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Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots
The team that benefitted the most from a bye was the New England Patriots. After losing what seemed like starting player to injury, the team wis expected to have almost every player available. Quarterback Tom Brady was seen in a walking boot at the end of the regular season after suffering an ankle injury on a hit by Dolphins lineman Olivier Vernon. No chance Brady misses this game especially with both Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola expected to play. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was held out of practice this week with multiple injuries, however, he is expected to play through them. As the reigning champions, this team knows how to win and if anyone questions that, check Brady and head coach Bill Belichick’s resume.
Kansas City is currently riding an eleven game winning streak and have to be feeling pretty confident after a big win last week against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, they will have to play Tom Brady this week who likely won’t turn the ball over as often as Brian Hoyer did. Kansas City’s top receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered an ankle injury last week that will make him a game-time decision. Marlin could be a huge loss for the Chiefs who already without running back Jamaal Charles.
Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals
When these two teams faced off during week 15, it was a long day for Aaron Rodgers who was sacked eight times. The offensive line has been really beaten up this season, but it looked like they finally got their act together last week. The Packers defeated the Redskins in Washington, but most importantly Rodgers had time to sit in the pocket and scan the field. If he can get protection this time against the Cardinals, the Packers will likely be planning a trip to the NFC Championship game. The team will be without receiver Davante Adams who suffered a knee injury last week, however, left tackle David Bakhtiari practiced this week and will likely play today.
The Arizona Cardinals have been the darlings of the NFL this season. The resurgence of quarterback Carson Palmer along with their heavy hitting defense has made them favorites to win it all for the majority of the season. That defense will have to attack Rodgers like it did during the regular season and force him to make decisions while on the move.
Cornerback Patrick Peterson summed it up pretty well when talking about the Packers’ offense, When you watch them score, you rarely see Rodgers throwing the ball on time or throwing a timing route,” he said. “It’s always him scrambling around in the pocket, rolling left, rolling right, throwing the ball across the field, getting guys off-sides, with the substitution infractions, with the hard count and just taking shots. If we do a good job on the back end and the front, making sure that we contain our rush lanes and plaster our coverage, we have a pretty good opportunity of coming out on top again.
The Cardinals are one of the healthiest teams overall in the playoffs which is a big advantage for them. This game is especially important for Palmer who has never won a playoff game in his career. The quarterback admits to having butterflies, but head coach Bruce Arians, who has won two titles as an assistant coach, admits its his job to keep his quarterback calm and ready for the game.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Carolina Panthers
This game will be a good one as these two teams are the most evenly matched playing this weekend. Both of these teams play a very physical game with quarterbacks who can extend plays with both their arms and legs.
The Seattle Seahawks won in miraculous fashion last week in Minnesota. Now they have to turn their attention to Cam Newton and company. Luckily for them, they will have running back Marshawn Lynch returning who has not played since week 8. He will be the perfect compliment to Russell Wilson who finished the regular season playing the best football of his career. Even very vocal Panthers cornerback Josh Norman praised the quarterback. “He’s creative, man,” Norman said. “He’s masterful in what he’s able to do. He makes magic happen out of nothing. You have a guy like that, you’ve always got to be on top of your toes.” It will be fun to see if Wilson decides to test Norman during this game as he avoided him as much as possible during their regular season game. Of course, the Seahawks know a thing or two about elite cornerbacks.
Cam Newton is having an outstanding season and should win the MVP award easily. After losing top receiver Kelvin Benjamin before the start of the season, most experts counted the Panthers out. However, Newton has been able to get it done with Ted Ginn Jr. and tight end Greg Olsen. The team has also been aided by a defense who can get the stops when needed. Along with Norman being able to take away half the field for quarterbacks, the Panthers have excelled at stopping the run, only giving up 88.4 yards per game.
When these two teams met in the regular season, Newton was able to lead his team to two 80 yard drives that resulted in touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. He has excelled in the fourth quarter all season and will need to continue at that pace.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos
The Pittsburgh Steelers are really beat up. Both DeAngelo Williams and Antonio Brown will miss this game with injuries and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to play injured. Roethlisberger suffered a sprained AC joint and possible ligament damage after a hit by Bengals’ linebacker Vontaze Burfict last week. It won’t make it any more comforting that the Steelers will be facing one of the best defenses in the league.
The Broncos will be led by Peyton Manning who has had a very rocky season. Manning was playing the worst football of his career to start the season, suffered a foot injury to allow Brock Osweiler to shine, accused of using HGH by an Al-Jazeera expose, and is now preparing to start a playoff game. Manning will need to play mistake-free football and rely on the running game which has been huge for Denver when they won this season. The Broncos’ running game led by Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson, was one of the worst at the beginning of the season, but has steadily improved over the course of the season and could play a vital role in their playoff run. The Steelers defense has done well against the run, however, they have also been vulnerable against the run which means the Broncos young offensive line will have to play its best game of the season.
