Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) at New England Patriots (12-4)
The Chiefs are a part of the nicest narratives in the NFL, addled off 11 wins afterwards a 1-5 start. But their two regular-season wins adjoin acceptable teams came adjoin Landry Jones and a hobbled Peyton Manning, who got benched afterwards four first-half picks. And endure anniversary they baffled the 9-7 Houston Texans, who accept a aboideau beneath center.
The Patriots are, well, the Patriots, and assume to accept their mail forwarded to this annular of the playoffs. The Pats and the Los Angeles Rams (1973-1979) are the alone NFL teams to win seven afterwards analysis titles.
Statistically speaking, the teams are analogously matched. Defensively, both abandonment about 98 yards hasty per game, while the Pats accord up nine added yards passing. The Patriots are abundant at throwing the brawl (fifth in the NFL) and awful at active it (30th), while the Chiefs are abundant at active (sixth in the NFL) yet awful at casual (30th).
Rob Gronkowski keeps missing practice, and no one knows how Julian Edelman will accomplish afterwards missing two months from a bottom injury. Kansas City aswell has two vital, game-time variables in LB Justin Houston and WR Jeremy Maclin.
The atypical aberration in this bold is the New England has Tom Brady and Kansas City doesn’t. That agency added than health, home acreage or any apprenticeship bend Bill Belichick may accept over Andy Reid.
The Patriots are searching to accompany John Madden’s Raiders as the alone teams to accomplish the AFC appellation bold 5 afterwards seasons. Brady will accomplish it so.
Green Bay Packers (11-6) at Arizona Cardinals (13-3)
Standard argumentation says the Cardinals are the a lot of counterbalanced aggregation in the NFL. Sounds about right. Not alone are the Cardinals bigger and convalescent than the Packers, they baffled Green Bay in Anniversary 16, 38-8.
The endure aggregation to lose to a aggregation by at atomic 30 credibility and afresh exhausted them in the playoffs was the 2010 Jets, if they exhausted the Patriots in a January rematch.
Such an aberration isn’t acceptable to action the Cardinals, who were analogously ill-fitted to accomplish a Super Bowl run endure year, but absent QB Carson Palmer, and afresh absent his backup. Palmer has been stellar, again, throwing for 4,671 yards, 35 TDs, and 11 INTs, and was third in the NFL with a 104.6 passer rating.
Everyone seems to anticipate Aaron Rodgers is back. But the able Packers QB was added a almsman of the Redskins’ abject run aegis than a casual epiphany. Green Bay ran the brawl 23 times for 123 yards in the additional bisected of their win in Washington.
They won’t be so advantageous in Arizona, who accustomed just 91.2 yards hasty per game. They will stop the run, axis Rodgers and account added than enough. The Cardinals were additional in the NFL in credibility denticulate (30.8) and casual yards (288.5) and aboriginal in absolute yards (408.3).
Green Bay has been out of sync, and Rodgers has been out of animation back their 6-0 start. Arizona is not the abode to get well.
Seattle Seahawks (11-6) at Carolina Panthers (15-1)
It’s been absolutely 10 years (Jan 15, 2006) back the Panthers won a bounded playoff game. They are 3-3 best in this round, and 1-2 at home. They did exhausted the Seahawks (in Seattle) during the approved season, 27-23. But that was able-bodied afore Seattle begin its football footing.
Both defenses are rather ornery. The Panthers led the alliance in takeaways (39) and in about-face cogwheel (+20). Seattle’s aegis ranks aboriginal in credibility allowed, hasty yards accustomed and casual TDs allowed.
We apperceive all about the Seahawks, who are aggravating to become the third aggregation in NFL history to ability the Super Bowl in three afterwards seasons, abutting the Miami Dolphins (1971-1973) and the Buffalo Bills (1990-1993).
The Panthers accept the league’s best almanac and best player, and yet association still catechism their bona fides. Count castigation absolutely a part of them. While Seattle is alone actuality by cavity of Blair Walsh’s brand endure week, they accept been accomplishing this for a while, and don’t accept to anguish about chill climes or a cinder block for a football.
The alone quarterback as hot as Cam Newton is Russell Wilson. Over the additional bisected of the season, the two accumulated 44 TDs and 2 INTs. While Newton has himself to acknowledge — and he generally does — for the team’s success, the added bashful Wilson has bigger receivers, added playoff acquaintance and, perhaps, Marshawn Lynch abaft him.
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