Last week: 3-1 Season: 33-19
Saturday
Chiefs (12-5) at Patriots (12-4), 4:35 p.m. CBS
Every matchup this weekend has an intriguing aspect and this one is no different. It has several. Kansas City thrashed New England during a game last year at home, 41-14. Is there any carryover from that game or is too long ago? Certainly, I don't think KC will be scared or intimidated. The Chiefs have won 11 straight games, including a shutout of the Texans last week, 30-0. They are the hottest team in football. The Patriots might be a little rusty after not playing last week, but then again, maybe they needed to hit the reset button after losing, 20-10, to the Dolphins in Week 17. The Patriots' problems go back longer than a week. They've lost four of six and lost to the Jets in Week 16. Their last home loss was to the Eagles in Week 13. New England has injury concerns, too. WR Julian Edelman will play for the first time since breaking his foot against the Giants in the middle of the year. His injury was similar to Dez Bryant's, and Bryant didn't seem to be right at times once he came back this year. Can Edelman be the weapon New England might need to win? Rob Gronkowski hasn't practiced all week with knee and back ailments. Will he be 100 percent? The Chiefs aren't without injuries, either. WR Jeremy Maclin and LBs Justin Houston and Tamba Hali all didn't practice Thursday and are uncertain for the game. I just have an interesting feeling about this game. Every few seasons, it seems like the Patriots lose a game you don't really expect in the playoffs. Sometimes it comes at home, like it did against the Ravens in Jan. 2013 and the Jets in Jan. 2011. The Chiefs I think are coming in confident and prepared, believing they can spring the upset.
Chiefs 23, Patriots 20
Packers (11-6) at Cardinals (13-3), 8:15 p.m. NBC
Green Bay quickly got down 11-0 last week at Washington. Then, something happened. Like flicking on a light switch, the Packers took off, dominating the Redskins the rest of the way, outscoring them 35-7 for a comfortable 35-18 victory. Did Green Bay all of a sudden come out of the haze it was in for the better part of half the season? Or was it a product of playing the Redskins, who perhaps weren't as hot or as good as it seemed like they might have been, considering they won the terrible NFC East? We will probably get answers when the Packers travel to face the Cardinals. Just three weeks ago, Arizona crushed Green Bay, also at home, 38-8. I definitely feel like the Packers are looking to put a better foot forward this time and they probably will. The Cardinals were one of the hottest teams in football until Week 17, when they were humbled at home, 36-6, by the Seahawks, just a week after the Packers demolition. It was a curious contest, but coach Bruce Arians said they didn't have anything to play for. And he was mostly right. Arizona needed a win and a Panthers loss to take NFC's No. 1 seed. Carolina had zero problems in claiming the top spot by crushing Tampa Bay. I fully expect the Packers to look better in this rematch, but if the Cardinals can pick up where they left off three weeks ago -- not always a sure thing, as we have seen before when teams seem rusty -- this one should go Arizona's way as well. Crazy stat: Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has never won a playoff game. He's only played in two, and in one, in 2006 with the Bengals, he hurt his knee early and missed most of it as the Steelers won.
Cardinals 27, Packers 20
Sunday
Seahawks (11-6) at Panthers (15-1), 1:05 p.m. Fox
Seattle is now the old familiar team we expect to see in the playoffs after a Super Bowl title and two NFC championships. The Panthers, though they have made the playoffs three years in a row, stormed on to the scene this season as the NFC's dominant team and surprised everyone by coming up one loss shy of a perfect regular season, looking like a true Super Bowl contender. While the Panthers appear limited in their big-play ability on offense, they've done it with a strong running game, solid defense, and improved play of QB Cam Newton, who makes the whole offense work with his ability to scramble and pick up yards. He's also improved immensely as a passer. Seattle, like last year, got off to a slow start at 2-4, but won eight of 10 to get into the playoffs as a wild card. Early in the season, Seattle gave up fourth-quarter leads and lost to the Bengals, Rams, and Panthers, the latter one in Seattle, 27-23. The Seahawks will have to do a better job of covering Carolina's big passing target, TE Greg Olsen, who came up with seven catches for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown. So not only do the Panthers have confidence they can win, they should have confidence they can win in the fourth quarter. And I'm sure they are happy to be at home this time and not in the Pacific Northwest. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart missed four games at the end of the year with a sprained foot, but he is ready to go. Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch declared himself ready Thursday, after saying last Friday he didn't feel like he could play against the Vikings. He's been out since Nov. 15 and had abdomen surgery Nov. 25. The past four seasons, Seattle and Carolina have met six times, with Seattle winning the first five. Seattle won twice last season, 13-9 in Week 8, and 31-17 in Seattle in the playoffs.
