NFC Divisional Round Preview and Predictions

After an exciting first round of playoff, football, the second round of the playoffs looks to be even better as we have some exciting matchups that are going to happen this weekend. Below is a preview of the NFC Divisional round.

TAMPA BAY (11-5) AT NEW ORLEANS (12-4)

Sun. Jan 17, 6:40 p.m. ET

Fox

Point Spread: New Orleans, -3.0

The NFC playoffs will once again have a rubber match as the Buccaneers travel to New Orleans in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Saints swept the regular-season matchup with the Bucs, including a 38-3 demolition in Week 9 in Tampa Bay. 

In the two matchups in the regular season, the Saints’ defense has dominated the Buccaneers’ offense. They have held the Bucs to an average of 13 points per game and Tom Brady has not been able to get much going through the air against this Saints secondary. He has thrown just two touchdowns to five interceptions in the two games. The running game has been nonexistent for them as well as in the two games the Buccaneers have a total of 94 yards on the ground. 

Against the Bucs defense, the Saints offense did not generate much offense in the first game either, mostly because they did not need to. In the second game, however, the Saints exploded for 420 yards as Drew Brees threw four touchdowns and Alvin Kamara rushed for another one.

The playoffs are where Tom Brady has always played his best football. He holds every record for a quarterback in the postseason, and he is looking to add to them this Sunday. He has not been able to crack the Saints defense yet, but the Saints cannot rest on their two wins they have had in the regular season.

Reports have come out saying that this may be Brees’ last season, if this is indeed true, the Saints are determined to send him out the same way just the Denver Broncos sent Peyton Manning out, with a Super Bowl Championship.

Prediction: Saints 33 - 31

LOS ANGELES (10-6) AT GREEN BAY (13-3)

Sat. Jan 16, 4:35 p.m. ET

Fox

Point Spread: Green Bay, -7

The Rams come into this game after a dominating defensive win against the Seattle Seahawks. They held the Seahawks to just 278 yards of total offense and made Russell Wilson look bad. He did throw two touchdowns (both to D.K. Metcalf) but he only completed 11 of his 27 passes for just 174 yards and he also threw an interception. They will be facing a different animal however this weekend. 

The Packers scored more points than any team in the NFL, led by MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers as the Packers clinched the number one seed in the NFC. Rodgers played at the same level as he did in his first MVP year in 2011 as he threw for 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Ironically, that was also the last time the Packers had the number one seed in the NFC. 

For the Rams to win, they must replicate the type of defensive game they had against the Seahawks last week. Their offense is not capable of getting into a shootout with the Packers, so they must hold them to around 20 points.

Led by the best defensive player in all of football, Aaron Donald, they must be able to get heat on Rodgers. The Rams secondary, led by Jalen Ramsey, has also been blanketing receivers this season. The cornerbacks for the Rams were the only unit to not give up a 20+ yard touchdown the entire season, according to pro football focus. Ramsey will draw the assignment of arguably the best wide receiver in the league right now in Davante Adams and that will be the key matchup of the game. The Rams defense will have to be able toforce turnovers to win this.  

For the Packers to win, Rodgers will need to be at his best. He has struggled against top ranked defenses throughout his career. The last time he faced the number one pass defense in the playoffs, the Packers were destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game just last year.

This year he will need to be better against a defense that is playing lights out. Davante Adams (115 catches, 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns) and Aaron Jones (1,104 yards, and 9 touchdowns) will have to perform well, but this game will come down to the arm of Rodgers and if he can crack this defense. 

The Rams defense is playing at an extremely high level now and if Jared Goff can just manage the game and not put his team in harm’s way, the Rams have great shot at pulling off the upset. Rodgers will have the pressure on him to perform well like he has been all season season long and if he is to turn this game into a shootout, the Packers will be the ones heading to the NFC championship game for the second year in a row.

Prediction: Rams 24 - 20