After a thrilling Wild Card Weekend, the NFL Divisional Round is just two days away from commencing. The winners of the four games set to take place this weekend will meet a week later with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
Predicting what's going to happen in these games is easier said than done. All four of these games should be pretty close, and it's anyone's best guess as to who will advance. With that in mind, let's take a crack at making some bold predictions for what we're about to witness.
Buffalo Bills
Bold take: Josh Allen's heroics lead the Bills to win in final seconds
If the Buffalo Bills were led by any other quarterback than Josh Allen, they probably lose their Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they have Allen, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and they're going to benefit from that again on Saturday.
Allen completed 28 of his 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He added 33 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 attempts on the ground. The ball was in Allen's hands virtually all game, and he practically willed Buffalo to a win. This Bills' roster is not as good as the Denver Broncos', and winning at Denver is incredibly difficult, but having the best quarterback in the world in January makes a difference. Allen is that guy, and will be the reason why the Bills advance.
Denver Broncos
Bo Nix throws multiple interceptions
As shaky as this Bills' roster is, one thing the Bills did excel at during the regular season was limit passing offenses. They allowed just 156.9 passing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL, and while Trevor Lawrence barely did clear the 200-yard mark, he also threw a pair of interceptions.
If Lawrence, the quarterback leading one of the NFL's hottest offenses, struggled to clear the 200-yard mark and threw a pair of interceptions, who's to say a quarterback who has been as inconsistent as Denver Broncos gunslinger Bo Nix won't do the same? Nix is fine, but the Bills' pass defense is elite, and the threat of Allen on the other side will force him into unforgivable mistakes.
Houston Texans
Texans score more touchdowns on defense than offense
The Houston Texans scored 30 points in their Wild Card Round victory, but a lot of that had to do with their defense. In fact, their defense had as many touchdowns as their offense did (two apiece). I predict C.J. Stroud will struggle against a stout New England Patriots defense as Justin Herbert did, but does that really matter, considering how absurdly talented this defense is?
The Texans' defense outscored the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense last week, 12-6. I'm not kidding. They allowed just 17.4 points per game in the regular season, and only got better down the stretch. They might struggle to score a single touchdown in this game, but the defense might score a pair in a low-scoring Texans' victory.
New England Patriots
Drake Maye loses two fumbles
If I had a vote for the NFL MVP award, it'd go to Drake Maye, who had a sophomore year to remember. As dominant as Maye has been this season for the New England Patriots, it'd be a stretch to call him a perfect quarterback. One of his few flaws is his inability to hold onto the football. Not only did he fumble eight times during the regular season, but Maye fumbled twice last week in his playoff debut.
He only lost one of those, and his defense held the Los Angeles Chargers to just three points, but if he was having trouble holding onto the football against the Chargers, how will he do against a Texans' defense that forced 10 fumbles and the third-most takeaways in the league this season? Whether it's Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, or someone else, Maye will have trouble taking care of the football in this game.
San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy fails to find the end zone again
With a chance to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18, the San Francisco 49ers laid an egg on their home field, falling 13-3. This was with the crowd on the Niners' side and with a healthy George Kittle.
How will the Niners do on the road in a hostile environment against a rested Seahawks defense without their all-world tight end? The Niners deserve all the credit in the world for getting this far despite their injuries, but they face a monumental task in the Divisional Round. Getting in the end zone against an elite Seahawks defense without George Kittle will be a challenge, and one I predict they fail.
Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks win despite three Sam Darnold turnovers
Sam Darnold had a season to remember with the Seattle Seahawks, but as is the case with Maye, this does not mean he's a perfect quarterback. He threw for over 4,000 yards but had as many total turnovers (25) as passing touchdowns. Darnold tossed 14 interceptions and fumbled the ball 11 times. Is that good?
His turnover problems are very evident, but that doesn't mean the Seahawks couldn't find ways to win in spite of that. They didn't go 14-3 by accident. Their roster is as good as any, and their defense will dominate enough to overcome predictable Darnold mistakes on Saturday night.
Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams rushes for 100+ yards and two touchdowns
There isn't an offense better in these playoffs than the Los Angeles Rams, and I think that'll be on full display on Sunday, but in a different way than most might expect. All eyes will be on the likes of Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and for good reason, but the stars are aligning for Kyren Williams to have a big game.
Williams rushed for over 1,200 yards in the regular season, and the Bears allowed 134.5 rushing yards per game in the regular season, the sixth-most in the NFL. Given how slowly the Bears consistently start, there's reason to believe the Rams will be running the ball a lot, and even if the Bears get off to a faster start, their focus being on the elite passing game combined with their weak defense against the run could allow Williams to have a big game.
Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams dominates another fourth quarter but falls short
The Chicago Bears really shouldn't be here. They trailed 21-3 at the end of the first half last week and 21-6 after the third quarter, but outscored the Green Bay Packers 25-6 in the fourth quarter. This is par for the course for the Bears, who continue to start slowly and finish strongly.
At this point, why should we expect anything different in the Divisional Round? Caleb Williams has given fans no reason to doubt him in crunch time, but he's also given us no reason to believe in him for the first three quarters. Against a team like the Rams that will run up the score if you let them, the Bears can ill-afford to start slowly. I expect them to figure the offense thing out and score a ton in the fourth as they seem to always do, but by that point, it'll be too late.