These are the kind of games we have come to expect the Seahawks to win, but they weren't overly impressive in escaping Minnesota last week after Blair Walsh's missed FG. And, like I said, Carolina will be rested and has confidence it can do it, since it has this year. Now, it just needs to go win in the playoffs.
Panthers 27, Seahawks 24
Steelers (11-6) at Broncos (12-4), 4:40 p.m. CBS
The crux of this game lies with the health of Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger. He injured his shoulder in last week's win over the Bengals, and, despite coming back for the game-winning drive, said he could not throw the ball deep. He likely has a sprained AC joint. As of Thursday's practice, Roethlisberger had not thrown this week. The Broncos, though, are preparing as if they will see Roethlisberger and not backup Landry Jones. With good reason, too. In Week 15, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were down 27-13 to the Broncos at halftime, but stormed back to win 34-27 behind Roethlisberger's 380 yards and three touchdowns. He's one of the toughest QBs in the league and has played through injuries before, so Denver expects that to happen. There are some major differences in these two contests, though. That one was in Pittsburgh. This one is in Denver. Brock Osweiler was Denver's QB, now Peyton Manning is back and seems to be more healthy than he was at the end of his first stint playing this year. Also, both starting safeties were not playing for the Broncos (T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart) in that game, helping Roethlisberger have his big day. And, it's been confirmed that Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown will not play after suffering a concussion at the end of the Bengals game. It also appears that RB DeAngelo Williams will be out, too. So, the circumstances of these two games are just so different, you might as well throw out the first result. While I would really like to wait to make a pick until I know Roethlisberger's status, he will probably be limited in what he can do if he does play, and I expect he will. And he'll be working with an all-around hampered offense. I don't think Denver's defense will screw it up this time. I think Manning and the Broncos offense will generate enough points to overcome a handicapped Pittsburgh offense.
Broncos 24, Steelers 16
Saturday
Chiefs (12-5) at Patriots (12-4), 4:35 p.m. CBS
Every matchup this weekend has an intriguing aspect and this one is no different. It has several. Kansas City thrashed New England during a game last year at home, 41-14. Is there any carryover from that game or is too long ago? Certainly, I don't think KC will be scared or intimidated. The Chiefs have won 11 straight games, including a shutout of the Texans last week, 30-0. They are the hottest team in football. The Patriots might be a little rusty after not playing last week, but then again, maybe they needed to hit the reset button after losing, 20-10, to the Dolphins in Week 17. The Patriots' problems go back longer than a week. They've lost four of six and lost to the Jets in Week 16. Their last home loss was to the Eagles in Week 13. New England has injury concerns, too. WR Julian Edelman will play for the first time since breaking his foot against the Giants in the middle of the year. His injury was similar to Dez Bryant's, and Bryant didn't seem to be right at times once he came back this year. Can Edelman be the weapon New England might need to win? Rob Gronkowski hasn't practiced all week with knee and back ailments. Will he be 100 percent? The Chiefs aren't without injuries, either. WR Jeremy Maclin and LBs Justin Houston and Tamba Hali all didn't practice Thursday and are uncertain for the game. I just have an interesting feeling about this game. Every few seasons, it seems like the Patriots lose a game you don't really expect in the playoffs. Sometimes it comes at home, like it did against the Ravens in Jan. 2013 and the Jets in Jan. 2011. The Chiefs I think are coming in confident and prepared, believing they can spring the upset.
