The Panel is a new feature of the CoA sports section. Five passionate sports fanatics engage in fiery debate over sports-related topics. Staff photo by Gracie Hammond.
By Baily Deeter, Ty Corley, Connor Van Ligten, Justin Kasser, and Jake Shiff
With all NFL fans eager to rid themselves of the sour taste left by Wild Card weekend, the Divisional Round can’t get here soon enough. Our experts, including Baily Deeter, Jake Shiff, Ty Corley, Connor Van Ligten, and Justin Kasser, make their prediction for each Divisional round game.
Note: Please email [email protected] or [email protected] with any sports topics or questions that you would like “The Panel” to discuss in their next edition.
Patriots vs. Texans
BD: The Buddha once said, “I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done.” Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have won four Super Bowls already, but it’s laughable to think that the dynamic duo is content with their accomplishments. Brady wants to cement his legacy as the greatest quarterback to ever walk the face of the Earth by earning that elusive fifth ring. He is the quintessential playoff quarterback and a man on a mission. Brock Osweiler did what he needed to do to defeat the injury-riddled Oakland Raiders, which was outperform a third-string quarterback making his first career start. Brady and company present a whole new challenge that Houston won’t be able to handle. Patriots 31, Texans 13.
JS: Mediocre point, Baily. I strongly disagree with your prediction that the Patriots will beat the Texans by double digits, let alone win the game. The Texans’ stingy defense led by Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus will contain the Rob Gronkowski-less Patriots and Tom Brady’s revenge tour will come to an end. Brock “Bossweiler” Osweiler is hot right now and playing some of the best football of his career with the Texan’s new offensive approach with the over the middle passing game to DeAndre Hopkins and CJ Fiedorowicz. Texans 17, Patriots 14.
JK: I’m sorry, but I don’t remember Jake Shiff being allowed onto this panel. Anyways, this is a clear victory for New England in my opinion. Tom Brady never seems to regress, despite his age, and his leadership will be a major factor in this first round victory. Furthermore, even though Osweiler had a decent game against the struggling Raiders, I can’t imagine him having a similar performance. In this game, look for Edelman and Blount in the red zone. Patriots 35, Texans 7.
CVL: Tom Brady is on a roll and this Patriots offense completely outclasses anything the Texans can respond with. Sure, the Texans have a good defense, but they play in one of the worst divisions in the NFL and have the laughably mediocre Brock Osweiler as their QB. Gronkowski’s absence won’t make a difference as the New England passing attack scorches the Texans, sending them back to Houston with an embarrassing blowout loss. Patriots 42, Texans 13
TC: Jake might be the most unqualified person on this panel. I know you are looking for an upset but you aren’t going to find it here. Like I said in last week’s video, Tom Brady is on a man on a mission after being suspended for the first four games of the season and the Patriots offensive play is the best thing since sliced bread. The Texans had an offensive explosion last week against a disheartened Raiders group who were playing without their leader. Don’t expect the same offensive production this week. The Patriots score first and don’t look back. Patriots 34, Texans 13
Seahawks vs. Falcons
BD: Most Americans won’t get to see fireworks until the Fourth of July, but if you want to see some this Saturday, you can tune in to watch the explosive Falcons offense this Saturday. The rambunctious Georgia Dome is the optimal environment for a dazzling performance from Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the well rounded Falcons offense. The Seahawks displayed a new dimension of their offense on Saturday night when Thomas Rawls sliced up the Lions defense to the tune of 161 rushing yards and a touchdown. However, they were inconsistent throughout the month of December and are ill equipped to handle a hostile road environment. Matt Ryan will erase some of his playoff demons with a statement victory. Falcons 34, Seahawks 24.
JK: Matt Ryan, supposedly the front runner in the MVP race, is bound to have another solid game. However, the real strength comes from Atlanta’s backfield, where they have two solid backs to rely on in Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. Seattle, on the other hand, has been averaging just over 26 points for the last four games. I’ve got a feeling that the Seahawks will upset Atlanta, but it should be close nonetheless. Seahawks 28, Falcons 21.
