NFL Conference Championship Playoff Predictions

 

Wild Card Record (4-2)

Divisional Round Record (0-4)

 

NFL Conference Championship Playoff Predictions

 

NFC

San Francisco 49ers Vs Los Angeles Rams

It’s weird because I feel like we just saw this matchup recently…oh yeah, that’s right we did in week 18 of the regular season! The 49ers absolutely own the Rams at this point because they are 6-0 over the last 3 seasons and week 18 was an epic collapse from the Rams! The 49ers are playing some great football right now dominating with some great play from both the offensive line and defensive line. On offense the ground game is tops in the league with Deebo Samuel leading the way. Jimmy G has been holding it down even when he throws an interception he does bounce back and step it up when he needs to make the big plays to keep the 49ers in the game. The defensive line is back to top form with Nick Bosa getting after every quarterback he has faced in the postseason and Fred Warner has been a huge play maker as well. The Rams have really caught their stride on both sides of the ball. The big moves they made to get OBJ and Von Miller have paid off in the postseason with both of them making a huge impact thus far. Matthew Stafford has been efficient throughout the postseason, but we will see what happens against the 49ers. I have a feeling the 49ers defense is going to be the difference maker in this matchup with them forcing a turnover or two to set the offense in up with good field position to get some points. Until the Rams prove they can get past the 49ers I can’t take them, especially with how well the 49ers are playing right now. They are playing their best football at the right time and I think they will keep it moving on into the Super Bowl!

49ers over Rams 28-24

 

AFC

Cincinnati Bengals Vs Kansas City Chiefs

It was only a couple of weeks ago when the Bengals beat the Chiefs in Cincinnati in a great battle between these two offenses. Ja’marr Chase had a career game against the Chiefs and actually had more receiving yards than Patrick Mahomes did passing yards. I have a feeling the Chiefs are happy to get some revenge this time around. The Chiefs are playing their best football that they have played all season and they are peaking at the perfect time. The offense is back to scoring in a matter of seconds and looked unstoppable last week against the Bills. The Bengals offense is good, but have had to settle for field goals in their last couple of matchups and that won’t work against the Chiefs. The Bengals have had a great season, but do have some major problems with the offensive line, which gave up 9 sacks last week! The Chiefs are not known for their defense, but the offense is going to be too much for the Bengals to try and keep up with. This is the playoffs and experience matters, that will come into play in this matchup. The Bengals will put up a good fight, but won’t be able to match what the Chiefs are bringing to the field in this matchup. The Chiefs are playing to well to get beat in this round! 

Chiefs over Bengals 35-28

NFL Divisional Round Playoff Predictions

 

Wild Card Record (4-2)

 

NFC

San Francisco 49ers Vs Green Bay Packers

When these teams faced off back in week 3 of the regular season Aaron Rodgers drove down the field in the fourth quarter with 20 seconds left on the clock to set them up in field goal position and won the game, so this one should be interesting if that’s how it went the last time! The 49ers OWN the Packers in the playoffs, the last 3 times they have played each other the 9ers have walked right into Green Bay and kicked their asses! Since the Packers last Super Bowl a decade ago they’ve actually been a disappointment once they hit the postseason, even when they have home field they have completely shot their wad. So, this whole “Nobody wants to come to Lambeau come playoff time” is mostly a myth made up by some moron who doesn’t watch a lot of football apparently. With that being said, I don’t believe that will be the case this time around. The Packers season has had tons of drama and yet they’re still here, the top team in the playoffs with one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The 49ers are coming into this game beat up on offense and defense, while the Packers are nice and rested from the bye week and that should be an advantage for the Packers in this one. The Packers offense has been on fire all season and not just because of Aaron Rodgers, but Davante Adams is having another great season, along with Aaron Jones in the backfield. The defense can hold it down, but the ground game has been a problem for them at times and this is not the team to have problems with on the run because the 49ers have one of the best ground attacks in the league and it’s not because of a running back, it’s because of Deebo Samuel a wide receiver! Deebo gives the 49ers an added element and is really difficult to contain, which means the Packers defense will have their hands full with him! The 49ers secondary is their weakness and I have a feeling that will be their downfall in this game. Aaron Rodgers is the most accurate quarterback in NFL history and is going to have a field day against the 49ers secondary.  If this turns into a shoot out I don’t believe the 9ers have a chance!

