Because I went 4-0 in my playoff predictions last week my predictions for this week are the same as the week before.
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots: Patriots win
The Chiefs are riding high off of an 11 game win streak and the Patriots are beat up, or in some cases having bad reactions to synthetic marijuana. If there was any time for the Chiefs to pull off an upset it would be now, but I just don't see that happening. The Chiefs biggest issue is that they are vertically challenged on offense and with the return of Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman to the Patriots, Tom Brady is going to put up some points and I just don't think the Chiefs can keep up. I think this will be a pretty close game so the Chiefs definitely have a chance, but in the quarterback duel between Brady and Smith I simply don't see Smith keeping up.
Chiefs 17-24 Patriots
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals: Cardinals win
I tend to pick teams to commit playoff upsets after being blown out in the regular season, but the Cardinals are simply a better team. All the sucess that the Packers had against the Redskins last week probably won't transfer over because the Cardinals are so much better on all fronts. Not to mention the inferior Redskins defense gave the Packers fits in the first half of last weeks Wildcard game. While it will be a closer game then the Week 16 debacle, the Cardinals are too good to lose to one of the worst Packer teams in recent years.
Packers 24-31 Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers: Seahawks win
The Seahawks get it done. Simply put, they are the better playoff team and one that is used to playing in big moments. While the Cam Newton led Panthers have a 1-2 career playoff record the Russell Wilson led Seahawks have a whopping 7-2 career playoff record. Not only that, but as stated before I like to pick teams who lost in the first regular season meeting to win the second playoff meeting, the Seahawks lost to the Panthers in Week 6 with a score of 27-23. The Panthers also have a cockyness to them that won't serve them very well in the playoffs.
Seahawks 24-21 Panthers
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: Broncos win
Peyton Manning is one of the worst playoff quarterbacks in NFL history and normally when he is in the playoffs I pick the other team to win. This game is one of the few exceptions. The Steelers are so banged up and hurt that we aren't even sure that Ben Roethlisberger will play. And even if he does the last time the Steelers had a playoff game with a hurt Ben Roethlisberger they lost in Denver to a 7-9 Tim Tebow led Broncos. On the flip side the Broncos are the healthiest team in the playoffs by a mile. No Broncos player is out for tomorrow's game and only Brock Osweiler is considered to be questionable. The Broncos running game is also red-hot and the well rested Peyton Manning only needs to serve as a game manager, something he can probably do.
Steelers 14-28 Broncos
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