JS: My fellow panel member, Justin Kasser, must be on some sort of narcotics with that prediction. Matty Ice can’t be stopped right now and he’s going to earn the MVP trophy in this game by torching the Legion of Boom. It’s not even going to be close. The Falcons are four-point favorites…expect them to win by 20 or more points. The Falcons are leading the league in scoring; don’t expect them to slow down in the Georgia Dome. Falcons 42, Seahawks 17
CVL: Expect a similar result from the last time these two teams met in the divisional round, with Atlanta going to the NFC championship game and Seattle being sent packing. Without Earl Thomas, Seattle’s secondary can’t handle Atlanta’s offense led by MVP candidate Matt Ryan, who has been playing at an elite level all season. Atlanta’s defense isn’t amazing, but will have a field day against Seattle’s dreadful offensive line, and will make it hard for Russell Wilson to get their offense going. Even if Seattle tries to run the ball and play around their weaknesses, they will be beaten handily by an Atlanta team on a mission to get the notoriety they deserve. Falcons 34, Seahawks 21
TC: The Legion of Boom doesn’t quite have the same pop they once had but they played quite well against MVP candidate Matthew Stafford and the Lions. Thomas Rawls established himself as a force to be reckoned with. The Seahawks, however, are not playing the Lions this week. They are playing a juggernaut offense that scorched the league this year with MVP favorite Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. The key matchup that will decide this game will be pass rushing star Vic Beasley and his impact against the porous Seattle offensive line. Wilson, healthier now then he has been all year, took some hits against Detroit and until the Seahawks prove that they can protect him, they won’t be able to keep up with the lofty offensive numbers that the Falcons put up. Falcons 28, Seahawks 17
Steelers vs. Chiefs
BD: I’ve searched the Merriam-Webster Dictionary from A to Z and I can’t find the words to describe the sheer dominance of Le’Veon Bell. He carved up the Dolphins run defense on Sunday, and he averaged eight yards per carry in the first game between these two teams. Ben Roethlisberger’s injury could be problematic, but there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be in action come gametime. With Antonio Brown finally at the top of his game, the Steelers have a stellar offense that will give any defensive coordinator nightmares. Stud Chiefs pass-rusher Justin Houston has the ability to make a game-changing play, but he’ll have a tough challenge ahead of him. As Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden said, “sacking Ben Roethlisberger is like sacking an oak tree.” Big plays from Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce will keep the game close, but Pittsburgh will get the job done. Then, they can enjoy some fresh-cooked Kansas City barbecue before they depart. Steelers 27, Chiefs 21
CVL: This will be an interesting one, as Big Ben leads his Pittsburgh squad into Arrowhead Stadium to take on the AFC West champions. The Chiefs’s excellent secondary has successfully shut down strong passing offenses like Oakland’s throughout the regular season, but the Steelers have an excellent ground game with Le’Veon Bell running the ball in addition to their strong passing attack. In order to lead his team to the AFC Championship, Alex Smith will have to stay cool under pressure and remain consistent throughout four quarters of playoff football. I believe that the Steelers offense is more than qualified to produce multiple scoring drives in a very competitive game, while their defense will remind football fans that Alex Smith is, well, Alex Smith. Steelers 24, Chiefs 21
JS: Baily, I’ve searched the Merriam-Webster Dictionary from A to Z and under the word fast, there’s a blur outline of Tyreek Hill. I guarantee that he will have more total yards than Le’Veon Bell in this game and will be the x-factor that the Chiefs have been missing in past years. Hill, along with Kelce, will lead Andy Reid’s team to victory in this one. Chiefs 28, Steelers 21
JK: I believe this game will be one of pure competition and resilience. Somehow, the Chiefs seem to show up every week and play their hearts out. However, in my lifetime I have not seen an offense that has been as good as Pittsburgh. Bell, Brown, and Big Ben makes the “Killer B’s” so dominant this year. The question remains whether or not the Chiefs D can control them, and if Kansas City’s running back Spencer Ware can have another solid game. I think the Steelers should win this game, but don’t expect the Chiefs to fall without a fight. Steelers 31, Chiefs 17.