Packers over 49ers 30-20

 

Los Angeles Rams Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

During the regular season the Rams absolutely obliterated the Bucs, but I felt back then that that game in particular could end up being something that the Bucs learn from and are able to make up for it if they face off in the postseason and here we are! The Rams are on fire offensively and really took it to the Cardinals in the Wild Card round and the defense has been back to dominance for the last month. The Bucs just keep it moving even though every week they have a new player added to the injury report, but as long as Tom Brady is still out on the field this team ALWAYS has a shot! It doesn’t really matter who is on the field at receiver Brady seems to make it work and there’s always Gronk! The dude is a beast especially come playoff time and I wouldn’t be shocked if this if the game where he goes off! The Bucs defense is finally healthy and look as good as ever, which is going to be a problem for Matthew Stafford. I think the edge in this matchup is going to be the Bucs defense because if they are able to do what they do and force some turnovers from Stafford (something he is prone to do) then the Rams are going to have a long day because they will be on the sideline watching Brady drive it down the field for scores and then come back out to get beat up by the defense. I expect this to be a close game, but in the end I can’t pick against Tom Brady, who is having one of the best seasons he’s had in his entire career and he’s forty fuckin’ four years old!

Bucs over Rams 28-24

 

AFC

Cincinnati Bengals Vs Tennessee Titans

I feel like most people didn’t expect to see the Titans as the number one seed in the AFC this season, but here they are and they are a really good team. They have had to overcome tons of injuries throughout the season, including to the best running back in the league, Derrick Henry. He should be back for this game and they will need him because the Bengals are on fire right now. The Bengals are coming off of a huge win last week and are really firing on all cylinders on the offensive side of the ball. Joe Burrow and Ja’marr Chase can’t be stopped and seem to get better with each and every game. They do have some issues on their offensive line and that could end up being a problem against the Titans. On the defensive side of the ball the Titans are tops in the league and they have beat some really good teams this year. I think the Titans defense will be the difference maker in this game to help keep the Bengals offense off the field, while the Titans ground and pound and control the clock. I like what the Bengals are doing this season and I think they will be a good team for years to come with Burrow at quarterback, but I don’t think they will be able to get past the Titans this week.

Titans over Bengals 24-14

 

Buffalo Bills Vs Kansas City Chiefs

I have a feeling this game is going to be the best one in this round! Both of these teams are coming in off of big wins in the Wild Card round with both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes throwing 5 touchdowns each in the previous round! I don’t really see a lot of defense in this matchup possibly a turnover or two from the Bills defense which could be the deciding factor in this game, but other than that I’m expecting this to be a back and forth offensive battle between Allen and Mahomes. Neither team has a consistent ground attack, other than when Josh Allen takes off for the Bills and that could be another deciding factor in this game. The Chiefs are not the same team they have been the last two seasons, the offense isn’t as dynamic and they tend to have issues scoring against the good teams and score a lot against the shit teams, and the Bills already beat them earlier this season in Kansas City. I think this is the year that the Bills finally get over the hump and get past the Chiefs who have been a problem for them over the last couple of seasons. It won’t be easy because the Chiefs do have experience in the postseason, but in the end I think the Bills defense will get the best of the Chiefs offense and the Bills offense will take advantage and move onto the AFC Championship game!

Bills over Chiefs 35-28

NFL Wild Card Playoff Predictions

 

NFC

 

San Francisco 49ers Vs Dallas Cowboys

History says that when these two teams face off against each other in the playoffs the winner ends up in the Super Bowl! This is a new generation of players in this one, but I expect this to be another great matchup in the history of this rivalry! The Cowboys come into this matchup with the top offense and defense in the league. The defense has been the most impressive leading the league in turnovers and making life hell for the opposing quarterback. They have gone from the leagues worst defense last year to the best and the difference maker has been the rookie Micah Parsons! That dude is all over the field and can move around like no other player on the defensive side of the ball. He isn’t the only guy making life hell for quarterbacks, Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory are on each side of the line and good luck trying to block all three of them! They will make all the difference in this matchup because they will need to get at Jimmy Garapollo. When put under pressure Jimmy G has been known to cause a turnover or two. He also has a thumb injury on his throwing hand which I don’t believe will be helpful for him going against this defense. The Cowboys defense will hold it down and set the offense up with good field position to get some easy points. The 49ers secondary is one of the worst in the league and is going to have a problem with all of the options Dak has at receiver. I expect this to be a close one to start, but the Cowboys will start to pull away in the second half and wear down this 49ers defense.

Cowboys over 49ers 31-21

 

Arizona Cardinals Vs Los Angeles Rams

Neither one of these teams come into the playoffs with a good win in week 18. The Cardinals were the top team in the league up until the last month and a half and have really fallen off of the face of the planet. They had a huge lead in the division and ended up losing it to the Rams. Other than last week the Rams offense has been flying high and the defense has been getting better every week. They did blow a big lead against the 49ers, but they just can’t seem to get past that team. These teams split the season series with the Cardinals obliterating the Rams early on in the season and the Rams returning the favor at the end of the season with a big win in Arizona. I think the difference in this matchup is the Rams are the more healthy team and have been playing much better football than the Cardinals the last couple of months. The Cardinals haven’t looked like a good team since Deandre Hopkins was injured and the defense hasn’t been playing as well as they were at the beginning of the season. The Cardinals continue to freefall and don’t play with a lot of confidence while the Rams still look like a very confident team on offense and defense.

