AFC Divisional Round Preview
Chiefs vs Steelers
The Steelers travel to Kansas City in what should be a tough game for both sides. The Chiefs' defense is tasked with stopping the three-headed beast in Brown, Bell and Ben. That in and of itself is a task accomplished by few. The Chiefs offense meanwhile, is not very exciting until Tyreek Hill has the ball in his hands. The kid is electric with the ball, and the Steelers would be wise to key in on the main playmaker for the Chiefs. The Chiefs' other playmaker on offense is their big tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce finished the season with the 2nd most receptions and most yards receiving for tight ends. The Chiefs also have home field advantage, coupled with a great defense. The Chiefs should win in this one. The Steelers don’t have enough playmakers on defense to get the job done. If the Chiefs win, it will be because the Steelers hurt themselves with turnovers or missed opportunities.
Verdict: Chiefs Advance to the AFC championship
Patriots vs Texans
In one of my three missed picks last week, the Texans rolled to an easy victory against the Raiders. Connor Cook was worse than I had imagined he would be, but the Texans defense looked like one of the better defensive squads in the playoffs. Couple that with the fact that the Brocket Launcher played pretty mistake-free and the Texans walked away victorious. This weekend, things will not go anywhere near the same for the Texans. The Patriots open up against a team they utterly destroyed in week three 27-0. (Side note about that game, Jacoby Brissett was the starting quarterback for the Patriots). This game doesn’t require much thinking; the Patriots in Foxborough are tough to beat, and the team they are playing is significantly less experienced. Also, Tom is on a mission, and when he’s on a mission, he’s hard to stop.
Verdict: Patriots advance to the AFC Championship