Skip to main content

NFL Divisional Round Reactions

The second round of the NFL playoffs told a different tale than Wildcard Weekend. After home teams went 1-3 in the playoffs opening weekend, they won, often in impressive fashion, going 4-0 in the Divisional Round.

Four home teams, four favorites, four high-scoring offenses. The Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints all held 6-2, 7-1, or 8-0 home records in the regular season, and they carried the home-field advantage into the playoffs.

In my personal picks, I went 3-1, incorrectly predicting the LA Rams would slip up and allow the Dallas Cowboys to advance. The most exciting and close game was between the Eagles and Saints, with New Orleans winning by a score and Nick Foles nearly pulling off a game-winning drive.
The Patriots rolled to a 41-28 home win over the Chargers despite only being four point favorites. Tom Brady seems to think it's New England against the world, and that "everyone thinks they suck and can't win games." The Chargers could have been a hot pick, but hardly anyone was counting the Patriots out, especially with their home dominance. In the AFC Championship, they actually will be underdogs, and they carry their 3-5 road record this season into Arrowhead.

The Saints are winning games, which is all you can ask in the playoffs. But at the same time, they don't appear like the well-oiled machine they were earlier this season, on par with the Rams and Chiefs offenses. Drew Brees had to dig out of a 14-0 hole en route to a 20-14 victory. New Orleans will host the NFC Championship, but 20 points may not be enough against the Rams.
Conference Championship Sunday is revered as one of the best days of the year for sports fans. This year, the matchups have been highly anticipated for much of the season. The Chiefs, Rams, and Saints all finished with 12 or 13 win records and jockeyed in positioning for best team in the league, and the Patriots are right near the top as they always are.

Both games feature an established veteran team (Brady and the Patriots, Brees and the Saints) against teams and quarterbacks taking the league by storm (Mahommes and the Chiefs, Goff and the Rams). A Super Bowl appearance or victory would cap off a magical season for the Rams or Chiefs, or add to the hall of fame resumes of Brady or Brees.
Image result for mahomes goff
There are no bad Superbowl matchups that could come from this final four. Sunday should be a spectacle, and lead way to a special Super Bowl 53.

For my picks later this week, follow me on Twitter to stay updated!

Other Articles
NFL Divisional Round Picks
NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks
The West is Wild and the Regular Season Matters Again

Header photo: Via Kansascity.com
Photo #1: KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Patriots Quickly Lose Underdog Status in Fluctuating Vegas Line

Championship Sunday gave us two wild overtime games with the winners set to meet in two weeks at Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta. On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Rams opened as slight one point favorites, which would have had Tom Brady and the New England Patriots play the underdog role once again. The line quickly shifted to a pick 'em game. This feels like the most accurate reflection of the game's odds. While the Rams finished with a better regular season schedule, Brady and the Patriots are playing in their third straight Super Bowl and it would be tough to call them true underdogs. As Monday progressed, bettors started shifting the line in favor of the Patriots, likely to reflect early bets. Many bettors probably saw taking an underdog Patriots team as an easy bet. The line could go even deeper in New England's favor, or perhaps balance out closer to a pick 'em. Realistically, the line won't favor either team by more than 1 or 2 points, making it essentia
2 comments
Read more

Colin Kaepernick Stars in Nike Commerical Ahead of 2018 NFL Season

Two days after launching their 30th annual "Just do it" campaign, Nike has released a commercial starring Colin Kaepernick, about defying the odds and never settling on the path to success. "Don't just become the best basketball player of all-time" Kaepernick narrates over footage of LeBron James, a kid from Akron, Ohio. "Be bigger than basketball," he continues as James opens his promise school, an accomplishment he called the most important of his career. Kaepernick sheds light on touching and inspirational stories of Shaquem Griffin and Serena Williams. The commercial is set to air ahead of the NFL opener between the Atlanta Falcons and Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. With Kaepernick's Nike sponsorship already coming under heavy fire and debate on social media, the commercial will potentially spark more controversy and dialogue on the season's opening night. Kaepernick tweeted out the video Wednesday afternoon: Believe i
1 comment
Read more