The wildcard round of the playoffs went off on Saturday and Sunday without a hitch. The teams that were supposed to win at home did just that. The Ravens and the Packers dominated their games, the Texans hung on against the Bengals, and the only visiting winner, the Seahawks, was identified as a dangerous team late in the season.
The divisional round of the playoffs won't be as predictable. The matchups on the AFC side are somewhat tame. The Broncos should be able to handle the Ravens, especially if Baltimore's offense continues to underperform, and the Patriots dominated the Texans in their regular season meeting.
The NFC games are less clear. The Packers will meet the 49ers in San Francisco in a game that could go a number of ways. The Packers could hang thirty or forty points on the 49ers, beating them by a wide margin, or the 49ers defense could rise to the occasion and shut down the Packers one dimensional offensive attack. In that case, the 49ers would have the edge in a lower scoring affair. In essence, this game is a toss up.
The other matchup, between the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks, has the potential to be a blowout either way. The Seahawks have the ability to score bunches of points in very short periods of time. Meanwhile, the Falcons have a high octane offense that allows them to win shootouts. The Falcons are notorious underachievers in the playoffs, and Matt Ryan has something to prove this time around. Again, it's a toss up.
This weekend's lineup of games is the best set of games we've seen all season long. It's without a doubt my favorite weekend in the NFL season. There are favorites in all of these games, but there's no sure winners.
