There are only seven games left in the NFL season, including Super Bowl LIX on February 9th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans. This weekend is the Divisional Round, which I think is the best weekend of the season. It’s when the top eight teams are supposedly still in the running – this year I think they really are – and it’s also the last weekend with games on two days. On Saturday, the first game is Houston vs. Chiefs, a rematch of a game played about a month ago, which the Chiefs won 27-19. In the second game, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders visit the Detroit Lions. Interestingly, the Lions and Texans are the only two teams left that have never been to a Super Bowl.
AFC’s with Familiar Faces in the Playoffs
The other two games on Sunday include the Eagles hosting the Rams, the two teams with the most playoff appearances among the eight remaining teams. In the final game of the divisional round, the Ravens visit the Bills. Back in Week 4, the Ravens easily defeated the Bills 35-10 at home. The matchup between these two MVP candidates promises to be the most entertaining of the four matchups. Interestingly, the same four AFC teams that reached this stage last year are back, although the pairings are different. Last season, the Ravens had MVP Lamar Jackson, who this year has even better quarterback stats, the best record in the league, and led his team to eliminate the Texans in the divisional round. This came on the heels of rookie C.J. Stroud’s similarly underdog win over the Browns in the Wild Card Round, as well as last Saturday’s win over the Chargers.
In the other game, the Chiefs defeated the Bills 27-24 with two touchdowns from Travis Kelce. This year, we could see a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game, which I predict will happen. The difference this time is that the game will be played in Kansas City. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – let’s enjoy these exciting matchups first. It will be only the second time since the divisions were last realigned in 2002 that the same four teams will reach the Divisional Round in consecutive seasons. The first and only time was in 2012 and 2013 when Tom Brady’sNew England Patriots, Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, Joe Flacco’s Baltimore Ravens and J.J. Watt’s Houston Texans accomplished the feat. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl in 2012, while the Ravens won it in 2013.
History and Superstition on Baltimore’s Side
Interestingly, those AFC Championship Games were between the Patriots and the Ravens. Since the Chiefs are the new Patriots, this could be a good omen for Baltimore. Additionally, another trend is working in the Ravens’ favor. In 2001, the Ravens won the Super Bowl with 28-year-old Trent Dilfer at quarterback, scoring exactly 34 points to defeat the New York Giants. Twelve years later, in 2013, Baltimore won again with 28-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback, scoring exactly 34 points to beat the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans-the same site of this year’s Super Bowl. And guess what? Lamar Jackson is 28 years old, too.
But, of course, these are just superstitions. Realistically, both the Bills and Ravens will probably have to go through Mahomes to get to the Super Bowl, where I predict they’ll face either the Lions or the Eagles. What a fantastic set of games we have left in these playoffs!
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