Rams over Cardinals 28-23

 

Philadelphia Eagles Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I have a feeling this will be the only blowout game of the weekend because the Eagles aren’t that good. They do have a great ground attack on offense, but other than that they are vanilla on offense, Jalen Hurts isn’t that great at reading a defense and this is not the defense to have those kind of problems against. The Eagles defense isn’t horrible, but I don’t think they will be able to keep up with Tom Brady and this fast paced high-scoring offense. Tom Brady led the league in passing and pretty much lit up the entire league, yet again! The Bucs will be getting back Leonard Fournette at running back, which makes a huge difference especially since he shines in the postseason! I don’t believe this game will be close at any point other than at the kickoff because the Eagles are just not that good and the Bucs are one of the top teams in the league.

Buccaneers over Eagles 41-14

 

AFC

 

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Steelers really have no business being in the postseason, but here they are coming off of two major wins and some luck steamrolling into Kansas City! I honestly can’t believe the Steelers made the postseason just because on offense they are not good at all. On the defensive side of the ball they are tops in the league, especially at rushing the quarterback. Earlier this season the Steelers were completely embarrassed by the Chiefs in probably their worst game of the season. I expect a much different matchup this time around because that type of game is something you really want to forget! The Chiefs have not impressed me at all this season. The offense starts the game off hot, but completely cools off as the game progresses on and the glaring holes in the defense have been ripped open the last two games leading into the postseason. The Chiefs have no ground attack what-so-ever and the offense completely relies on the passing attack, which is great for them at times, but overall this offense has not been as explosive as they were in the past. Patrick Mahomes has turned into Patty Turnovers this season and that’s where I believe the Steelers have the edge in this matchup. The defense needs to bounce back from that last game and I think they will be ready to go and have Mahomes running for his life all day. Ben Roethlisberger is a veteran who knows how to win in the postseason and while he has had a pretty awful season comparatively to the past, he has proven this season he can still keep his team in it and drive them down the field to score when they need to. This looks to be his last season and ever since he said that it has really sparked a fire under this team and they are playing like they have nothing to lose. I think Ben and the Steelers will get at least one more week into the season with a huge upset in Kansas City!

Steelers over Chiefs 21-20

 

New England Patriots Vs Buffalo Bills

These two teams have been headed in the opposite direction the last month of the season. The Patriots have completely cooled off on the offensive side of the ball and Mac Jones is starting to look like a rookie again. The Bills finally figured out how to incorporate the running game into their offense which has been a huge help for them going into the playoffs. These teams know each other well given that they are division opponents that split the two regular season matchups. The first of which was really affected by the weather and Mac Jones only threw a total of 3 passes. The Patriots offense will need a lot more than that from him coming into this one, but he’s a rookie and I expect him to play like one. The Bills defense has really been a headache this season for every opposing offense they went up against and I expect more of that in this game. The Bills defense is going to put the pressure on Mac Jones who will inevitably try to do too much and could cause a few turnovers in the process. This will help setup the Bills offense in good scoring position and they usually take advantage of that with some points on the board. Bill Belichick is a master in the playoffs and has really turned this team around quick, but I still think the Patriots have some holes on the offensive side of the ball when it comes to the passing game. This should be another great matchup between these two teams, but I think the Bills are the better team and will come out with the win in the end.

Bills over Patriots 24-17

 

Las Vegas Raiders Vs Cincinnati Bengals

With the season that the Raiders have had it’s amazing that they have made it this far! There was nothing but turmoil throughout this season and they were able to overcome and focus on the field at the task at hand. Derek Carr has really held his own and proven he is a true leader and a good quarterback that any team would be lucky to have. The Bengals on the other hand have a high-flying offense that has been really fun to watch this season! Joe Burrow has been lights out this season and the rookie Ja’Marr Chase looks to be the next great receiver in the league! Both of these teams are very similar because they have absolutely no playoff experience and have never been in this position in recent years which means this can go either way. The better team is obviously the Bengals, but the Raiders are on fire right now and came roaring into the playoffs and don’t look like they are about to give up easily. The edge in this matchup is the Bengals offense. If they are able to open it up on the Raiders defense and score a lot of points then the Raiders offense won’t be able to keep up because they don’t have the firepower. The Raiders were able to make the best with what they were given this season and that says a lot, but I believe it will all come to an end against Cincinnati.

Bengals over Raiders 30-20