UNITED STATES─Wow, what a weekend for NFL playoffs. I mean there were some stunners in some games that I never expected. Let’s just address the elephant in the room: the New England Patriots are out people. The New Orleans Saints are out people. Yes, I could not believe two teams that I thought were at least headed to the divisional playoffs for the NFC and AFC were dealt devastating blows. I was certain that the Minnesota Vikings had no chance against the Saints, but they proved otherwise.
I mean the Saints had home field advantage, that alone should have gave them an edge, but Kirk Cousins and his teammates ran circles around Drew Brees and the Saints. I mean New Orleans gave a valiant effort sending the game into overtime, but Cousins responded with a touchdown pass that sealed the deal.
Now let’s talk about the New England Patriots and the Tennessee Titans. Again a team that has been formidable for years, especially during the playoffs, had home field advantage and lost to a lower seed. Tom Brady is indeed reaching that point where his age is showing, and the fact that he is now a free agent changes everything. Many expect Brady to vacate the Patriots jersey, and it’s almost crazy to think it might actually happen. However, I am happy to see the Patriots out and a team like the Titans having an underdog tale.
The Buffalo Bills fought hard in the battle against the Houston Texans, but in the end the Texans got the victory, and they will battle against the Kansas City Chiefs in the next round. The Titans will do battle against the Baltimore Ravens, and with Lamar Jackson in the driver seat, and the Ravens holding the best record of the year, I will be stunned if they lose.
Turning our attention to the NFC, I had no doubt that the Seattle Seahawks would dominate against the Philadelphia Eagles. Russell Wilson and company did just that. It almost felt like Carson Wentz and the Eagles didn’t even show up to play and they had home field advantage.
Do you see a trend, 3 of the 4 teams that had home field advantage lost in the first round, which concerns me about the next round? Could we see the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Vikings? Could a similar fate be in place for the Chiefs against the Texans? What about the Green Bay Packers? The team hasn’t been playing the best football, and Seattle is pretty hot right now.
I would argue all of the games are must-see, but I feel like the NFC battles will be more thrilling than the AFC battles. I expect victories for the Chiefs and the Ravens, but if we get upsets I will be all for it. Clear your calendars for Saturday and Sunday because we should have some fun football to watch America.
