NFL Divisional Round Straight Up Picks: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots at Houston Texans, and Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears.
In a battle of pass-happy offenses against stingy defenses, the Buffalo Bills look to upset the heavily favored Denver Broncos in their quest for victory. The key matchup here is in the trenches, where the Broncos' ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks will be put to the test by Josh Allen and the Bills' high-powered offense.
Allen has been a consistent performer throughout his postseason career, with eight playoff wins under his belt and 26 touchdowns against just four interceptions. However, the Broncos' defense has been excellent in its own right, leading the league with 68 sacks this season. It's a tough matchup for either side, but I believe Josh Allen's ability to extend plays with his feet will be too much for the Broncos' pass rush to handle.
On the other side of the divisional round, the San Francisco 49ers look to get back on track against the Seattle Seahawks in a battle of two stout defenses. The Seahawks' smashmouth run-heavy approach should give the 49ers fits, but I believe they'll be able to contain the Seahawks' rushing attack and focus on keeping Sam Darnold under pressure.
The Patriots have been quietly effective all season long, with an outstanding defense that has allowed just over 200 yards per game. They've also shown a willingness to run the ball, which should give them an advantage in this matchup against the Texans' defense.
In what promises to be a high-scoring affair, the Los Angeles Rams look to pull off another close victory against the Chicago Bears. The key matchup here will be at quarterback, where Matthew Stafford's accuracy and ability to make plays with his legs should give him an edge over Justin Fields.
The Rams have been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season long, with a strong offense that has consistently produced points. They've also shown a willingness to adapt on the fly, which should serve them well in this matchup against the Bears' defense.
Overall, I'm taking a balanced approach this week, with picks against both the spread and straight up. The Bills look to pull off an upset over the Broncos, while the 49ers should be able to contain the Seahawks' offense and come out on top. The Patriots should be able to outlast the Texans, and the Rams will likely find a way to win in a high-scoring affair.
Against the spread picks:
* Bills (+1.5) vs Broncos
* 49ers (+7) vs Seahawks
* Texans (+3) vs Patriots
Straight up picks:
* Bills at Broncos
* 49ers at Seahawks
* Patriots at Texans
* Rams at Bears
In a battle of pass-happy offenses against stingy defenses, the Buffalo Bills look to upset the heavily favored Denver Broncos in their quest for victory. The key matchup here is in the trenches, where the Broncos' ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks will be put to the test by Josh Allen and the Bills' high-powered offense.
Allen has been a consistent performer throughout his postseason career, with eight playoff wins under his belt and 26 touchdowns against just four interceptions. However, the Broncos' defense has been excellent in its own right, leading the league with 68 sacks this season. It's a tough matchup for either side, but I believe Josh Allen's ability to extend plays with his feet will be too much for the Broncos' pass rush to handle.
On the other side of the divisional round, the San Francisco 49ers look to get back on track against the Seattle Seahawks in a battle of two stout defenses. The Seahawks' smashmouth run-heavy approach should give the 49ers fits, but I believe they'll be able to contain the Seahawks' rushing attack and focus on keeping Sam Darnold under pressure.
The Patriots have been quietly effective all season long, with an outstanding defense that has allowed just over 200 yards per game. They've also shown a willingness to run the ball, which should give them an advantage in this matchup against the Texans' defense.
In what promises to be a high-scoring affair, the Los Angeles Rams look to pull off another close victory against the Chicago Bears. The key matchup here will be at quarterback, where Matthew Stafford's accuracy and ability to make plays with his legs should give him an edge over Justin Fields.
The Rams have been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season long, with a strong offense that has consistently produced points. They've also shown a willingness to adapt on the fly, which should serve them well in this matchup against the Bears' defense.
Overall, I'm taking a balanced approach this week, with picks against both the spread and straight up. The Bills look to pull off an upset over the Broncos, while the 49ers should be able to contain the Seahawks' offense and come out on top. The Patriots should be able to outlast the Texans, and the Rams will likely find a way to win in a high-scoring affair.
Against the spread picks:
* Bills (+1.5) vs Broncos
* 49ers (+7) vs Seahawks
* Texans (+3) vs Patriots
Straight up picks:
* Bills at Broncos
* 49ers at Seahawks
* Patriots at Texans
* Rams at Bears
but only for a sec, no way the Bills can take down those Broncos in reality... I mean, Josh Allen's a great QB and all, but the Broncos' D is too good 
, I'm not sure if they'll be able to contain that Seahawks run game, but Sam Darnold's a beast too so we'll see what happens 
. 
, their defense is like, unstoppable... unless... wait, I just had second thoughts 
, maybe the Texans' O can pull off some crazy plays and take it to 7 OTs 
. 
but Justin Fields' legs are like, a wild card 
, so this one's gonna be super tough call 
. I mean, who needs actual gameplay experience when you've got a fancy computer screen to analyze the stats? The Bills vs Broncos game is gonna be a real nail-biter... said no one ever 
. It's like predicting a coin flip - Josh Allen will either magically extend plays or get sacked 5 times 
. And don't even get me started on the Patriots' defense being "outstanding"... yeah, because that's not just a cop-out for their lack of offense 
. The Rams are gonna win because... Matthew Stafford is pretty and has a good haircut 
. Can we just have some actual predictions based on game footage or something? 
And the Broncos, they're like the tough opponent - they've been around the block a few times and have the experience to back it up. But sometimes, even the toughest opponents can't handle our determination and grit. 
The Bills looking to take down the Broncos is gonna be a wild game, I think Josh Allen's gonna be able to make some magic happen on the field. And omg, the 49ers vs Seahawks matchup is gonna be so intense - both defenses are straight fire 
. and can't wait to see matthew stafford shred the bears' defense with his accuracy and agility 
I'm leaning towards the Bills getting it done though, mainly because their offense just seems too explosive to be stopped 
. What do you guys think? Should we be worried about the Broncos' defense?
i think he'll be able to make some magic happen for the 49ers... and can we talk about how much i love the rams? matthew stafford is literally my boyfriend 
but seriously, i think they have a good shot at beating the bears too
! He'll make enough plays with his legs to get them over the line.
. Bring on the playoffs!
. And on the other side, I think Sam Darnold's got this against the Patriots - their defense is just too strong 
️. It's gonna be a tough one to pick 
. Fingers crossed my bracket doesn't get destroyed 
.
i mean, who wouldn't want to see the bills take on the broncos in a battle of offense vs defense? josh allen is a total game-changer, he's got that intangible quality that makes you wanna root for him 
and i'm feeling good about the 49ers too, they're due for a win after all those losses this season 
. He's got that crazy ability to extend plays with his feet and make something out of nothing. I'm low-key rooting for them to take down those Broncos and pull off an upset 
. And the Patriots vs Texans? That's gonna be a grind-it-out game 
. But in the end, I'm taking my money on the Bills to upset the Broncos 
. But Justin Fields is no slouch either 
.