8. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams somehow beat the Seahawks in wild card weekend 30-20. John Wolford didn't make it to half time before being sent to the hospital with a head and neck injury, leading Los Angeles to turn back to Jared Goff to finish the game while he deals with injuries of his own. The problem was Goff didn't look great at all and had trouble throwing the ball down the field. Luckily, Cam Akers ran all over the Seattle defense, ending up with nearly 150 rushing yards and a touchdown. There is no way this Rams team can beat the packers this weekend, they wont score enough points to outpace one of the best offenses in the league. Aaron Rodgers will pick the Rams defense apart if Aaron Donald can't play.
7. Cleveland Browns
What a weird game to end the wild card weekend on Sunday night. As soon as I saw the first snap go 15 feet over Ben Roethlisberger's head, I knew it was going to be a fun game to watch. The Browns did get a big win, but a ton a breaks went their way. Big Ben was a turnover machine and the Steelers continued their trend of not running the ball at all. The Browns defense will obviously need to play better after allowing over 500 passing yards. The main reason Cleveland is this low on the list is the matchup they have next week. They will need just as much luck next week and it still might not be enough. Who cares though? Celebrate anyway Cleveland! You finally won something!!
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Man I really thought the Washington Football Team was going to do it Saturday night. I still don't like you Tom, and I'm glad Michigan was dumb enough to keep Jim Harbaugh around so they continue to lose year after year.
5. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a better football team than the Buccaneers. They have a better pass defense, run defense, running game and a better quarterback. For me, the scary part about playing Tampa on Sunday is that it will be the 3rd game against them this year. There is a reason that most of the time top teams in the same division usually split games when they play each other every year. Division rivals know the tendencies teams have, they almost know more about their rivals then they do their own teams. Tom Brady has also never lost to the same team 3 times in a season and has shown to be one of the best ever at making adjustments throughout the year. The player that can really wreck this game is Alvin Kamara. Kamara didn't play in the 2nd matchup this year and will have a ton of opportunities against an overrated Bucs defense.
4. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are playing their best football all season at the perfect time. Baltimore handled the Titans Sunday afternoon and really showed how great their defense can be(So now you can shut up about your terrible Lamar Jackson playoff takes). The great thing for Baltimore is, to me, Buffalo may be the team in the AFC they matchup the best with. Baltimore was again a record setting rushing offense for the second straight year, and they will face a defense that could be considered one of the worst in the league on the ground. Lamar Jackson will no doubt be looking to gash the susceptible Bills defense every time he snaps the football. Not only that, the other side of the football may be an equally as good matchup for the Ravens. The defense, especially last week, showed how dominant they are against the run, and all season Marlon Humphrey has shown to be a lockdown corner against top threat receivers. And how does Marcus Peters always seem to be in the right place at the right time? I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens are the betting favorites by kickoff Saturday night.
3. Buffalo Bills
Watching the Bills-Colts game Saturday night was a little surprising to me. Buffalo jumped up early on the Colts but couldn't seem the put the game away, and I really think the Colts should of won the game. They were the better team in the second half of that game and if it wasn't for a few dropped passes, the game at least goes into overtime. The Bills offense will need to play much better on Saturday against the Ravens. With the Ravens run heavy play style, the Bills possessions will be limited and mistakes will be amplified. I still think the Bills are great, but would it surprise me if Baltimore gets up early and runs away with this game? No, but based on the whole seasons work ill keep the Bills ahead of the Ravens at #3.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
There isn't much to say about the Chiefs right now. They probably have the easiest matchup of the week, and are expected to win easily. I still worry about if the Chiefs really can flip the switch like we all think. They haven't all season and have played down to their opponents all season. Whether is the Bills or the Ravens next, we are going to find out if they still have it.
1. Green Bay Packers
Do I really think the Packers roster is that much better than everyone else in the NFC? Not necessarily, but I respect how hard it is going to be for a team to come into a frozen Lambeau Field and hope Aaron Rodgers has an off night. Think about the remaining teams in the NFC. We have a Los Angeles team, a team from Florida and a team that plays all of their games in a dome. Good luck!
