The NFL playoffs are at full blast right now. Last week we saw the Bills (surprised?), Chiefs, Panthers, and Rams get eliminated. This leaves us with eight teams remaining. The Patriots, Steelers, Titans, Jaguars, Eagles, Falcons, Vikings, and Saints. As we look forward to this weekend's match-ups, let's look at each team's weekend.
AFC
The Patriots come into this weekend with the best odds of a Super Bowl victory, according to ESPN.
The Patriots are led by Tom Brady. Brady has shown year after year that he is capable of leading his team to the Super Bowl. Brady and company are up against the fourth-ranked Tennessee Titans rushing defense. The Patriots defense will be key as they are playing Marcus Mariotta, a young quarterback that has struggled to get anything going this season. Prediction: Patriots 24 - Titans 10.
The Jaguars will face the Steelers this weekend in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have the third-ranked offense, according to ESPN, this season led by veteran Ben Rothlisberger. The Jaguars have the second-ranked defense in the league.
They are led by the young Blake Bortles who tallied more rushing yards than passing yards last week against a struggling Bills team. Could this be a case of defense winning championships or are the seasoned Steelers too much for the young Jaguars? Prediction: Steelers 38 - Jaguars 7.
NFC
The Eagles take on the Falcons this Saturday (Jan. 13). The Eagles finished as the best team in the league but are underdogs against the Falcons without their start quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz, an MVP candidate, was lost for the season with an ACL tear. The Eagles look to recharge their offense behind streaky Nick Foles. The Falcons come to Philadelphia with an explosive offense behind Matt Ryan, but they are facing the fourth-ranked defense overall.
Is this another case of defense wins championships? I think it could be. Prediction: Eagles 17 - Falcons 14.
The other matchup in the NFC may be the most compelling of the four. The Saints take on the No. 2 seeded Vikings. The Vikings are led by Case Keenum, the young surprise superstar while The Saints march in behind the always superb Drew Brees. The Vikings own the league's top-rated defense while the Saints have the leagues second-rated offense. With a first-round bye, will the Vikings come out slow against a Saints team that played great against the Panthers last weekend? Prediction: Saints 28 - Vikings 21.
This weekend will be a test, as the best teams are truly represented in the eight that remain. We are looking at a playoff picture where youth is facing off against the tried and true veterans. Is a new age of NFL dominance on the horizon?