Game Thread: NFL Divisional Playoffs: All Posts up to Championship Games...

[selmaborntidefan]

Well, we're down to the Elite Eight and four games this weekend that will set up the conference championships next weekend. Unlike college football, you can't win the championship without winning your conference championship - which makes me say, "Good, CFB is NOT like the NFL in some important ways!"

TODAY
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans (-4.0)
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (-5.5)

TOMORROW
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5)
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-1.5)

My thoughts are the Bengals-Titans is a toss-up, but I'm pulling for King Henry. Green Bay should win after what I saw from the 9ers last week. I never bet against Tom Brady regardless, and the other one...well the Chiefs are 7-3 against playoff teams but all 3 teams that beat them are still in the playoffs. The Bills were 3-4 against playoff teams, but they did beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead. To be completely fair that was during a time of the season (early) when Buffalo was playing some of the best ball in the league and the Chiefs were erratic. The Bills have been 3 different teams this year - looking like a Super Bowl contender one week and looking like an also-ran the next. The big question for the Bills - was last week an extreme outlier performance that will see a major letdown this week or can they put together another really good game (they're not going to have a no punt/no turnover game this week, folks. Most likely anyway).

 

[TideEngineer08]

My call:

Titans win with King Henry back. Cincinnati isn't ready for this moment. I also despise Joe Burrow, while respecting his abilities along with Chase. But I still say Tennessee is the better team.

Titans 27, Bengals 17

Green Bay at home vs. a West Coast team. It's not that a warm weather team couldn't win in Lambeau, it has certainly happened before and quite recently. But not this warm weather team against this Packer team. I could be wrong, but I think Rodgers is on a roll in this particular season. Packers win.

Packers 31, 49ers 21

LA had a big "rivalry" win on Monday night. Tampa Bay had a relatively easy win over Philly and has over 24 hours extra rest. Add to that LA is traveling all the way across the country to Tampa. Championship Tom isn't losing that game.

Buccaneers 34, Rams 17

Yeah I've heard that this is Buffalo's "moment" and it is meant to be that they are facing the Chiefs. No. Last week was Buffalo's "moment" and they spent all that emotional energy disposing of the evil Patriots. I realize these are professionals, not college kids, but they are still human. KC has hit another gear and is peaking at the right time and has home field.

Chiefs 29, Bills 20

 

[UAH]

My call:

Titans win with King Henry back. Cincinnati isn't ready for this moment. I also despise Joe Burrow, while respecting his abilities along with Chase. But I still say Tennessee is the better team.

Titans 27, Bengals 17

Green Bay at home vs. a West Coast team. It's not that a warm weather team couldn't win in Lambeau, it has certainly happened before and quite recently. But not this warm weather team against this Packer team. I could be wrong, but I think Rodgers is on a roll in this particular season. Packers win.

Packers 31, 49ers 21

LA had a big "rivalry" win on Monday night. Tampa Bay had a relatively easy win over Philly and has over 24 hours extra rest. Add to that LA is traveling all the way across the country to Tampa. Championship Tom isn't losing that game.

Buccaneers 34, Rams 17

Yeah I've heard that this is Buffalo's "moment" and it is meant to be that they are facing the Chiefs. No. Last week was Buffalo's "moment" and they spent all that emotional energy disposing of the evil Patriots. I realize these are professionals, not college kids, but they are still human. KC has hit another gear and is peaking at the right time and has home field.

Chiefs 29, Bills 20

The Bengals looked like a team headed to an early exit last week. When they had numerous chances to put the game away early they didn't.

It will be hard to beat the Pack at home on a frozen field but I am rooting for the 49ers to push the Aaron Rogers anti-vax train off the tracks. Fine for me to never see him again in a Packer or any other uni. regardless of him being an all universe QB selection. Just saying!

If Allen plays up to the level he has in the second half of the season it should be a heck of a game. Meanwhile the KC offense of Mahomes running around until Kelce comes open is real hard to beat. Unless the Bill's make long time consuming drives and cash in they will depart thinking of what might have been.

Here is hoping that Aaron Donald and his mates are able to keep grandpa Brady on his heels and that Mr. Stafford comes out red hot slinging the ball. Love to see some LA Dreaming going on in this years Super party.

 

[Padreruf]

My call:

Titans win with King Henry back. Cincinnati isn't ready for this moment. I also despise Joe Burrow, while respecting his abilities along with Chase. But I still say Tennessee is the better team.

Titans 27, Bengals 17

Green Bay at home vs. a West Coast team. It's not that a warm weather team couldn't win in Lambeau, it has certainly happened before and quite recently. But not this warm weather team against this Packer team. I could be wrong, but I think Rodgers is on a roll in this particular season. Packers win.

Packers 31, 49ers 21

LA had a big "rivalry" win on Monday night. Tampa Bay had a relatively easy win over Philly and has over 24 hours extra rest. Add to that LA is traveling all the way across the country to Tampa. Championship Tom isn't losing that game.

