Welcome to the Divisional Round! An aptly named WILD-card weekend gave the world a fantastic lineup for the Divisional round. After nine straight years of at least a divisional round appearances, including eight straight years of AFC Championship game appearances, New England was ousted in the Wildcard round, dropping the Brady-Chick combo to 2-2 in the Wildcard round. San Francisco marks their first playoff game since three straight NFC Championship/SB games from 2011 to 2013, and only their fourth playoff appearance since 2002 when Jeff Garcia was throwing passes to Terrell Owens under Mariucci. Side note, San Fran won 46 games in the 8 seasons after losing Mariucci. Mariucci made the playoffs 4 times and won 60 games in 6 years. Think the 49ers should have kept him? Baltimore rides a number of record setting performances to the first seed, a first time in franchise history per my rushed research. Dynamic quarterback and probable MVP Lamar Jackson set the record for rushing yards by a QB, the team set an NFL record for rushing yards in a season, most wins in a season in franchise history, and probably a handful of other such fantastic performances. Kansas City snagged the second seed with their own video game players in Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill, the first a jaw dropping passer and the second a jaw dropping speed demon at receiver. Andy Reid remains a fantastic coach with Belichick-like sustained success. After a brilliantly successful career in Philly, with 4 consecutive NFC East titles and 4 consecutive NFC Championship appearances (including a SB loss), he has coached his team as AFC West champs 4 consecutive years. The NFC’s second seed Green Bay Packers find themselves back after a injury riddle and stagnant last two years. But this isn’t the unstoppable Aaron Rodgers led offense of yester year. This is a league average offense buoyed by an opportunistic defense. But fortunately for the world, they face a familiar foe in nemesis Seattle Seahawks. These birds are also far different than the teams from the Superbowl runs of years past. Even with the return of Lynch, they no longer rely on his insane tackle breaking skills or a defense which shut down most every passer for near five seasons, the Seahawks are now airing it out to a diminutive shifty Lockett and a gargantuan monster in Metcalf. Minnesota repeated as Saint Slayers to rise from 6th seed to divisional round players against San Francisco’s potent defense and creative offense, a test which will stress the defense and offense both. Houston survived a series of heart attacks vs. the Bills to take on a team they beat in week 6 by running the ball, something they haven’t done well recently. And Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel defeated his former mentor in Belichick to bring a swaggering ground game and explosive passing attack to bear against the Ravens. Dang this is exciting!
Let’s get down to business. After Week 10, I picked the remaining games of the 20 or so teams who had any legitimate shot at the playoffs. I got everyone right except for picking Oakland over Tennessee. So not bad there. I saw Dallas fading down the stretch and Philly taking advantage of a week schedule to clinch the NFC East. I did think Seattle would snag the NFC West, and a no called PI in the season finale vs. SF shot my predicted bracket to crap. In the wildcard round, I opened up the predictions to family as well. My wife, 6 year old daughter, 5 year old son, and one year old daughter all took chances picking winners. My 6 year old daughter went 4 for 4, and I dropped to 3-1 by predicting Buffalo would take down Houston.
After a thrilling Wildcard Round, here is to an equally exciting Divisonal Round.
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