After a final week of the regular season, stacked with surprising wins and upsets, the road to the Super Bowl begins here. The unlikely Seahawks emerged as a division winner and became the first team to make the playoffs with a losing record, the Green Bay Packers defeated division rival Chicago Bears in Chicago, thus eliminating the playoff hopes of Tampa Bay and New York (Giants).
Here is who I think makes it to the next round, and why:
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Green Bay Packers (NFC)
Philly Keys to Win: Protect Michael Vick. This is vital for two reasons. Clay Matthews leads a phenomenal Packers rush defense that is going to be gunning at Vick from start to finish. Secondly, the better protection Vick has, the more time he has to exploit Green Bay’s struggling secondary.
Green Bay Keys to Win: Run the ball. The Pack has struggled to find consistency in the backfield, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not be able to drag his team to the next round on his own. In the matchup in week one of the regular season, Rodgers struggled to get into a rhythm against a now-revamped Eagles defensive line.
Prediction: Eagles 26 – Packers 20 (OT)
No. 4 Seattle Seahawks vs. No. 6 New Orleans Saints (NFC)
Seattle Keys to Win: Contain Drew Brees. If they can rattle Brees, who has performed with both consistency and prowess all year, they might have a chance of pulling off an upset.
New Orleans Keys to Win: Score. A lot. The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and Seattle’s D is lackluster at best.
Prediction: New Orleans 34 – Seattle 13
No. 4 Kansas City Chiefs vs. No. 5 Baltimore Ravens (AFC)
Kansas City Keys to Win: Run the ball. The Chiefs have the most productive rushing offense in the league, and the Ravens have given up an average 4.9 yards per carry.
Baltimore Keys to Win: Exploit the secondary. The Chiefs’ biggest setback all year has been finding consistency on defense in not giving long passes.
Prediction: Ravens 31 – Chiefs 20
No. 3 Indianapolis Colts vs. No. 6 New York Jets (AFC)
Indianapolis Keys to Win: Stop the run. The Colts defensive line has been porous all year, and opposing running backs have taken advantage of this week after week.
New York Keys to Win: Big plays in time of need. Quarterback Mark Sanchez carried his team to victory with game winning drives in the last two minutes of regulation a whopping four times this season. Should he get the chance to do it again, he will likely send the Colts packing.
Prediction: New York 24 – Indianapolis 17
