AFC Divisional Round Preview and Predictions

It is officially the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. Read Below for a preview of the AFC match-ups.

BALTIMORE (11-5) AT BUFFALO (13-3)

Sat. Jan 16, 8:15 p.m. ET

NBC

Point Spread: Bills, -2.5

This playoff matchup will feature two young, star quarterbacks who have just gotten their first career playoff wins in the Wild Card round. Both the Bills and the Ravens are scorching hot which should make way for both an interesting and incredibly entertaining Divisional round game. 

The Bills are coming off of a strong performance against the Indianapolis Colts, coming away with a 27-24 victory. Josh Allen passed for over 300 yards, two touchdowns and 54 rushing yards. But outside of Josh Allen, Zack Moss and Devin Singletary totaled only 42 rushing yards on 10 carries.

The Colts also dominated time of possession, holding on to the ball 12 more minutes than the Bills. The Bills have been an effective rushing team throughout this season, and they need to continue to run the ball well in order to beat a Ravens team that has the most dangerous rushing attack in the NFL. Josh Allen is a young stud with an elite receiver in Stefon Diggs, but if they cannot control the time of possession and effectively run the football, they are going to have a tough time come Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Baltimore Ravens have become one of the hottest teams in the league coming into the playoffs. Although the Ravens passing attack under Lamar Jackson has been questionable at times, their running game can make up for their sub-par passing offense.

In the Wild Card round, the Ravens rushed for 236 yards, averaging 6.7 YPC, with 136 yards coming from Lamar Jackson himself.

Because of their great rushing attack, the Ravens have also dominated time of possession throughout the season which can cause problems against a Bills team that has not consistently controlled the clock. The biggest issues have been turnovers for Lamar Jackson, and against the Bills, he cannot afford to give the ball away.

If Lamar Jackson turns the ball over against the Bills, he is going to have trouble in Baltimore. 

PREDICTION: Bills 28 - 24

CLEVELAND (11-5) AT KANSAS CITY (14-2)

Sun. Jan 17, 3:05 p.m. ET

CBS

Point Spread: Chiefs, -10.0

The Chiefs are well-rested and highly prepared going into their first playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, but they are making sure to not make the same mistakes as the Pittsburgh Steelers. Instead of saying the Browns “are a bunch of nameless gray faces” like Juju Smith-Shuster of the Steelers; Eric Bieniemy stated that “the Browns are a great football team”. Either way, the Chiefs are preparing for the best of the Cleveland Browns, which has become important based on how the Steelers treated the matchup. Patrick Mahomes is well-rested and ready to get his prolific and unguardable offense back on the field this Sunday.

The question is not how Patrick Mahomes will perform, but if the Kansas City defense will be able to contain Cleveland’s two-headed monster in the run game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

The Browns’ rushing attack is their biggest threat, so the Chiefs cannot let the game be controlled on the ground. As we have found out, if you let Chubb and Hunt run freely, they are going to dominate the time of possession and ultimately keep Mahomes off the field. The Chiefs need to get going early and keep the game in the air.

If they fall behind early against the Browns, the Chiefs might not see the ball much and be at the mercy of Cleveland’s rushing offense. 

The Cleveland Browns are coming into this matchup against the Chiefs chomping at the bit. They stunned the sports world against Pittsburgh with an absolutely dominant performance, winning their first playoff game since 1994. Remarkably, they left the Steelers in the dust before the first quarter was even finished. Can the same be done against the Chiefs?

Or will extreme highs from last weekend’s win lead to extreme lows in their upcoming matchup?

There are a lot of questions about how the Browns will respond, but if they play to the level that they did against the Steelers, we are in for one great game on Sunday.

Baker Mayfield will lose in a shootout with Patrick Mahomes, and that is why the Browns need to control the time of possession and keep the ball away from the Chiefs. The focus is on the Browns rushing offense, and for them to win they need to have an incredible game.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 30 - 28