The Divisional Round of the 2011 NFL Playoffs are set to go. The first matchup to look at is the first game of the weekend which is Saturday January 15th at 4:30pm as the AFC North Champions the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Wild Card winner, and Division Rival Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. These 2 teams met twice during the regular season. The first meeting took place at Heinz Field on October 3rd and Baltimore walked away with the 17-14 Victory. The 2nd meeting took place December 5th at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, a game in which the Steelers won 13-10. Both games between the 2 were decided by 3 points. This could be the most physical game of the weekend without a doubt. And the trend with this matchup during the season was that the road team won both games. If you believe in statistics and things like that then most would take Baltimore in this contest, however I don't really see that happening. Last weekend Baltimore beat what I consider a push over Kansas City Chiefs team without some much as really breaking a sweat. The Steelers are by far a better football team then the Chiefs were. Don't get me wrong this will still be a close football game but I'm taking Pittsburgh in this one by a touchdown.
Next up is the Wild Card 10-6 Green Bay Packers heading to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to take on the NFC South Champion and 13-3 Atlanta Falcons. This game is a rematch of the Week 12 game of the Green Bay Packers vs. the Atlanta Falcons, which the Falcons won 20–17. Prior to this season, the best team the Falcons ever produced on the field was in 1998 when they went 14-2 and won the NFC West. That year they made it all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to John Elway and the Denver Broncos 34-19. Atlanta and Green Bay have met twice before in the NFL Playoffs and each team has 1 victory. Green bay won the first meeting in 1997 on Wild Card Weekend 30-27, while Atlanta won the 2nd matchup in 2002, again in Wild Card Weekend 27-7. So this is the playoff rubber match between the 2 teams. Aaron Rogers will have an OK week again this week for the Packers but Atlanta overall will be just too much for the Packers I take the Falcons by 14.
Now moving on to the Sunday games in the NFL. First up on Sunday is the 1pm game at Soldier Field in Chicago as the NFC North Champions and 11-5 Chicago Bears play host to the 7-9 NFC West Champions Seattle Seahawks. Last week Seattle became the first under 500 team to win a playoff game as they beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints. This game is a rematch of the Week 6 game, which the Seahawks won 23–20. This game is also a rematch of the Divisional playoff round on January 14th, 2007, which the Bears won 27–24 in overtime on a Robbie Gould field goal. So there is a little payback on the minds of the Seahawks for that OT loss in 07. However the Seahawks can dream all they want as the the BEars will steamroll over the Hawks by at least 3 touchdowns.
Now for the matchup that has the most intrest for me this weekend. Sunday afternoon 4:30 kickoff the AFC East Champion 14-2 New England Patriots play host to Division Rival the 11-5 New York Jets. These 2 teams met twice during the regular season. First meeting took place September 19th at the NEw Medowlands Stadium and the Jets won 28-14. The Patriots got payback on home field on December 6th when New WEngland rolled 45-3. The teams have met twice in the playoffs and New England has won both matchups. As much as it really REALLY pains me to say this I'm taking the Patriots to make it a 3 for 3 all time in the post season against the Jets. Patriots by a touchdown.
No comments:
Post a Comment