NFC Divisional Round Preview
An unexpected upset in the wild card sets the table for the NFC divisional round. Let’s break down what we could see in the NFC.
(7) Green Bay Packers vs (1) San Francisco 49ers
This will be the 10th playoff meeting between these two teams with the Niners holding a 5-4 lead. The Niners have won six straight divisional-round playoff games and are looking for number seven.
The Niners have mostly been the team to beat all season. They have all the right weapons on offense with Christian McCaffery, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Ayuik. On the other side, the defensive line is stacked with Javon Hargrave, Nick Bosa, and Chase Young.
Look for the Niners to get the run game going early and often. That should lead to play-action passes and screens for the Niners where they can get their weapons in space to create. Samuel ranks 12th in yards after the catch. The Packers will need to wrap him up and limit his big play ability. On defense limit Love and his big plays, something the Cowboys couldn’t do.
The Packers are the youngest team in the playoffs, but you wouldn’t know it by how they dismantled the Cowboys. Their run game was great with Aaron Jones averaging five yards per carry. Jordan Love looked like he had been to the playoffs before dropping passes into his receivers with no complications. He has had the best QBR since week 10 and that will have to carry into this game to give his team a chance. On defense, they must tackle and create turnovers. They were able to turn Prescott over twice in the first half of the wild card. They will need to do the same.
The 49ers are the best team in the NFC and until proven otherwise this game will belong to the 49ers.
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs (3) Detroit Lions
These two teams will face off once again. The Lions beat the Bucs earlier this season 20-6 down in Tampa.
The Lions are in the divisional round for the first time since 1991. This offense is up there as one of the best offenses in the league. They run the ball well with their two-headed monsters David Montgomery and Jamyr Gibbs. Amon Ra-St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the game along with tight end Sam LaPorta. This offense will look to be explosive but, the Bucs are a team that likes to blitz a lot. Jared Goff will need to get the ball out of his hands early to eliminate the pressure. On the defensive side, they have a stud in Aiden Hutchenson.
He has had multiple sacks in three straight games and will look to continue that trend. This defense is good against the run but struggles against the pass. If Hutchenson can get to the quarterback, it’s going to be a long day for the Bucs.
For the Buccs they will come in as underdogs but that won’t matter to them. A good number of guys on this team were with the team that won a championship a couple of years ago. Mayfield has one of the best wide receiver duos with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. These two will have to be a factor if the Bucs want to come out of this game with a win. Mayfield is not afraid to take shots at his receivers and the Lions will need to make sure he does not get off. On the other side the blitz will be key, get Goff to fumble or throw interceptions, and limit the Lions’ time with the ball. Last week they generated pressure against Jalen Hurts 13 times. If they can do that again and keep the Lions offense off the field the Bucs will have a chance.
This is not the same Bucs team from the beginning of the season, but the Lions have too much. The Lions will come out on top and get to the NFC championship.
