By Brendan Locke
Sports Reporter
After an exciting wild card weekend, eight strong teams remain in the NFL playoffs, with conference championship spots up for grabs this weekend.
Eagles vs. Falcons (Saturday, 4:35 PM)
The first game in the this weekend is the anticipated NFC matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles are young and talented on offense and defense alike, but lost second-year superstar quarterback Carson Wentz to an ACL injury late in the season. Backup Nick Foles has been up and down as a replacement, but the Eagles need him to be flawless to lead them to a playoff win. The Falcons, still embarrassed from the 28-3 lead they blew in the Super Bowl, are hungry to prove that they are for real this year. Quarterback Matt Ryan was phenomenal and clutch last week, leading his team to a big win against a very talented Rams team. This should be a tough matchup between two teams that exceeded expectations this season, but the Falcons have more grit and more to prove, and veteran Matt Ryan will prevail over backup Nick Foles in a tough matchup.
Prediction: Falcons 28 Eagles 27
Patriots vs. Titans (Saturday, 8:15 PM)
In the first AFC matchup this weekend, the top-seed New England Patriots will be hosting the fifth-seed Tennessee Titans. Coming off a 18 point comeback against the Chiefs last week, the Titans will enter Gillette Stadium confident and energized to play the Super Bowl favorites. The Titans will look to take advantage of a weak Patriots defense. Ranked 29th of 32 in the league this season, the Patriots defense will have to step up to stop Marcus Mariota, Derrick Henry, and the young Titans offense. On the other side, however, the Patriots offense will completely over power the Titans defense. Last week’s Titans win came from their offense, and their defense will have no answer for Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Dion Lewis, and many more Patriots superstars. Expect the Titans hopes for their first AFC championship game since 2002 to be lost when the Patriots crush them.
Prediction: Patriots 35 Titans 10
Jaguars vs. Steelers (Sunday, 1:05 PM)
The other AFC divisional matchup will be between the second-seed Pittsburgh Steelers and the third-seed Jacksonville Jaguars. This should be one of the best matchups of the weekend, as the star-studded Pittsburgh offense clashes against the young and win-hungry Jaguars defense. With the dynamic duo of running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Antonio Brown, the Steelers marched their way to the playoffs with ease, finishing with a dominant 13-3 record this season. Brown, who led the league in receiving yards this year and is a top MVP candidate, is fresh off a calf injury, and will pose a serious issue for the inexperienced Jaguars defense. Even if the Jaguars can shut down Brown, rookie phenom JuJu Smith-Schuster, as well as Bell and the running game, will pick up the slack. The Jaguars defense, though great, will not have the capability to stop the Steelers, and their offense, led by fourth-year quarterback Blake Bortles, will not be able to match up with the Steelers explosive attack.
Prediction: Steelers 24 Jaguars 13
Vikings vs. Saints (Sunday, 4:40 PM)
The final game of the divisional round this weekend will be a faceoff between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings were the most consistent team in the NFC this season, balancing a lockdown defense with an explosive offense, led by quarterback Case Keenum and breakout wide receiver Adam Thielen. On the other side, the Saints have been phenomenal after a slow start this season, as veteran quarterback Drew Brees has meshed with a plethora of Saints rookies. The key to this game will be whether or not the Vikings defense will be able to stop the Saints running back duo of Mark Ingram and rookie-star Alvin Kamara. On the other side of the ball, the Vikings offense is far superior to the Saints defense, and their key to victory will be staying on offense and keeping Drew Brees and his offense off the field. The Vikings are looking to be the first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, and the Saints won’t stand in their way.
Prediction: Vikings 31, Saints 24
