Sunday
Game: New England at Denver
Prediction: New England - Watching the two AFC divisional games this past weekend, it appears as if New England's offense is healthier than its been in a while and Denver's lucky to be playing this next week. If it wasn't for Fitzgerald Toussaint's fumble, Denver could very well have been sitting at home for this game. So long as the Pats' offensive line can protect Tom Brady relatively well in this game, I have to like their chances in this one. Their offense is healthier than it's been in several weeks, Brady has been much more consistent throwing the football than Peyton Manning this season, not to mention he's had the upper-hand in the two future Hall-of-Famers' postseason matchups. Lastly, considering the fact New England blew a 4th quarter lead against the Broncos earlier this season, I have a difficult time seeing Bill Belichick lose again to the same team in a single season. I'll take the Pats on the road by a field goal.
Result:
Record:
Game: Arizona at Carolina
Prediction: Arizona - This was an extremely difficult game to pick. Arizona, coming off a great 13-3 season, decided not to show up to its regular season finale against NFC West rival Seattle, falling to the Seahawks 38-8. On Saturday night, Carson Palmer struggled inside the red zone (partially due to the index finger on his throwing hand); Green Bay (for the most part) dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, yet in the end, the Cardinals found a way to win in an incredible game. Carolina looked like the inevitable Super Bowl champion in the first half of their divisional round matchup with Seattle, as they led the Seahawks 31-0 going into halftime. In the 2nd half, that wasn't the case, as Seattle outscored the Panthers 24-0, and were an onside kick away from making the game incredibly interesting. If they had showed up at all in the first half, they'd be traveling to Arizona for this game. The two big keys in this game are: 1) Arizona limiting Carolina's running game and 2) Carolina's pass coverage against the Cardinals' deep threats. It'll be interesting to see if Arizona's typically aggressive style of defense will be able to get to Cam Newton, limit his running ability, and force him into making turnovers, or if the likely MVP is able to use that aggressiveness to his team's advantage with big plays in the passing game. I'm thinking it'll be a mixed bag, and given the Panthers' banged up secondary, so long as Carson Palmer is on target, I have to believe there will be some open deep shots along the way. Cam Newton is this year's MVP, but the guy can't always do it alone, and to this point in the season, so long as they're healthy, I think Arizona is the better all-around football team. I'll take the Cardinals by a field goal.
Result:
Record:
Conference Championships Record:
Playoff Record: 4-4 (.500)
Overall Record: 155-109 (.587)
Game: New England at Denver
Prediction: New England - Watching the two AFC divisional games this past weekend, it appears as if New England's offense is healthier than its been in a while and Denver's lucky to be playing this next week. If it wasn't for Fitzgerald Toussaint's fumble, Denver could very well have been sitting at home for this game. So long as the Pats' offensive line can protect Tom Brady relatively well in this game, I have to like their chances in this one. Their offense is healthier than it's been in several weeks, Brady has been much more consistent throwing the football than Peyton Manning this season, not to mention he's had the upper-hand in the two future Hall-of-Famers' postseason matchups. Lastly, considering the fact New England blew a 4th quarter lead against the Broncos earlier this season, I have a difficult time seeing Bill Belichick lose again to the same team in a single season. I'll take the Pats on the road by a field goal.
Result:
Record:
Game: Arizona at Carolina
Prediction: Arizona - This was an extremely difficult game to pick. Arizona, coming off a great 13-3 season, decided not to show up to its regular season finale against NFC West rival Seattle, falling to the Seahawks 38-8. On Saturday night, Carson Palmer struggled inside the red zone (partially due to the index finger on his throwing hand); Green Bay (for the most part) dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, yet in the end, the Cardinals found a way to win in an incredible game. Carolina looked like the inevitable Super Bowl champion in the first half of their divisional round matchup with Seattle, as they led the Seahawks 31-0 going into halftime. In the 2nd half, that wasn't the case, as Seattle outscored the Panthers 24-0, and were an onside kick away from making the game incredibly interesting. If they had showed up at all in the first half, they'd be traveling to Arizona for this game. The two big keys in this game are: 1) Arizona limiting Carolina's running game and 2) Carolina's pass coverage against the Cardinals' deep threats. It'll be interesting to see if Arizona's typically aggressive style of defense will be able to get to Cam Newton, limit his running ability, and force him into making turnovers, or if the likely MVP is able to use that aggressiveness to his team's advantage with big plays in the passing game. I'm thinking it'll be a mixed bag, and given the Panthers' banged up secondary, so long as Carson Palmer is on target, I have to believe there will be some open deep shots along the way. Cam Newton is this year's MVP, but the guy can't always do it alone, and to this point in the season, so long as they're healthy, I think Arizona is the better all-around football team. I'll take the Cardinals by a field goal.
Result:
Record:
Conference Championships Record:
Playoff Record: 4-4 (.500)
Overall Record: 155-109 (.587)
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