NFL Divisional Round Predictions
Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos
In my opinion this game comes down to one thing: can Josh Allen Superman the Bills to the AFC Championship or will the more complete Broncos be too much? The Bills wide receivers have been their weak point all season and now they have to face Patrick Surtain and the rest of the Broncos superb secondary. Bo Nix may not be elite but Denver’s defense is and I don’t think Buffalo has enough offensive firepower to win what will likely be a low scoring game. Josh Allen and Sean McDermontt will suffer another heartbreaking playoff loss.
Prediction: Bills 17 - Broncos 20
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks
I was in high school when the legion of boom was dominating so this rivalry will always be one of my favorites, especially in the playoffs. We should be in store for another west coast heavyweight fight. The 49ers have a high power offense as always but they finished the regular season with a league worst 20 sacks. Sam Darnold is at his best when he has a clean pocket and that’s exactly what he’ll get in this matchup. The Seahawks defense is allowing an NFL best 17.2 points per game while the offense is scoring 28.4 points per game good for third best in the league. Seattle is better on paper in almost every category and has the most meaningful home field advantage in the NFL. They’ll be advancing to the NFC Championship by pulling ahead in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: 49ers 27 - Seahawks 35
Houston Texans vs New England Patriots
This is the most interesting matchup of the weekend in my book. The Texans have the NFL’s best defense while New England averages 28.8 points per game, best in the AFC. It’ll come down to which QB can get the job done for the team. Drake Maye is an MVP contender in only his second season and this will be by far the biggest game of his career. CJ Stroud has made the playoffs each of his three years in the NFL but has never advanced past the divisional round. He also had 5 fumbles and an interception last week against the Steelers and will be without top receiver Nico Collins. Defense and experience matter so much in the playoffs I’m having a hard time picking against the Texans. I’ve gone back and forth with this prediction so many times I just have to go with gut and take the Patriots.
Prediction: Texans 27 - Patriots 28
Los Angeles Rams vs Chicago Bears
This game could very easily turn into who scores last. Both quarterbacks have been clutch this season, both head coaches are offensive masterminds and both teams have electric playmakers. There’s a reason this game is closing out the divisional round. But at the end of the day the Bears have the slightly worse defense and the Rams have just enough more on offense that they should get the job done. It’ll be another fourth quarter comeback for Stafford and like the Patriots, the Bears will be next year and it’ll be hard to bet against them. Bonus prediction: after both teams score touchdowns on their opening drives neither will even attempt a field goal.
Prediction: Rams 42 - Bears 35