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New England Patriots Playoffs: Site predictions for the Divisional Round

By Logan Jakubajtys

FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 31: Tom Brady
FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 31: Tom Brady /
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The New England Patriots will face the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night, but that’s not the most intriguing matchup of the weekend.

The #1 New England Patriots will host the #5 Tennessee Titans on Saturday night in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, and no one really believes the game will be close at all. The Patriots are the clear favorites at Gillette Stadium, but the rest of the playoffs offer some intriguing matchups.

The Patriots look like they will be very healthy for this playoff game, with Chris Hogan likely back, and the possibility for a return of Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee, and Malcolm Mitchell. The defense should also be able to shut down the Titans offense which relies heavily on Derrick Henry with DeMarco Murray out. Henry is a big back, but New England will make him their main focus. Through the air, Marcus Mariota has limited weapons and will look towards TE Delanie Walker, but he’s no Rob Gronkowski.

Let’s take a quick look at the rest of the Divisional Round matchups.

  • Saturday 4:35 PM: #6 Falcons at #1 Eagles – NBC
  • Saturday 8:15 PM: #5 Titans at #1 Patriots – CBS
  • Sunday 1:05 PM: #3 Jaguars at #2 Steelers – CBS
  • Sunday 4:40 PM: #3 Saints at #2 Vikings – FOX

The first game of the weekend pits the Atlanta Falcons against the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly is lucky to be the #1 seed after losing QB Carson Wentz a few weeks ago. Now, they’re counting on Nick Foles to lead them in the playoffs. Atlanta is actually a favorite here, with their defense playing much better and the offense finally clicking. Last week they took down the upstart Los Angeles Rams on the road, 26-13. Matt Ryan looked like the Matt Ryan of last seasons playoff run, and they have a chance to take down the top-seeded Eagles if they can play that way once again.

In the AFC, the #2 Pittsburgh Steelers will host the #3 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers, of course, had a bye-week as the #2 seed in the playoffs, but the Jaguars got things started last weekend. Jacksonville actually hosted a Wild Card playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, coming out on top 10-3. It was not a great game and many fans couldn’t even believe that it was a playoff game. Still, the Jags defense was able to show how dominant they can be. They recorded 2 sacks, forced 2 interceptions, and held Buffalo to just 263 yards. Led by Blake Bortles, they struggle on offense though. They have potential with Leonard Fournette, and the Jags will need him to step up if they want to compete. The Steelers will rely heavily on Ben Roethlisberger, LeVeon Bell, and a hobbled Antonio Brown. It will be interesting to see how the Jacksonville defense is able to run with that offense.

The final game of Divisional Weekend will be played in Minnesota as the New Orleans Saints march in to face the Vikings. The Saints survived in a great game with their division-rival Panthers last week, edging them out 31-26. Drew Brees threw for 376 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the rushing attack from Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram was limited, to say the least. The Vikings have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and they have the tools to slow the Saints offense. This could be a low-scoring affair and it could go either way.

Now, let’s get to our contributor and co-editor picks for the weekend. We have also, for convenience, added what the AFC and NFC Championship Games would be in our scenarios.

Contributor, Sam Minton

#1 Patriots 42, #5 Titans 17

#3 Jaguars 24, #2 Steelers 21

#1 Eagles 35, #6 Falcons 17

#2 Vikings 27, #3 Saints 24

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#2 Vikings at #1 Eagles

Contributor, Tre Wiggins

#1 Patriots 31, #5 Titans 17

#3 Jaguars 23, #2 Steelers 10

#1 Eagles 17, #6 Falcons 14

#2 Vikings 27, #3 Saints 17

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#2 Vikings at #1 Eagles

Contributor, Connor Friend

#1 Patriots 34, #5 Titans 7

#3 Jaguars 27, #2 Steelers 20

#1 Eagles 21, #6 Falcons 14

#2 Vikings 20, #3 Saints 17

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#2 Vikings at #1 Eagles

Contributor, Jason Haskins

#1 Patriots 31, #5 Titans 10

#2 Steelers 17, #3 Jaguars 14

#6 Falcons 24, #1 Eagles 20

#3 Saints 28, #2 Vikings 21

AFC Championship: #3 Steelers at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#6 Falcons at #3 Saints

Contributor, Ben Porter

#1 Patriots 34, #5 Titans 14

#2 Steelers 27, #3 Jaguars 20

#6 Falcons 24, #1 Eagles 21

#2 Vikings 17, #3 Saints 9

AFC Championship: #3 Steelers at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#6 Falcons at #2 Vikings

Co-Site Expert, Tarringo Basile-Vaughan

#1 Patriots 38, #5 Titans 17

#3 Jaguars 27, #2 Steelers 24

#1 Eagles 23, #6 Falcons 20

#3 Saints 28, #2 Vikings 20

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#3 Saints at #1 Eagles

More from Chowder and Champions

Co-Site Expert, Logan Jakubajtys

#1 Patriots 37, #5 Titans 3

#3 Jaguars 17, #2 Steelers 10

#6 Falcons 24, #1 Eagles 17

#3 Saints 24, #2 Vikings 20

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#6 Falcons at #3 Saints

Consensus Picks

#1 Patriots over #5 Titans (7 to 0)

#3 Jaguars over #2 Steelers (5 to 2)

#1 Eagles over #6 Falcons (4 to 3)

#2 Vikings over #3 Saints (4 to 3)

AFC Championship: #3 Jaguars at #1 Patriots

NFC Championship:#2 Vikings at #1 Eagles

What are your picks for the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs? Vote below in our Twitter polls, which will run until Saturday afternoon.

Next: Patriots Divisional Round history

As always, Chowder and Champions will have you covered for the New England Patriots run in the NFL Playoffs. They are the favorites to win this weekend and would host their opponent in the AFC Championship Game, either the Steelers or the Jaguars. We will also keep an eye on the NFC and the potential Super Bowl LII opponents for the Patriots. Follow us on Twitter @CandCFanSided for the latest news and updates.

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