will have great games and it will be tough to determine who will outdo the other, but that may be what determines the outcome of this ball game.
Carlos Hyde: The biggest reason why the Texans beat Kansas City this year was because of a huge game from running back Carlos Hyde. Hyde ran for 116 yards and scored two touchdowns that game. The Chiefs rush defense needs to be better this game if they want a chance. The Texans can control this game if they are able to run the football and keep Mahomes off the field.
WHO WINS?
This game I believe will be seen in a lot of playoff matchups coming in the future. Watson vs. Mahomes will be a battle in the AFC for years to come. This upcoming matchup will be a battle, but I believe that the Kansas City Chiefs passing attack will be a lot for the Texans defense to handle. Watson I think will make an effort to try and will his team back into this game but it won’t be enough. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has also been known for being successful after having a bye week, so I expect that he will have his guys ready.
Prediction: 30-24 Chiefs
Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers
6:40 PM EST (FOX)
The 5th seeded Seattle Seahawks who are coming off of a big win against the Philadelphia Eagles, go into Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Russell Wilson vs Aaron Rodgers: Both of these quarterbacks are the only two quarterbacks in the playoffs who have won a Super Bowl as the starter. They both have had many battles in the past and this is another one to add to their saga.
Russell Wilson this year had himself an MVP season with 4000+ passing yards and 30+ touchdown passes. He once again finds himself in a do or die situation in the playoffs. He is going to a stadium where he has not played particularly well in. Wilson is 0-3 all time in Lambeau Field in his career with 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. However, Seattle this season have been awesome on the road with an 8-1 record on the road. Wilson will need to shake off the house of horrors that Lambeau Field has given him and play a great game.
Aaron Rodgers has been receiving a lot of hate this year, saying that the Packers quarterback has had an off year. However Rodgers this season still threw for 4000+ yards and 26 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. Rodgers hasn’t had much postseason success and has stated how important this opportunity is for him and his team. Rodgers hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 2010. Seattle’s defense hasn’t been particularly good this season so Rodgers will have a chance to prove his doubters wrong.
DK Metcalf: DK Metcalf is coming off of his best performance in his young career. He posted 7 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. He will likely draw a lot of attention from this Packers defense and Seattle may need to look for guys like Tyler Lockett to step up this game. It will be hard for Metcalf to duplicate his performance, but he will receive a lot of looks from Russell Wilson. Keep an eye out for how he does this game.
Aaron Jones: The Packers have been one of the top rushing teams in the NFL and it starts with Aaron Jones. He will need to be the focal point of this Packers offense to take the pressure off of Aaron Rodgers. He has been a weapon in this Packers offense and if Seattle lets him run wild, they have no chance of winning this game.
WHO WINS?
Both of these teams have two quarterbacks who have won the Super Bowl and bring experience to the team. However, they both also have a lot of guys who haven’t played many playoff snaps and that could be a big factor in this game. Seattle has one advantage and that is coaching. Matt LeFleur is still a first year head coach. Pete Caroll has been the head coach for the Seahawks since 2010. That matters when it comes to getting your guys ready for a playoff game. I think this will be a close game between two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and it will come down to the wire.
Prediction: 20-17 Seahawks
It will be a great weekend of football and best of luck to all of these teams.
Brandon's Breakdowns 