Last week: 3-1 Season: 36-20
AFC
Patriots (13-4) at Broncos (13-4), 3:05 p.m. CBS
I believe there are two quarterbacks playing in this one named Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? They might have actually played lots of games against each other already? In all seriousness though, it feels like this one might come down to the defenses. Denver has one of the best and New England's can do enough to win, especially against a limited Manning. This doesn't feel like vintage Brady-Manning, when both were at the top of their games, though Brady is certainly much closer than Manning. Brady has the all-time lead in the series 11-5, but it is 2-2 in the playoffs with Manning having won the past two. Manning has had to rely on a superb defense and strong running game to help get him wins this year. He was 21 of 37 for 222 yards and no TDs or picks last week vs. the Steelers. Not as bad as he was earlier in the year, but certainly not great. Brady doesn't really have many healthy good running backs. New England used Steven Jackson last week in a prominent role. I mean come on. The Patriots rushed for 38 yards while Brady passed for 302. So he can get this done. The Patriots lost earlier this year in Denver for their first loss of the season, 30-24 in OT, when Brock Osweiler was the quarterback. The failures of that game, when Pats WR Julian Edelman broke a bone in his foot, almost make a Patriots win feel more likely this time around, and that is because Bill Belichick is a great coach, and I have to think he will come up with a sound strategy to put the Patriots in position to win. It is hard to imagine Brady and Belichick losing to the same team twice in the season. If the game gets much out of the 24-27 point range, I have a difficult time seeing Manning and the Broncos keep up. Last week, Brady ripped apart an elite AFC West defense, and he will be close to doing it again I think, and it'll be enough.
Patriots 24, Broncos 20
NFC
Cardinals (14-3) at Panthers (16-1), 6:40 p.m. Fox
These two teams were looking like the premier squads in the entire NFL for much of the year -- until last week. Carolina did its job, looking straight nasty in the first half against Seattle, and hung on in the second half. Arizona struggled mightily against Green Bay at home, a team it had wrecked, 38-8, just a few weeks earlier, also at home. QB Carson Palmer had a particularly ugly game, completing 25 of 41 passes for a nice-sounding 349 yards and three TDs, but he had two picks, and a third was called back. He was also just off for most of the night. Larry Fitzgerald saved him -- and the defense after giving up the game-tying Hail Mary -- with a spectacular individual effort at the beginning of overtime. But, Palmer did enough in the end to earn the first playoff win of his career. The Cardinals were my Super Bowl pick several weeks ago. They've had a strong defense, running game, and passing game all year. Their last two games, though, they have been off. First came getting blown out at home by the Seahawks in Week 17. And then came last week's effort. It is tough to put much faith in them right now, especially going on the road. While the Panthers' play in the second half last week is concerning, I think it was mostly due to them going to a conservative gameplan after building such a big lead. It is one thing to beat the Seahawks. Lots of teams did it this year, and they did it in the fourth quarter. But the way the Panthers absolutely mauled them in the first half was beyond impressive and got my attention. I think Carolina can get back on track after the sub-par second half. And it might not matter, because if the Cardinals don't look better than they have the past few weeks, Carolina won't have to have a fantastic game to win. Either way, I like Carolina. The Panthers have a look about them like they have something to prove. And they kind of do, because despite going 15-1, some people still have a hard time believing they are that good, because they are the Panthers, and not the Patriots or the Packers or the Seahawks. Arizona needs to be ready, and I think it will play a better game than last week. But the Panthers, in all three phases, especially with RB Jonathan Stewart back last week, look like the team to beat.
Panthers 30, Cardinals 20
AFC
Patriots (13-4) at Broncos (13-4), 3:05 p.m. CBS
I believe there are two quarterbacks playing in this one named Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? They might have actually played lots of games against each other already? In all seriousness though, it feels like this one might come down to the defenses. Denver has one of the best and New England's can do enough to win, especially against a limited Manning. This doesn't feel like vintage Brady-Manning, when both were at the top of their games, though Brady is certainly much closer than Manning. Brady has the all-time lead in the series 11-5, but it is 2-2 in the playoffs with Manning having won the past two. Manning has had to rely on a superb defense and strong running game to help get him wins this year. He was 21 of 37 for 222 yards and no TDs or picks last week vs. the Steelers. Not as bad as he was earlier in the year, but certainly not great. Brady doesn't really have many healthy good running backs. New England used Steven Jackson last week in a prominent role. I mean come on. The Patriots rushed for 38 yards while Brady passed for 302. So he can get this done. The Patriots lost earlier this year in Denver for their first loss of the season, 30-24 in OT, when Brock Osweiler was the quarterback. The failures of that game, when Pats WR Julian Edelman broke a bone in his foot, almost make a Patriots win feel more likely this time around, and that is because Bill Belichick is a great coach, and I have to think he will come up with a sound strategy to put the Patriots in position to win. It is hard to imagine Brady and Belichick losing to the same team twice in the season. If the game gets much out of the 24-27 point range, I have a difficult time seeing Manning and the Broncos keep up. Last week, Brady ripped apart an elite AFC West defense, and he will be close to doing it again I think, and it'll be enough.
Patriots 24, Broncos 20
NFC
Cardinals (14-3) at Panthers (16-1), 6:40 p.m. Fox
These two teams were looking like the premier squads in the entire NFL for much of the year -- until last week. Carolina did its job, looking straight nasty in the first half against Seattle, and hung on in the second half. Arizona struggled mightily against Green Bay at home, a team it had wrecked, 38-8, just a few weeks earlier, also at home. QB Carson Palmer had a particularly ugly game, completing 25 of 41 passes for a nice-sounding 349 yards and three TDs, but he had two picks, and a third was called back. He was also just off for most of the night. Larry Fitzgerald saved him -- and the defense after giving up the game-tying Hail Mary -- with a spectacular individual effort at the beginning of overtime. But, Palmer did enough in the end to earn the first playoff win of his career. The Cardinals were my Super Bowl pick several weeks ago. They've had a strong defense, running game, and passing game all year. Their last two games, though, they have been off. First came getting blown out at home by the Seahawks in Week 17. And then came last week's effort. It is tough to put much faith in them right now, especially going on the road. While the Panthers' play in the second half last week is concerning, I think it was mostly due to them going to a conservative gameplan after building such a big lead. It is one thing to beat the Seahawks. Lots of teams did it this year, and they did it in the fourth quarter. But the way the Panthers absolutely mauled them in the first half was beyond impressive and got my attention. I think Carolina can get back on track after the sub-par second half. And it might not matter, because if the Cardinals don't look better than they have the past few weeks, Carolina won't have to have a fantastic game to win. Either way, I like Carolina. The Panthers have a look about them like they have something to prove. And they kind of do, because despite going 15-1, some people still have a hard time believing they are that good, because they are the Panthers, and not the Patriots or the Packers or the Seahawks. Arizona needs to be ready, and I think it will play a better game than last week. But the Panthers, in all three phases, especially with RB Jonathan Stewart back last week, look like the team to beat.
Panthers 30, Cardinals 20
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