NFL Divisional Playoffs – The AFC on Saturday
With just over three weeks until Super Bowl LIX, eight teams remain for the two spots to New Orleans and to ultimately hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 9.
Texans at Chiefs – 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT on ESPN/ABC/ESPN+
The Houston Texans are on a warm streak, finishing the regular season with a win over the Titans and handily beating the Los Angeles Chargers in last week’s Wild Card round. The Chiefs are coming off a bye and are welcoming the Texans to the not-so-friendly Arrowhead Stadium.
Last week, Texans’ WR Nico Collins (Go Blue) and the special teams’ unit were the stars. Collins had seven receptions for 122 yards and a TD. C.J. Stroud played fine, making a couple big plays when needed, but he’s going to have to do a lot better than that against the reigning-Super Bowl Champs.
The Chiefs have been incredibly lucky, but also incredibly good, all season, and I don’t expect that to change. Though he’s listed as questionable, CB Jaylen Watson could give the KC defense a boost. And also, they have Patrick Mahomes.
Advantage: Chiefs
NFL Divisional Playoffs – The NFC on Saturday
Commanders at Lions – 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on FOX
How about those Washington Commanders, huh? One season into a new ownership group, a new GM in Adam Peters – who is, quite literally, the best – a new coach in Dan Quinn – who is also pretty flipping great – and a rookie QB in Jayden Daniels, who has the poise and the confidence of a multi-year veteran, and the organization has literally been transformed.
They marched into Tampa Bay last weekend and defeated the Bucs. What was their prize? A trip to Detroit to face the No. 1-seeded Lions in a the very-tough-to-play-in Ford Field. The Daniels-WR Terry McLaurin connection has been fun to watch all season, and the Commanders’ defense is finding its way, but, there’s a but.
CB Marshon Lattimore – back from a hamstring injury – struggled against Mike Evans, and now the secondary (hi Mikey Sainristil!) has to contend with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Oh, and the Lions are getting RB David Montgomery back, while RB Jahmyr Gibbs has rushed for over 100 yards and has six total touchdowns in his last three games.
In my humble opinion, Detroit’s high-powered offense will prove too much for the Commanders’ defense, but win-or-lose, this has been a very successful season in Washington.
Advantage: Lions
NFL Divisional Playoffs – The NFC on Sunday
Rams at Eagles – 3 pm ET/Noon PT on NBC/Peacock
After a decisive victory on Monday night over the Minnesota Vikings – and this was after having to relocate to Arizona due to the devastating fires in Los Angeles for their “home” game – the Los Angeles Rams are off to Philly to take on Saquon Barkley and the Eagles.
The Rams are 22nd in the NFL against the run, with Barkley rushing for 255 yards against them in November. He’s coming off a 119-yard performance against the Packers, so LA is going to want to work on that. That being said, the Rams’ defense has been HOT, and the unit tore up Vikings’ QB Sam Darnold to the tune of nine sacks, basically making WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison irrelevant and holding the Vikings to 106 yards rushing overall (not ideal but not terrible).
Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts played okay against the Packers, in a game where Philadelphia dominated everywhere, but the score, for most of it.
Here’s my hot (maybe even just warm) take: the Rams go into Lincoln Financial Field as the underdogs and leave as the victors.
NFL Divisional Playoffs – The AFC on Sunday
Ravens at Bills – 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT on CBS/Paramount+
And that brings us to the pièce de resistance of the NFL’s divisional round weekend – Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen when the Ravens head to Buffalo to take on the Bills. Both teams, and both quarterbacks (the two favorites for NFL MVP), have Super Bowl on their minds, with each potentially being the only thing standing in the way.
Jackson is one-of-one, but Allen is pretty special under center, in his own right. Allen finished the regular season with 40 combined touchdowns, while Jackson finished with 45.
WR Zay Flowers (knee) is doubtful to play for the Ravens, but the difficulty for the Bills is going to be slowing down RB Derrick Henry, who is showing no signs of being slowed, while contending with the speedy Jackson who can change the game with his legs in an instant. The Ravens’ offense was the first to top 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. So, good luck.
The Ravens’ defense is going up against a Bills’ offense that saw 13 players catch touchdowns this season. RB James Cook had 16 rushing TDs (same as Henry) this season, with the point being, they’re balanced.
Giving either team the advantage is difficult, so I just hope everybody has fun!
New GM for the Tennessee Titans
After parting ways with general manager Ran Carthon last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Tennessee Titans are hiring Chiefs’ Assistant General Manager, Mike Borgonzi.
Borgonzi has been with Kansas City for 16 years, spending his last four in his current role.