TC: Houston (the home of Super Bowl 51) may have a problem, and that problem is Justin Houston. The Chiefs will be getting their premier pass rusher back after he missed the last two games and has been limited the entire season. Look no further than to last year’s Super Bowl to see how pass rushers can win playoff games for a team (hello Von Miller). By this logic, the Chiefs have the edge, especially with Houston’s return and the presence of Dee Ford and Tamba Hali. Couple this with the fact that Roethlisberger may not be 100% and the Steelers may be in trouble. Where I could see the Steelers having success is with running the ball as the Chiefs have not been great at defending the run this year. And that may be enough as Le’Veon Bell has shown time and time again that he can step up in the big moment. Honestly I could see this game going either way. But with the talented pass rushers, strong secondary and amazing offensive playmakers on the Chiefs, I see them pulling out what has the potential to be a great game. Chiefs 31, Steelers 28
Packers vs. Cowboys
BD: With the exception of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” and Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”, the most famous quote in American history is Aaron Rodgers’ Week 11 declaration that the Packers would “run the table.” In the regular season, they did just that. In the first round of the playoffs, they got one step closer to fully running said table. Rodgers is playing the best football of his career, as he has thrown 22 touchdowns and remarkably has not thrown an interception in his last eight games. Now, if Jordy Nelson can’t play, it would certainly increase the challenge for the Packers. And yes, Dallas’ stout run defense will be able to shut down the “two-headed monster” of Christine Michael and Ty Montgomery. But Aaron Rodgers is simply on another galaxy right now; not even America’s team can stop him and his high-flying offense. Packers 28, Cowboys 27.
CVL: The dynamic pairing of Dallas rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will be a hard task for Green Bay’s defense to handle, especially with the excellent Cowboy offensive line supporting them. Aaron Rodgers played an excellent game against the Giants last weekend, but the potential loss of Jordy Nelson will make winning in Dallas difficult. Rodgers will have take advantage of his remaining weapons and play the game of his life to continue Green Bay’s playoff run, and Dak Prescott cannot let the playoff pressure get to him and must exploit Green Bay’s mediocre secondary to win his first playoff game. Rodgers will elevate his own play in the absence of his star receiver and continue to drive up the score, and Prescott’s playoff inexperience will get to him in crunch time, causing him to struggle in a game that he is expected to win. Packers 31, Cowboys 24.
JS: Zeke is boutta eat up this weekend and run right through the Packers’ swiss cheese defense. Everyone on this panel is delusional if they think the Packers are going to win in AT&T Stadium. There’s no chance the Packers are going to win with a beat up Jordy Nelson and below average defense against the powerhouse ‘Boys. All in all, I’m embarrassed to say I was involved in this panel full of amateurs. Cowboys 34, Packers 21.
JK: It is very clear that the Cowboys are a phenomenal team. If you aren’t aware, check out Skip Bayless and go stay in Dallas during football weekend. Will the Packers hold them off? Obviously not. Look, Green Bay is hot, and Rodgers is looking like an MVP throughout the last four games. However, the Cowboys have the best O-line, a top three running back, and quarterback Dak Prescott looking like a veteran leader out there. It will be extremely hard to contain the Cowboys, not just in this game, but in the entire playoffs. Everyone is against the Cowboys, but I assure you, they will beat the Cheeseheads. Look for Ezekiel Elliott to get at least two touchdowns and Ty Montgomery to have over 100 all purpose yards. Cowboys 31, Packers 21.
TC: I’m glad I discount double checked Rodgers this year. At the beginning of this year he was nominal and people began to doubt his talent. But his play after the Packers lost four straight games has helped move the Packers into one of the most high flying offenses in the league. I am not going to make the same mistake of sleeping on the Packers as I did in last week’s video. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are going to put up some points, and the Dallas defense is are very underrated group, but I think that Rodgers playoff experience and his MVP caliber play of late will prove too much for the Boys in Arlington. The cheeseheads will advance. Packers 31, Cowboys 21
