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2013 NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Predictions #NFLPlayoffs

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NFL Playoffs Divisional Round

The 2013 NFL playoffs continue this weekend with the Divisional Playoffs round. We are down to eight teams and here is a preview of the four games this weekend and how we got to this point.

2013 NFL Playoffs Update – #6 New Orleans Saints vs. #1 Seattle Seahawks

This game is a rematch of the Monday Night game from week 13 of the NFL season in which the Seahawks embarrassed the Saints by a score of 34-7, the Saints’ worst loss of the season. However, rematches have a tendency to go completely differently. So, the Seahawks should be wary of this. The Saints got to this NFL Playoffs game by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia last Saturday by a score of 26-24. It took a last-second field goal for the Saints to get the win, the franchise’s first road playoff victory ever.

Even though the Saints will be looking for revenge, it won’t be easy at all against the league’s best defense and a pretty potent offense as well that just got better, because Seahawks’ wide receiver Percy Harvin is healthy enough to play in this game. He has missed the majority of the season with an injured hip. All of this combined spells bad luck for the Saints. I like the Seahawks to win this one. The winner will face the winner of our next matchup in our 2013 NFL playoffs update for the NFC Championship and the right to go to the Super Bowl.

2013 NFL Playoffs Update – #5 San Francisco 49ers vs. #2 Carolina Panthers

The rematches continue in our second game from the NFC Playoffs Divisional Rounds. These two teams met in San Francisco in week 10 of the NFL season, with Carolina pulling off the upset, 10-9. However, the 49ers then were not the same 49ers that they are now. They were decimated by injuries, and they are now healthy. That means that the game plan that the Panthers had defensively against Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers won’t work this time around. Kaepernick will have all of his weapons available. Conversely, the Panthers get their top wide receiver, Steve Smith, back from a sprained knee that kept him out of the regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons. If the Panthers are going to win then they will need him. The only way I see the Panthers getting the victory is to control the ball and keep the 49ers offense on the sideline. The 49ers are the league’s best road team, which means they don’t mind playing away from home And they got here by winning at Green Bay last weekend,  23-20. Add it all up and you have a win for the 49ers in my book.

2013 NFL Playoffs Update – #6 San Diego Chargers vs. #1 Denver Broncos

We switch over to the AFC now, where the winners of these two games will face each other for the 2013 AFC Championship and the right to go to the Super Bowl. But first they have to get there. We start with this weekend’s NFL Playoffs game between the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos. The San Diego Chargers surprised everyone by easily beating the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday in Cincinnati, 27-10. The Broncos have been great all season long but one of their 3 losses came at the hands of these same San Diego Chargers in Denver during week 15.

The one thing that is in the Charger’s favor is that they are a pretty decent road team, meaning they can win on the road. Also, the Broncos are good but not great defensively, which means that Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers could find a way to pick them apart. But, on the other side of the ball, the Broncos have the “cerebral assassin” in Peyton Manning. If anyone can pick apart a defense, it’s this guy. The way the Broncos disguise their defensive weaknesses is by piling on the points on offense, forcing the opposing team to have to keep pace by scoring a lot themselves. Most experts would probably say that the Broncos will win this game handily, but I say not so fast. This game will be better than you think. That being said, I do think the Broncos will win.

2013 NFL Playoffs Update – #4 Indianapolis Colts vs. #2 New England Patriots

The last NFL Playoffs game to discuss involves the Indianapolis Colts, who pulled off a come from behind victory last weekend at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, 45-44, in what was the most entertaining game of the weekend, against the New England Patriots. This game takes place in New England tonight. This is a familiar AFC playoff pairing, as these two teams have met on several occasions recently in the playoffs. This time, however, the stars are a little different. It had been Peyton Manning quarterbacking the Colts, but it is now Andrew Luck, one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. Tom Brady is still at the helm of the New England Patriots.

I expect that this game will be a shootout between two of the league’s premier quarterbacks, but who knows? I could be completely fooled. I would expect the Patriots to try and throw short passes and run the ball more to try and keep the Colts’ offense off the field. However, the Patriots are without there star tight end, Rob Gronkowski, who is out for the season with a knee injury. That makes the passing game a little tougher. All in all, I expect the Patriots will pull this one out, but it will be close and it should be a great game.

Who Do You Think Will Win?

This completes this weekend’s NFL playoffs update. Enjoy the games, and may your favorite team win. if you don’t really have a favorite team, or even if you do, who do you think will win this weekend’s games? Check back next week for a look at the NFL Conference Championship games.

About Jay Crawford

Jay is a die hard sports fan {football and college basketball being his favorites}. His favorite teams are the Carolina Panthers and Tarheels and, of course, his alma mater, the Appalachian Mountaineers. He spends his free time listening to music, especially KISS, Def Leppard, the Eagles and a lot of the newer country music, and watching comic book and action movies. The more special effects - the better.

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Comments

  2. Maria says

    My heart was broken yesterday when the Saints lost!! It’s always tough to swallow especially knowing football is almost over. Can’t wait until next fall! WhoDat!!

  3. Joanna Sormunen says

    I think I have never seen an actual Football game, or American Football game as I learned to call it when learning English at school. It’s not very big in either Europe or South-America. I grew up watching Hockey and now it’s all “real” Football, Soccer for you in the States 🙂

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      Hahaha! It’s so confusing that both are called football. I really wish they could have done something different there. Men.

  4. Megan says

    I hate to admit it, but I’m so not into sports…lol. I do admire those who are super passionate about one team or another.

  6. anita breeze says

    Don’t actually follow football, but I am amazed that as a Canadian, my office is filled with Canadian men who do nothing but talk about American football teams and games. I don’t get it! 🙂

  8. Amanda Love says

    I know nothing about football and according to hubby have no interest in learning. He’s always complaining that I don’t ever want to watch football with him and he’s right. My kids on the other hand love it like he does. I have no idea who’s playing or who is even in the superbowl. I’m pathetic I know. 🙂

    • Dawn McAlexander says

      I definitely can’t say I know much about football, either. But I can say that I am starting to get a bit more interested since I started watching it with the hubs. He is pretty patient about explaining it and answering my questions. And I ask a lot of them. I am sure it gets annoying. 😉

    • Jay Crawford says

      There are a lot of places that offer “football for beginners” type classes that help football novices like yourself to understand the game. From what I have heard, it’s one all day class and is usually offered for a nominal fee or sometimes even free of charge for anyone wishing to understand more. I thought about trying to do a series of blog posts about it, but I didn’t think there would be enough interest.

  13. amanda says

    i caught some games here in India but haven’t been watching since the lions again didn’t make it. some year, some other year…

  14. Pam says

    I love football, especially the NFL. Grew up in Wisconsin so I of course am a Green Bay Packer Fan. My husband is a Bears fan. Yikes! I don’t have a dog in the fight anymore, so I am not really pulling for any of the remaining teams. Can’t wait for Super Bowl Sunday though. It is always a good time.

    • Jay Crawford says

      Yeah, my team lost out on Sunday (Carolina). I am anxious to see what we do next year though.