2018 Divisional Round Predix

Written by Sam DeCoste

There may not be a better week of football throughout the season than the Divisional Round. Only eight teams remain, all of which deserve to still be alive, and four great games on slate for us. And in a wide open season where the Lombardi is there for the taking, every playoff team remaining can begin to dream about winning it all.
Divisional Weekend begins with firecrackers in Kansas City, where the Colts battle the Chiefs. It concludes with an Eagles-Saints rematch in NOLA, with Cowboys-Rams and Chargers-Patriots sandwiched in between.
It's gonna be a brilliant weekend of football, and there's no time to waste! Who will move on to the NFL's Final Four? Find out in the Divisional Weekend Predix! Carry on, and enjoy!

Here are my records from the 2018 season:

Lock of the Week record: 11-6
Last week's record: 1-3
Regular season record: 167-87-2
Postseason record: 1-3

The Road to Super Bowl LIII Bracket presented by Franchise Quarterback

 IND @ KC

The playoffs began for Indy back in Week 6. At 1-5, the odds Indianapolis would reach the playoffs were astronomical. Since then, the Colts have won ten of eleven games, including a Wild Card victory over division rivals, Houston, and now they match up against the number one seeded Chiefs, who haven't won a home playoff game since 1993. Going in, the Colts are the underdog, but they have a brilliant chance to beat KC this weekend. The Colts have a ferocious defense now, and their offense is getting the job done in different ways from Andrew Luck's first few seasons. Now the Colts can pound the rock. Marlon Mack ran for a career high 148 yards last week. Andrew Luck has never had such a dynamic roster surrounding him, which makes them very dangerous. As for the home team, many are forgetting how lethal their offense can be. They averaged 35 points per game in the regular season, and Patrick Mahomes threw for 5000 yards and 50 TDs. He by himself could lead KC to the promiseland. So many times, we've seen Mahomes come up with a brilliant signature play in the biggest games to lead his team to victory. Think about the left-handed pass, the no look pass, and when he uses his legs to extend broken plays and find a man down the field. In order for KC to advance, they will need Mahomes to come up with another signature play. Their problem is their defense can't stop an ant farm, and the Colts are the more balanced, complete team. Don't be surprised to see Indy go all the way this year.

Prediction: IND 31, KC 30

 DAL @ LAR

For the third time in twenty-four years, the Dallas Cowboys have won a playoff game. They look great on all three phases, with Ezekiel Elliott pounding the ball, Amari Cooper making plays, and Dak Prescott stepping up and leading his team to victory. Not to mention Dallas has a group of ball hawking defenders on all three levels, making for what is close to a complete football team. Now Dallas is on a wicked run, and many Cowboys fans are beginning to dream of winning it all. But to be the best, you have to beat the best, and that's something the Cowboys haven't done in a very long time. They have to get past the 13-3 Los Angeles Rams, featuring Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, and a defense full of studs like Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and the one and only Aaron Donald rushing quarterbacks. But the thing with LA is that they are still unproven in the postseason. After a first round exit in 2017, the Rams have started to slow down, and are beatable. Dallas will go into the contest knowing they have the chance to win, and...I just might regret this, but...I have to go with the Dallas Cowboys to upset the Rams. LA just hasn't shown me they can get it done in January, and Dallas is riding some momentum, and they have a game winning formula which can win you championships. Dallas is moving on.

Prediction: DAL 27, LAR 20

 LAC @ NE

In what will be a freezing cold game this Sunday, Philip Rivers and the Chargers will look for their first ever victory against Tom Brady's led Patriots to advance to the AFC Championship. This year, however, the Patriots are not the better team. By a wide margin, the Chargers are more balanced, more lethal, and have executed better this season. The numbers show you how effective Rivers has been, how great a season it has been for players like Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen, and how the defense has risen to the occasion of late, holding the Ravens to under 200 yards of offense last week. The problem is they are still unproven on this stage. Don't get me wrong, the Chargers proved lots of doubters wrong in Baltimore, and they deserve to be here. But as impressive as the Chargers have been, and for as badly as I want to pick them to advance, I just can't pick against New England. While it has been one of the more turbulent years at One Patriot Place than the past, they consistently make it to the finish line. The Patriots are still the Patriots, and they are lethal in the postseason. 

Prediction: LAC 24, NE 31

 PHI @ NO 

The last time Philly and New Orleans faced off, it was a tad lopsided. The Saints prevailed, 48-7, after four hard-fought quarters (lol just kidding it was a blowout). That was Week 11, but these Eagles are not those Eagles. Since Nick Foles entered the fold again, the Eagles have rattled off four consecutive wins, allowing seventeen points per game, and scoring 25. There's just something about the Eagles in the postseason led by Nick Foles that produces. Moving onto the Saints. No team has better odds of claiming Super Bowl LIII than the New Orleans Saints, who went 13-3 in the regular season. Drew Brees had one of the best seasons in his illustrious career, throwing for 32 touchdowns and just five picks, while leading his team to a number one seed. Under Brees, the Saints have never lost a home playoff game. Nick Foles in his career is 4-1 in the playoffs, with his sole loss coming against the Saints back in 2013. I think the Saints overmatch the Eagles if the Saints show up and show us what won them 13 games, but if they look anything close to a shadow of themselves, Philly has a shot. This game could seriously go either way, but no matter what transpires this Sunday, this game will not be as lopsided as the first game, it could go right down to the wire. The Saints are favorites, but if Philly wins, it would be the greatest upset we have seen in the NFL Playoffs in a long, long, long, long time.

Prediction: PHI 20, NO 23