NFL playoffs recap and predictions

Adam Mancini
Sports Editor

Wild Card Weekend in the NFL has come to a close, so it’s time to move on to the Divisional Round matchups. On Saturday, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 27-16, in a game that was mostly dominated by the Panthers’ defense. They will move on to play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle on Saturday. In a fiery matchup that pit two AFC North rivals against each other, the Baltimore Ravens took down the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 and will face the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Indianapolis Colts 26-10, marking the fourth consecutive season that the Bengals have lost in the Wild Card game. In the final game of the weekend, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Detroit Lions 24-20 in a close game that was marred by some controversial calls that went in the Cowboys’ favor. They will play the Green Bay Packers in Green Bay on Sunday. The Colts will take on the Denver Broncos in a game that will feature Denver quarterback Peyton Manning playing against his former team in the playoffs for the first time.

Here are my predictions for the Divisional Round:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (January 10, 4:35 P.M)

For the fourth time in the last six years, these two teams will face off in the playoffs. Baltimore has won of two of the three previous meetings, but none of that matters now. Anything can happen in the playoffs, and this time the Patriots will even out the series. Their defense has made strides this year, and Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco will struggle to find holes in the New England secondary.

Prediction: Patriots defeat Ravens 23-17

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks (January 10, 8:15 P.M)

The Panthers squeaked into the playoffs at 7-8-1 by winning the underwhelming NFC South, then handily defeated an Arizona squad that was lacking its top two quarterbacks. The defending champion Seahawks had a slow start to the season, but turned it on in the second half to finish with six straight victories and take the #1 seed in the NFC. They are heavily favored over the Panthers, and it will show in the game. Carolina lacks the offensive fire power to get through Seattle’s formidable defense, while Seattle has the offensive weapons to break down the Panthers’ defense.

Prediction: Seahawks defeat Panthers, 31-20

Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers (January 11, 1:05 P.M)

After their highly debated victory over Detroit, Dallas will move on to play the Packers at Lambeau Field, where Green Bay has been nearly unstoppable this season. With quarterback and MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Packers’ high octane offense will pick apart a suspect Dallas secondary with ease, giving the Packers an easy victory over the Cowboys.

Prediction: Packers defeat Cowboys, 38-24

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (January 11, 4:35 P.M)

In what may be the most exciting game of the Divisional Round, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will face off against his former team in a high stakes playoff game. Both teams feature high scoring, pass orientated offenses, which figures to make for an explosive game. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has a chance to cement himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks if he can lead his team to victory over last year’s AFC Champion, the Broncos. The Colts have the necessary weapons on offense to expose the Denver defense, and Manning has historically struggled in cold weather playoff games such as this one.

Prediction: Colts defeat Broncos, 27-24