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So now we are down to the Elite Eight of the NFL for this season. Some of the teams - particularly on the AFC side, are among the usual suspects. Others, like the Giants and Jacksonville, are new faces, not having seen the playoffs in at least five years.
It should be interesting, and likely unpredictable, if last week's wildcard round is anything to go on.
Here are my picks for the upcoming divisional round weekend:
Saturday:
Jacksonville at Kansas City - The Jaguars are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They won five straight to close out the regular season, managing to clinch the AFC South division title. Then, they overcame a 27-0 deficit to the Chargers last weekend, to advance to the divisional round. Very impressive feats. But much of their success has been right in Jacksonville. Now, they go on the road, and to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, which is one of the toughest places for a road team to go. The Jaguars have played some tough defense often times this season. But the Chiefs offense should stretch that defense out. They handled the Jaguars convincingly in November, and I see no reason why a well rested KC team won't be ready for this one. Andy Reid is a great coach, and he should have his team ready. The offense is in great shape, and remember, they were the highest scoring offense this season. Their defense usually gets the job done when needed. They have a ton of experience, and I just cannot see them falling to Jax in this one. My pick: Kansas City
NY Giants at Philadelphia - Two teams from the NFL's best division this year clash head to head. This one will be in Philly, which obviously helps the Eagles. Also, Philly has dominated this rivalry as of late, having won eight of the last ten meetings, and sixteen of the last twenty. Plus, they will have quarterback Jalen Hurts back, and he adds a very different dimension. The main question is just how strong he will be, if he will be back one hundred percent, or close to it. A lot of this game will ride on that question. Personally, I think that the Giants are probably at the peak of their power in over a decade right now. Really, I'm not kidding. This is only their second playoff appearance since winning Super Bowl XLVI, and they won their first playoff game since winning the whole thing over a decade ago. They are gaining confidence every week, and their offense, which was basically a weak point until recent weeks, now seems to be flying high. Also, in terms of history, the Giants are a league best 6-0 against number one seeds in the playoffs dating back to the 1990 season. They beat the 49ers and Bills (both number ones) that season, beat the Cowboys and Patriots (both number one seeds) in 2007, and then beat the Packers and Patriots (also both number one seeds) in 2011. More importantly, they are better than the Giants team that the Eagles are used to, and should pose some real problems for Philly. It should be a good game, and I suspect that it will go down to the fourth quarter in a tight game that may wind up being won by the last team to have the ball. Should be good. But I still see the hometown, number one seed getting past Big Blue. My pick: Philadelphia
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