What a wild wildcard weekend to say the least. From missed field goals to fighting coaches, the interest level has only just begun. Now the top 4 seeds will get their feet wet and prepare to go to war against these battle-tested teams. I rank the remaining 8 teams and look at each team’s chance of moving on to the next conference championship. Let’s get started
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Many people considered the steel city to be deep sleepers in this year’s playoffs. After a disappointing offensive performance against one of the more stingier teams, where they were handed the game, I can’t see this team being better than the other 7. Add in the fact that Deangelo Williams (ankle) and Antonio Brown (concussion) are doubtful to play this weekend as well as Big Ben battling a shoulder injury, and I just don’t see enough firepower to compete against the best defense in the league - Denver. I think Peyton should have a field day against this defense and the Broncos defense shuts Pittsburgh down.
Verdict: 34-17 Denver
7. Green Bay Packers
One thing the Packers showed us this weekend was that it was silly to consider Washington a good team after winning the abysmal NFC East and winning all of their games against losing teams. And to think that at one point, the question of “Would you rather have Cousins or Rodgers right now”, was actually a question. The Packers have one of the best quarterbacks to ever play this game in Aaron Rodgers. What they still don’t have is an offensive line that can protect, although having LT David Bakhtiari back and moving Sitton back to guard certainly helped, and receiving core that can get open against good coverage (Devante Adams is not expected to play). One thing they do have is experience, and a lot of momentum. This game against Arizona won’t be the blowout that occurred back in week 16, but it’s going to take a whole lot of Rodger’s magic to pull this one out
Verdict: 28-24 Arizona
6. Kansas City Chiefs
The win against Houston showcased more of Kansas City’s smothering defense more so than anything else. After a 108-yard kickoff return by Knile Davis to start off the game, the offense produced very little against the Texans. There may be cause for concern for how efficient this offense really is especially after their #1 receiver, Jeremy Maclin, went down with a high ankle sprain. Going against the Tom Brady-led Patriots, their defense seems battle tested to match up well against them, especially considering New England’s recent struggles. But health becomes a factor here as the Patriots are one Gronkowski away from producing their normal offensive output that we’ve been so accustomed to seeing. And if that’s the case, the Chiefs might not have the offensive firepower to go up against them. Unless their defense outshines the entire team, which can be a possibility, I’ll have to give this nod to the defending Super Bowl champs.
Verdict: 27:17 New England
5. Seattle Seahawks
This spot is still up in the air, since we won’t know the status of Marshawn Lynch until gameday. The Seahawks were a 27-yard field goal away from losing against the Minnesota Vikings. Their defense was superb, holding the Vikings to 9 points on three field goals; but let’s face it, there was only one real gameplan and that was stopping Adrian Peterson. Now they go up against a much more prolific offense in Carolina on the road. Also, they are going up against a much better defense led by DPOY candidates Josh Norman and Luke Kuechly. Seattle’s offense struggled mightily against MInnesota and couldn’t get any balance to their offense with their running attack, which was held in check for most of the game. Now if Lynch is ready to go, the Panthers will have to defend the entire field with Russell Wilson’s passing and running, and Doug Baldwin’s emergence as a stud. We will have to see if the legion of boom can stop soon-to-be MVP Cam Newton and his dabs like they did Teddy, but I’m going to have to give the Panthers the slight edge in this contest
Verdict: 24-20 Carolina
4. Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning has been named the starter for Sunday night, to no surprise, and that extra week of rest figures to help him, as well as Demarcus Ware, Darian Stewart and Chris Harris, regain full health. A healthy Denver squad should have no problem matching up against the hobbled Pittsburgh Steelers unless the extra week of rest translates into rust. But still, riding the #1 defense and having extra time for Peyton to get acclimated with the offense should give the Broncos the edge in this matchup at home, and should move on to the AFC Championship game.
Verdict: 34-17 Denver
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals will go against the Green Bay Packers at home. This won’t end up being the beatdown that they handed back in week 16, especially with All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu out for the season. But this offense is still one of the league’s best, and even against an underrated Packers defense, it’s expected that they come away with more than a few touchdowns. But like I said earlier, they are going against one of the best in the world in Aaron Rodgers, and Carson Palmer will have to shake off the playoff rust (last game was in 2008) and perform at the level he has all season. Palmer struggled in his last and only full playoff game in 2008, completing just 50% of his passes for 1 touchdown and 1 interception. That was 8 years ago and we’re in 2016, where this Cardinal team is far better the Bengals team he led back then. All the weapons Palmer has at his disposal should make Arizona the favorites at home.
Verdict: 28-24 Arizona
2. New England Patriots
The Patriots are facing an uphill battle against injuries, but there could be light at the end of the tunnel. The team is hopeful for a return of many of its players including Julian Edelman, Sebastian Vollmer, Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. If the they do get some of the players back, particularly Edelman, the offense should look a little different than what it looked for the last six weeks. They don’t have a ton of momentum heading into this matchup losing 4 of the last 6 games, they are also facing an aggressive defense in Kansas City that’s riding a lot of momentum after their shut-out win against Houston. The key here though, is Tom Brady and his ability to release the ball quickly and read zone coverages effectively. Another key here, is Bill Belichick, and his phenomenal strategies to take away things that an offense does best. If Maclin and Ware doesn’t play this weekend, the key, and maybe only, component to take away from that offense will be Travis Kelce. It’ll be interesting to see how Kansas City puts up points on offense to keep this game close, regardless if Edelman plays or not.
Verdict: 27-17 New England
1. Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton has done an outstanding job in leading this Carolina team to a league best 15-1 record and indulging in the MVP campaign. He's had 3 games this season where he threw for 5 touchdowns and no interceptions which is best in the league. But now they face the biggest challenge yet, and that’s going up against a hungry Seattle team looking to get back to the big dance for a 3rd straight year. This defense is top notch and it’s led by All-Pro members Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman. This Panthers team has a league best 10 players selected for the pro bowl this year, so the team has the players to beat Seattle and make a deep playoff push. Ron Rivera is a great coach who has the playoff experience with his last playoff game actually being against the Seahawks. I think Cam Newton and the offense finds a way to put up points against the legion of boom and there defense, if Lynch doesn’t play will do a solid job on limiting Willson’s big play ability and advance to the NFC Championship
Verdict: 24-20 Carolina
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