The NFL 2021/22 Playoff Thread

[CanDB]

Well the season's over and it's time to bring out our annual playoff thread. And what a final season day it was, with playoff consequences. Still not sure what was going on in The Chargers/Raiders game, but after a wild and whacky day, it was entertainment plus!

So it's playoff time. I will post the games for reference (game times in CST):

Teams with BYEs: Titans and Packers

Saturday, January 15th

The Raiders at Cinci (3:35 pm)
The patriots at Buffalo (7:15 pm)

Sunday, January 16th

Eagles at Tampa (noon)
49ers at Dallas (3:30 pm)
Steelers at KC (7:15 pm)

Monday, January 17th

Cardinals at LAR (7:15 pm)

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So have fun with this thread. I sure am looking forward to the Wild Card games, especially The pats at The Bills Saturday evening. I suspect Jones will have to throw more than 3 times to beat Buffalo.

[CanDB]

Home teams have proven not to have much of an advantage this year. I recently posted the fact that they were only winning 51% of the games. With that in mind, I am eyeing over the games this weekend and wondering which visiting team is most likely to move on to another round. The Raiders have a good shot, because Cinci is an unknown playoff commodity, whereas The Raiders seem built on a one game at a time path, and apparently based on some real grit after all. I like Cinci's game though, and expect Trey H to give Carr nightmares. The Chargers absolutely failed on run D, which should not be repeated this week.

The pats, well, you never bet too much against them. Jones will be tested as opponents may be catching up with him as the year progresses. The Bills do need more than Josh as their run game, because that's one area lacking for me. Go Bills!

If not for injuries to Tampa weapons, I'd just pass on this. I think The Eagles could surprise if Hurts has a good game.

Then it's the old rivalry. SF is definitely capable of winning this game. They have some really nice weapons, including Kittle, Deebo, Mitchell and Aiyuk. If we get the lesser version of Dak, could be tight.

OK.....KC will beat The Steelers.

Then 2 of the best teams at different times of the year, but both subject to back steps. Murray has not been good like he was earlier on, before injury. They miss Hopkins as well. But no excuses, they have talent on both sides. And then there's Stafford. 4 pick 6s, and too many errors. I suppose he will hang out with Kupp as he does, but if Zona can minimize their results as a pair, this one's definitely up in the air.

[CanDB]

So who you got?

[CanDB]

I am so glad The NFL has extended this wild card week to three straight days, including the Monday Nighter. Keeps the football fire alive!

[Locutus]

I never root for the NFC team, but I find myself rooting to see K. Shanahan get a ring, after that maybe the Bengals

[sra84]

So who you got?

Bengals-34 Raiders-21

Bills-20 Patriots-14

Eagles-26 Buccaneers-24 (upset of the weekend)

49ers-27 Cowboys-24

Chiefs-38 Steelers-13

Rams-23 Cardinals-21

[BroncosDivision]

Joe Burrow was sacked a league-high 51 times, despite sitting out the season finale, behind a bad offensive line and still put up gaudy numbers in just his second season, posting a passer rating second to Aaron Rodgers of those qualified (starters). The guy is a killer and I see a lot of Peyton Manning (pre-snap) and Tom Brady (post-snap) in the way he plays.

He needs more help up front for sure and it might still be too early, but that team can hang with anyone so there's a chance. I'd freaking love to see Bengals put Raiders on ice and then march into Arrowhead and shut up all the annoying fairweather Chiefs fans.

I'm cool with either the Bengals or Bills though. The fans and cities of those two teams have suffered through decades of incompetence.

[CanDB]

Joe Burrow was sacked a league-high 51 times, despite sitting out the season finale, behind a bad offensive line and still put up gaudy numbers in just his second season, posting a passer rating second to Aaron Rodgers of those qualified (starters). The guy is a killer and I see a lot of Peyton Manning (pre-snap) and Tom Brady (post-snap) in the way he plays.

He needs more help up front for sure and it might still be too early, but that team can hang with anyone so there's a chance. I'd freaking love to see Bengals put Raiders on ice and then march into Arrowhead and shut up all the annoying fairweather Chiefs fans.

I'm cool with either the Bengals or Bills though. The fans and cities of those two teams have suffered through decades of incompetence.

Oh to be a Cinci fan.....watching Burrow and Chase for another decade or more!!

Possible translation: SBs and records galore!!! Pretty good odds to become the best QB/WR partnership in history.

[BroncosDivision]

Oh to be a Cinci fan.....watching Burrow and Chase for another decade or more!!

Possible translation: SBs and records galore!!! Pretty good odds to become the best QB/WR partnership in history.