Chiefs 23, Patriots 20
Packers (11-6) at Cardinals (13-3), 8:15 p.m. NBC
Green Bay quickly got down 11-0 last week at Washington. Then, something happened. Like flicking on a light switch, the Packers took off, dominating the Redskins the rest of the way, outscoring them 35-7 for a comfortable 35-18 victory. Did Green Bay all of a sudden come out of the haze it was in for the better part of half the season? Or was it a product of playing the Redskins, who perhaps weren't as hot or as good as it seemed like they might have been, considering they won the terrible NFC East? We will probably get answers when the Packers travel to face the Cardinals. Just three weeks ago, Arizona crushed Green Bay, also at home, 38-8. I definitely feel like the Packers are looking to put a better foot forward this time and they probably will. The Cardinals were one of the hottest teams in football until Week 17, when they were humbled at home, 36-6, by the Seahawks, just a week after the Packers demolition. It was a curious contest, but coach Bruce Arians said they didn't have anything to play for. And he was mostly right. Arizona needed a win and a Panthers loss to take NFC's No. 1 seed. Carolina had zero problems in claiming the top spot by crushing Tampa Bay. I fully expect the Packers to look better in this rematch, but if the Cardinals can pick up where they left off three weeks ago -- not always a sure thing, as we have seen before when teams seem rusty -- this one should go Arizona's way as well. Crazy stat: Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has never won a playoff game. He's only played in two, and in one, in 2006 with the Bengals, he hurt his knee early and missed most of it as the Steelers won.
Cardinals 27, Packers 20
Sunday
Seahawks (11-6) at Panthers (15-1), 1:05 p.m. Fox
Seattle is now the old familiar team we expect to see in the playoffs after a Super Bowl title and two NFC championships. The Panthers, though they have made the playoffs three years in a row, stormed on to the scene this season as the NFC's dominant team and surprised everyone by coming up one loss shy of a perfect regular season, looking like a true Super Bowl contender. While the Panthers appear limited in their big-play ability on offense, they've done it with a strong running game, solid defense, and improved play of QB Cam Newton, who makes the whole offense work with his ability to scramble and pick up yards. He's also improved immensely as a passer. Seattle, like last year, got off to a slow start at 2-4, but won eight of 10 to get into the playoffs as a wild card. Early in the season, Seattle gave up fourth-quarter leads and lost to the Bengals, Rams, and Panthers, the latter one in Seattle, 27-23. The Seahawks will have to do a better job of covering Carolina's big passing target, TE Greg Olsen, who came up with seven catches for 131 yards and the game-winning touchdown. So not only do the Panthers have confidence they can win, they should have confidence they can win in the fourth quarter. And I'm sure they are happy to be at home this time and not in the Pacific Northwest. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart missed four games at the end of the year with a sprained foot, but he is ready to go. Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch declared himself ready Thursday, after saying last Friday he didn't feel like he could play against the Vikings. He's been out since Nov. 15 and had abdomen surgery Nov. 25. The past four seasons, Seattle and Carolina have met six times, with Seattle winning the first five. Seattle won twice last season, 13-9 in Week 8, and 31-17 in Seattle in the playoffs.
These are the kind of games we have come to expect the Seahawks to win, but they weren't overly impressive in escaping Minnesota last week after Blair Walsh's missed FG. And, like I said, Carolina will be rested and has confidence it can do it, since it has this year. Now, it just needs to go win in the playoffs.
Panthers 27, Seahawks 24
Steelers (11-6) at Broncos (12-4), 4:40 p.m. CBS
The crux of this game lies with the health of Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger. He injured his shoulder in last week's win over the Bengals, and, despite coming back for the game-winning drive, said he could not throw the ball deep. He likely has a sprained AC joint. As of Thursday's practice, Roethlisberger had not thrown this week. The Broncos, though, are preparing as if they will see Roethlisberger and not backup Landry Jones. With good reason, too. In Week 15, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were down 27-13 to the Broncos at halftime, but stormed back to win 34-27 behind Roethlisberger's 380 yards and three touchdowns. He's one of the toughest QBs in the league and has played through injuries before, so Denver expects that to happen. There are some major differences in these two contests, though. That one was in Pittsburgh. This one is in Denver. Brock Osweiler was Denver's QB, now Peyton Manning is back and seems to be more healthy than he was at the end of his first stint playing this year. Also, both starting safeties were not playing for the Broncos (T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart) in that game, helping Roethlisberger have his big day. And, it's been confirmed that Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown will not play after suffering a concussion at the end of the Bengals game. It also appears that RB DeAngelo Williams will be out, too. So, the circumstances of these two games are just so different, you might as well throw out the first result. While I would really like to wait to make a pick until I know Roethlisberger's status, he will probably be limited in what he can do if he does play, and I expect he will. And he'll be working with an all-around hampered offense. I don't think Denver's defense will screw it up this time. I think Manning and the Broncos offense will generate enough points to overcome a handicapped Pittsburgh offense.
Broncos 24, Steelers 16
Comments
Post a Comment