Road To The Super Bowl Thus Far

Wild Card Weekend Not So Wild After All

The opening week of the playoffs provided few surprises as we opened up the Wild Card weekend. In previous years there had been some pretty sweet upsets, but this year played it safe. The home team won all four matchups by a large margin. It was a boring opening weekend to be modest. At least we were treated with a phenomenal National Title game as Clemson beat Alabama with seconds on the clock to dethrone the defending champs. But let’s dig deeper and analyze what occurred and what we can expect in the coming weeks. As you can expect, at some point or another in the playoffs, we are bound to see some underdogs win a big game. Could we see a Patriots vs Seahawks rematch? Maybe the return of America’s team as the Cowboys make the Super Bowl? Aaron Rodgers adding to his elite legacy? A lot can unfold in the near future.

Predictions for Current Matchups

Seahawks @ Falcons

The Seattle Seahawks made easy work out of the Detriot Lions last week. This veteran team has made multiple deep playoffs runs in the last few years and were a Marshawn Lynch carry away from being back to back champs two years ago. How will they face off against the Atlanta Falcons? The Legion of Boom hasn’t been as dominant this year as usual, and the Falcons tied the 2000 Rams for the 7th highest scoring season of all time. They averaged 33.8 points per game, that is more than multiple Manning, Brady, & Brees championship seasons. Atlanta always seems to choke late in the year. But this year we believe the Falcons are destined to advance to the NFC title game and defeat the Seahawks. Hawks 24 – Falcons 31

Texans @ Patriots

Do we really need to say anything here? The Houston Texans got lucky that Derek Carr got injured and the Raiders dropped from the 2 seed down to 5. They exploited that easy matchup against a QB with no experience and crushed him on the way to New England. The buck stops here, though Tom Brady and crew will make quick work out of the Texans. We expect a huge blowout with the Patriots easily advancing to the next round. Texans 10 – Patriots 42

Steelers @ Chiefs

Last week a healthy Pittsburgh Steelers showed the Miami Dolphins that there is a huge gap between the two AFC teams. Although Miami was a few Matt Moore turnovers away from being competitive, it was tough to watch. With the defense stepping up, and Le’Veon Bell running greater than ever, the Steelers are a force to reckon with in the playoffs. Did we forget to mention Big Ben to Antonio Brown is also a weekly highlight reel waiting to happen? They visit the Kansas City Chiefs, who despite some flaws, have fought their way up to the 2 seed. The Chiefs are a scrappy team that keeps finding ways to win close games. At first glance, they may not seem that special, but sleep on them, and they will make you pay.  But we simply can’t ignore the talent and experience on the Steelers side, we expect an upset here. Steelers 23 – Chiefs 17

Packers @ Cowboys

Maybe Odell Beckham Jr. and crew should have focused against Green Bay instead of partying on boats in Miami. The Packers blew out the New York Giants easily, setting up a team with the biggest surprise team of 2016. If not for the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys could of rode a 15 game win streak into the season finale. Having lost twice to New York this year, Dallas was pleased to see Green Bay win and advance. The only downfall? They now have to face a red-hot Aaron Rodgers that threw 4 touchdowns last week in a vintage playoff performance. The Dallas Cowboys looked amazing all year behind rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. This Cowboys team have the offensive line, star receiver, and rookies to become a dynasty in years to come. But we cannot forget the fact that they are rookies, while Green Bay has been battle tested. If Rodgers comes out hot out of the gate, and the Cowboys rookies struggle to get going, we can be looking at one of the biggest upsets this year. We see the Packers taking this one and denying a Super Bowl ratings juggernaut of Patriots vs Cowboys. Packers 30 – Cowboys 20