NFL Divisional Round – Winners

The NFL Divisional Round games this weekend lived up to the excitement from the Wild Card weekend games.  All of the games were exciting in some way.  The Cardinals Packers game was one of the most exciting playoff games in recent history.  The way the game ended really shows how the overtime rules in the NFL need to be changed.  They more than likely will not change them and that is a bummer.  Even with that the game was still a very good game.  The NFL Divisional Round has produced both close exciting games and major blowouts in the past.   This year we ended up with mostly close games even if at times it seemed like there were going to be some blow outs.

In the first game my winning streak is broken.  I really thought that the Chiefs were going to play better.   It seems like they had different plans.  Maybe they were looking forward to the off season.  The Patriots took control of the game in the first series by driving down the field in a very efficient drive that took less than 4 minutes.  They capped it off with a seemingly easy touchdown.  The Chiefs then kept the ball for the rest of the first quarter.  A good thing right?  Not really.  They had to settle for a field goal.  Finishing the first quarter only down by 4 but seeming like they were behind by an amount that they could not over come.  Turns out that was the truth.  The Chiefs had their opportunities but they squandered them away time and time.  This was never more clear than with less than three minutes in the game.  The Chiefs were driving but took their time and wasted almost all of the clock.  Time mismanagement was as much to blame as any other play that they made or did not make in this game.  Once again the Patriots will be in the AFC championship game.

Patriots 27 Chiefs 20 (0-1)

In the second game my winning got back on track.  In what may have been one of the best playoff games ever played the Packers came out on the losing end.  This game showed just how ridiculous the playoff rules are in the NFL for the playoffs.  The Packers defense was able to hold the Cardinals in check for most of the game.  The Packers offense was mostly held in check by the Cardinals defense.  Both of the defenses has major collapses that lead to scores at the end of the game.  That is understandable since both defenses were clearly getting tired.  Still a bummer to go out like that at the end.  Most of the game in the NFL are so close anymore that there is one brake down that decides the game.  In this case it was the Packers forgetting to tackle Larry Fitzgerald.  For the second time in two years the Packers season ends by allowing a team to score a touchdown on the first drive in overtime.

Cardinals 26 Packers 20 (1-1)

The first game on Sunday the Seahawks forgot to show up for the first half.   Before this game was even 4 minutes old they were down by 14 points.   They were down by 31 at half time.  Then coaches do what coaches do and the Panthers started to play not to lose.  That almost never ends well.   They tried not to lose to by giving up 24 points to the Seahawks in the second half.

Panthers 31 Seahawks 24 (2-1)

This was another close game.  The Steelers had this game won.  All they had to do was not turn the ball over with less than six minutes to go in the game.  The Broncos defense made a fantastic play on Fitzgerald Toussaint by knocking the ball out of his arms and causing a fumble.  They marched right down the field and scored the go ahead touchdown.  Ben Roethlisberger ability to play in this game after hurting his shoulder last week is what kept the Steelers in this game.  In the end it was just not enough

Broncos 23 Steelers 16 (3-1)

The AFC championship game will have the Patriots traveling to the Broncos. The NFC championship game has the Cardinals traveling to the Panthers.   It looks like both games should be very interesting games.  I will have my picks up later this week.