Orange and blue through and through but I'm down with Bengals taking control of AFC until we figure out how to win again. Hopefully it wont be decades! At the very least, make our offense more exciting to watch! The offense has crapped the bed ever since PFM rode off into the sunset.

[CanDB]

Orange and blue through and through but I'm down with Bengals taking control of AFC until we figure out how to win again. Hopefully it wont be decades! At the very least, make our offense more exciting to watch! The offense has crapped the bed ever since PFM rode off into the sunset.

I hear ya pal. 5.5 years of losing, and no coincidence that QB has been a primary reason why. Watching the young guns of this league - Mahomes, Allen, Herbert, Jackson, Hurts, Burrow, Murray, and others, makes me a bit envious. To think how good The Broncos would be with any one of those players!

[GMTD]

Bengals-34 Raiders-21

Bills-20 Patriots-14

Eagles-26 Buccaneers-24 (upset of the weekend)

49ers-27 Cowboys-24

Chiefs-38 Steelers-13

Rams-23 Cardinals-21

All the home teams for me.

Bengals should be too strong for the Raiders. Could be a blow out. If the Raiders can keep it close then things could get interesting as they are amongst the best finishers.

The Bills game is similar to the Bengals one. They should be far too strong for NE. NE has one of the weakest offences of any of the playoff teams. Their only chance is for the D to play hard and force errors fron Allen (who has be a bit suspect lately).

I go for the Bucs over the Eagles but not by much - if the Eagles can put out close to a full strengh team. Tom's ability to find ways to win could be the deciding factor.

Cowboys over 49ers. Would you rely on Jimmy G in a playoff game? The win over the Rams was all Deebo. To win at this level and against a strong Dallas outfit Jimmy's lack of production (despite miracles from Kyle Shannahan) is likely to be decisive.

KC over the Steelers. I said above the Pats and Mac Jones have one of the weekest O's of all the playoff teams. The only weaker one is the Steelers. The Broncos proved that a great D and power running game can slow KC down significantly, However, in my view it will still comes down to an ageing Big Ben's inability to score enough points.

The Rams are one bad Stafford away from being kicked out at the first hurdle. Stafford has become incresingly unpedictable as the season has worn on. His total collapse against the Niners was not a one off. So which Stafford will get against Arizona? I'm guessing it will be good Stafford. As for the Cards, they've gone off the boil in recent weeks and Vance Joseph's D has started to give up points after being relentless earlier in the season. Good Stafford and a leaky Arizona D probably leads to a Rams win.

[CanDB]

All the home teams for me.

Bengals should be too strong for the Raiders. Could be a blow out. If the Raiders can keep it close then things could get interesting as they are amongst the best finishers.

The Bills game is similar to the Bengals one. They should be far too strong for NE. NE has one of the weakest offences of any of the playoff teams. Their only chance is for the D to play hard and force errors fron Allen (who has be a bit suspect lately).

I go for the Bucs over the Eagles but not by much - if the Eagles can put out close to a full strengh team. Tom's ability to find ways to win could be the deciding factor.

Cowboys over 49ers. Would you rely on Jimmy G in a playoff game? The win over the Rams was all Deebo. To win at this level and against a strong Dallas outfit Jimmy's lack of production (despite miracles from Kyle Shannahan) is likely to be decisive.

KC over the Steelers. I said above the Pats and Mac Jones have one of the weekest O's of all the playoff teams. The only weaker one is the Steelers. The Broncos proved that a great D and power running game can slow KC down significantly, However, in my view it will still comes down to an ageing Big Ben's inability to score enough points.

The Rams are one bad Stafford away from being kicked out at the first hurdle. Stafford has become incresingly unpedictable as the season has worn on. His total collapse against the Niners was not a one off. So which Stafford will get against Arizona? I'm guessing it will be good Stafford. As for the Cards, they've gone off the boil in recent weeks and Vance Joseph's D has started to give up points after being relentless earlier in the season. Good Stafford and a leaky Arizona D probably leads to a Rams win.

I do my predictions for most games/sports, and just when you think you know it, something changes. Upsets, teams that start to trend upwards, teams that falter. This weekend could go as planned, or we may even see 2 or 3 upsets. The Buffalo/pats game is not one I would sell the farm on betting wise, though I have some faith in Josh Allen to work some magic.

But other than The Steelers/KC, who even knows, most games have an upset potential. I'd rank Tampa/Eagles as the 2nd most unlikely to be an upset. Unless Hurts puts on a show.

[CanDB]

Touch wood.....not too many covid deletions....yet.

[CanDB]

Go Bengals!!!

[broncoslover115]

I’m rooting for Cincinnati. Let’s go Bengals.