The AFC has some incredible matchups in the Divisional Round and it should be enthralling. The Jaguars are coming off a thriller last weekend while Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City are back in action after their 1st round bye. In the other game, Josh Allen faces Joe Burrow in a clash of AFC giants. We will surely see a lot of points and drama in these two games.
Divisional Round weekend kicks off with the Jacksonville Jaguars visiting the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jags made their way here after a historic comeback against the Chargers. They were down 27-0 at a point in the 1st half and it seems like all hope was lost. Heading into the 2nd half, it was 27-7 Chargers and that’s when Jacksonville ramped it up. They outscored the Bolts 24-3 in the 2nd half and Lawrence found his groove again. He threw 4 picks in the 1st half alone and it was getting ugly on Lawrence’s playoff debut. It’s the 1st time the Jaguars have had a winning record since the 2017-18 season and Trevor Lawrence has finally brought some glory to this football team. In this game, they need a fast start. I think that Doug Pederson will have to be aggressive against Kansas City because the Chiefs don’t take a lot of field goals. Jacksonville will have to match KC’s touchdowns to stay in the game and have a chance. Turnovers will be big for the Jags as well in this game. Against the Chargers they turned the ball over a thumping 6 times. They were ⅔ on 4th down, lost a fumble, and threw 4 picks. Mahomes feasts on turnovers and takes full advantage of them. I feel like the Jaguars have a real chance to snatch this game and upset the Chiefs. For the Chiefs, it’s been another fantastic season. Even without Tyreek Hill, they’ve had a terrific season and Mahomes continues to deliver every week. Kelce has been simply outstanding this season and Isiah Pacheco has emerged as the lead running back. Jerick McKinnon has become a really good pass catching back and Marquez Valdes-Scantling has made himself a deep threat. Andy Reid has built a full offense and even without the Cheetah, they are a scary team. I feel like this could be a big game for Isiah Pacheco and he might be able to get himself 100+ yards on the ground. Kansas City is not known for its run game but I believe that this could change in this game. Can Patrick Mahomes find himself in the Conference Championship again? My prediction for this game is that the Chiefs will win 33-27. I am dazzled by the Jaguars but the Chiefs have so much more to offer. The experience definitely helps and Mahomes is a next level quarterback. I think the Chiefs take care of business and advance to the next round. This game can be viewed on NBC, Universo, and Peacock at 4:30 PM on Saturday.
Perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the weekend is the Bengals facing the Bills. They played in Week 17 but the game was called off due to Damar Hamlin having a cardiac arrest on the field. We should see a whole bunch of points and it will surely be an eye-catching game. The Bengals barely beat the Ravens on Sunday Night and it wasn’t really an offensive game. Cincinnati’s defense forced a fumble which resulted in a 98 yard return touchdown, an interception, and a 4th down stop in the last play of the game. Their fumble recovery early in the 4th quarter was the swing point of the game. It was 17-17 and the Ravens had the ball at the 2 yard line. Baltimore decided to do a QB sneak and instead of the Ravens getting 7 points, the Bengals got 7. That was a huge moment in the game and they’ll need the Bengals defense to step up again against Josh Allen. In addition, I expect a lot of points for the Bengals offense. It is going to be a high scoring affair and Joe Burrow has to do his part. A few of their offensive linemen are injured which includes Jonah Williams and Alex Cappa. I expect a lot of quick passes and Joe Burrow getting the ball out fast. On the Bills side, it was not the most reassuring victory against Miami. They won by just 3 points against Skylar Thompson and turned the ball over 4 times. Josh Allen wasn’t the greatest and his turnover woes continue. He can’t afford to give the ball over and has to just be better. Gabe Davis had another big game and he continues to be excellent in the playoffs. He and Diggs can definitely cause problems in the Bengals secondary. This game will hang on how Josh Allen plays. We’ve seen his best moments and his worst moments which include red zone picks. He will have to deliver a strong performance in front of Bills Mafia to win. My prediction for this game is that the Bills will win this game 34-30. I think it’ll be a Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs show which will lead Buffalo to the win. It will be an offensive explosion for both teams but the Bills will narrowly win. This game is available to stream on CBS and Paramount+ at 3:00 PM on Sunday.
At the end of Sunday, only 2 AFC teams will remain. Will it be Jacksonville or Kansas City? Will it be the Bengals or the Bills? Can the Jaguars continue their Cinderella story or will the Chiefs take care of business on home turf? Will the Bengals stun Bills Mafia or will Josh Allen advance to the AFC Conference Championship? We’ll find out soon enough from Arrowhead stadium and Highmark Stadium.
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