Buccaneers 34, Rams 17

Yeah I've heard that this is Buffalo's "moment" and it is meant to be that they are facing the Chiefs. No. Last week was Buffalo's "moment" and they spent all that emotional energy disposing of the evil Patriots. I realize these are professionals, not college kids, but they are still human. KC has hit another gear and is peaking at the right time and has home field.

Chiefs 29, Bills 20

You make a lot of sense...but I'm still not going to bet a dime of my hard earned money on any of them!!

 

[TideEngineer08]

You make a lot of sense...but I'm still not going to bet a dime of my hard earned money on any of them!!

Haha, I would never trust myself enough to gamble on it.

 

[81usaf92]

Let’s see…

Bengals vs Titans. The Bengals feel a lot like the 2008 Cardinals in that they came out of nowhere and are performing at a high level. And Titans feel like a Team that limped into the #1 spot and is on borrowed time. Even with King Henry I just don’t seem the titans holding back Burrow. I think Burrow is just like Hansel… He is just too hot right now according to Mugatu. Bengals 38-17

49ers vs Packers. Stay with me here. Everyone says it’s “Rodgers year”. They could be right but how many years should it have been his year with the weak NFC the last 10 years. There has only been 2 teams in the NFC to get to the SB twice since Rodgers last won the SB (Seahawks and 49ers), and the NFC North is one of two conferences to not reach the SB in that time period (AFC south is the other). He really hasn’t had a Brady or Mahomes rival with a loaded dynastic team preventing him from reaching it in the NFC. The closest he had was Brees and the Saints but they never met in the playoffs. He has struggled historically vs the NFC West. The point is that the NFC should have been Rodgers and the Packers for a long time. So what makes this year any different. This is a team that has lived off the edge vs stupid teams all year, and literally won a game by two points while the other team had 4 interceptions. The old Packers are tough at home is way overrated. Rodgers is 7-8 playoff games since the SB year in which they won them all on the road. At home since then they are 5-3 with one of those wins being the infamous Dez Bryant no catch. If it wasn’t for the Cowboys then the Packers would be the biggest underachievers in the NFL in the last 10 years. So I’ll pick the upset. San Francisco 30-28

LA Rams vs Tampa Bay. The Rams are by far the most loaded team left in the playoffs. They easily beat the Bucs in week 3. But here is the thing… it’s still a who do you trust more affair. Do you take the trendy pick and trust Sean McVay and Stafford to get it done or do you say “I can’t bet against an angry Bucs and Brady”. The fact that the Rams have had short week of rest and have to fly across the whole country could factor into this. As much as my head is trying to convince me that the Rams get it done… I keep seeing Stafford and OBGYN choking and Brady being Brady. Bucs 27-17

Bills vs Chiefs. This is the game that I literally have no feel for. Part of me says it’s the Bills time but part of me says the Chiefs are the easy pick here. I never trust Andy Reid in big games but I can never trust the Bills either. I will say the Bills are better. But it really comes down to Josh Allen. Just because I can’t with a straight face bet against Mahomes at this point in his career… Chiefs 31-24

 

[bamadwain]

I've got Bengals ( can't trust Tanneyhill), Packers ( Rodgers will be hard to beat at home, Brady did but he's also cold weather QB as well), Tampa Bay ( Brady) and Chiefs ( Mahomes playing about as well as anyone) now go bet opposite and retire lol

 

[TideEngineer08]

Y'all realize Tennessee's defense is really good? I get the mistrust of Tanneyhill, I'm not a huge fan either, but it's going to be about more than him.

I guess some of this comes down to personal taste as well. Can't stand Joe Burrow. Can't stand San Francisco. So that's clouding my judgement.

 

[81usaf92]

See a Mickey Mouse quarterback. Stop buying Tannehill

 

[selmaborntidefan]

That's not how they drew it up.....

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Tannehill being Tannehill...

 

[TideEngineer08]

Oh well. Tannehill with a stupid throw first play of the game. Geez.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I hope they sack Burrow 10 times today.

 

[81usaf92]

You know the Titans were so proud on them resisting getting Brady a few years back and keeping Tannehill.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Terrible Titan tackling...

 

[81usaf92]

I was about to say that was a clear delay of game

 

[TideEngineer08]

You know the Titans were so proud on them resisting getting Brady a few years back and keeping Tannehill.

Yeah that was the stupidest player personnel move of the past 20 years.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Talk about luck!

 

[TIDE-HSV]

That dumb INT only cost the 3. Major luck...

 

[81usaf92]

Yeah that was the stupidest player personnel move of the past 20 years.

Rumors were that Brady’s top 2 preferred destinations were the Raiders and Titans. I can understand the Raiders passing on him, but the Titans makes no sense.