THE CANNIBALISM OF ANDREW LUCK / THE SHOWDOWN OF DESTINY IN THE BIG EASY AND PHILLIP RIVERS REDEMPTION?

    Here we are: the Divisional Playoffs. We covered the Rams v Cowboys in our last installment and now we cover the remaining three match-ups in what should be one of the most entertaining installments of the Divisional round in recent memory.
 
EAGLES V SAINTS

  The Eagles and the Saints both feel like teams of destiny: the Eagles are coming off of a magical Super Bowl run we all saw and know about, yet have turned it on lately in the clutch with a gutty 4th down and goal / winner take all play to continue their quest to defend their Super Bowl; while the Saints possess one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, surely one of the most clever head coaches in modern football and a reinvigorated, rampant defense to back Drew Brees up.
         And not to mention, both of these teams have won the Super Bowl since 2009.
         Don't even talk about the Saints destruction of the Eagles in the regular season: they were two different teams then and that Saints victory has no bearing on what will transpire this weekend.
       The fact they've both been there, both teams have had to battle in clutch situations to pull it out and both the Eagles and Saints defend, as well as score, you've got to think this game will be A true test of the heart condition of both sets of fans and a true riot for neutral viewers.

        Don't sleep on the beasts of the NFC East who just squeezed through a fantastic Chicago defense. The Eagles can win in New Orleans, especially if the blueprint of the Chicago game goes the same way in The Superdome.
      If the Eagles defensive front ( led by all pro Fletcher Cox who had 3 sacks vs my Redskins in Week 17) can disrupt the short passing game rhythm of Brees to Kamara, the Saints will have to go to Ingram quick, which will slow the pace of the game down.   

   Foles isn't Mahomes or Goff: He doesn't need millions of possessions to hurt the opponent; also, the Saints don't really want to control or dictate terms beyond scoring as much as they humanly can, while gashing the Eagles front, opening up the passing game later on, due to Cox, former Seahawk Michael Bennett and journeyman and My Morning Jacket Superfan Chris Long getting weakened and worn down from the mix of bludgeoning Ingram runs up the gut and screens and pitches wide to Alvin Kamara.
       This won't be some track meet of a game, but it will be fast and furious...mostly, intense.
      Nick Foles will find Zach Ertz early and often: a matchup problem from hell for these New Orleans Saints, who's struggles on defense usually manifests itself through their weak coverage abilities.
       But this game comes down to which coach is willing to roll the dice....repeatedly in an effort not to give extra possessions (this is especially a factor for the Eagles in either A) avoiding an early, unassailable lead from Brees and co. ,
or B) to stop the destruction of their defensive front's lung capacity).

      4th down conversions, fake field goals or punts, or something else entirely (but wacky nonetheless) will go down thanks to either the Eagles Doug Pederson (the most likely after his 'Philly Special' 4th down play was the most insane call in a Super Bowl) or the Saints longtime coach Sean Payton (who only pulled off the second craziest call in a Super Bowl) putting their cards on the table and going for the win.
       Fortune favors the brave, especially when you're on the road in New Orleans....but I can't pick the Eagles. Philadelphia will have a fantastic showing, they'll score the points, make some sacks, even intercept Brees, but they won't be able to recover from a few early mistakes and undisciplined penalties from their defense, which will give the Saints a "run out the clock" victory.

PREDICTION:
Saints win 31-23


CHIEFS V COLTS

         Much has been made about Patrick Mahomes and his high flying Chiefs offense plummeting since the violence against women committed by all-pro running back Kareem Hunt, His dismissal from the team and the cold weather of post October games.

       I feel the weather has been a factor, sure, but even more, this is about the loss of Hunt.
      The Chiefs organization did something courageous in modern NFL history: they said NO to an all pro player and publicly denounced his ridiculous, brutal kicking of a woman in a hotel lobby, didn't cover it up, instead didn't stand in TMZ's way of releasing the video and sent him packing.
       It's a fantastic example for the league, though one that easily points out why most teams don't do what Kansas City did: it has hurt the team on the field beyond measure. Mahomes is getting sacked more, as teams key on him and realize he is the one main threat KC has in the absence of their all pro running back. Hunt could do it all: He could pass protect with the best of them, He can catch out of the backfield and burst through the lines, he could also run powerfully as well as with finesse.

            Indianapolis will have one job to complete on defense: get to Patrick Mahomes. If Hunt were still on the team and didn't commit such heinous acts, Kansas City's dual attack most surely wouldn't be a fun outing for any defense.
      We saw that through the first 10 games.
       Although with former LSU running back Spencer Ware marked as questionable for the game (along with former Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins, a huge asset to lose on offense against the Colts), the running game will have to lean on a litany of workhorses and unknowns including another Former LSU running back Darrel Williams or same-name brotha of a different dame Damien Williams; both have been solid lately.
      It's safe to say the running game for Kansas City may be through the air, dumping it underneath to Travis Kelce, over and over again. If the Chiefs can distort rookie genius linebacker Darius Leonard into busted coverages, or tying him close to the line to stop the run, the Chiefs can exploit that. However, to do this, they must consistently run the football.
      I don't see it.

      I see the Chiefs playing listlessly while Andrew Luck and T.Y Hilton carve their defense (who would be boosted by the presence of safety Eric Berry, currently listed as "questionable" as well).  The Colts secondary is also stout and full of gamers who punish receivers over the middle and in the short game, yet they were barely tested against Houston.
       Though, I feel Frank Reich's Colts will go into Kansas City and win this one.  The Chiefs are too one dimensional.

PREDICTION:
Colts win 23-14


CHARGERS V PATRIOTS

        The Patriots haven't been good all year, yet they still have Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Gronk despite not having his heart into it as much and coach Belichick (hopefully with his sabotage of Brady from last year's Super Bowl out of his system).

        Yet there's no togetherness, there's no pulse from this group of players, there's almost no fight.
         I don't believe in their defense, I don't feel they're in this for each other...They already have rings. 
         I don't know what this game means to them...or if all it means is an End of An Era...

Sure, Brady wants revenge for last year's Super Bowl loss, yet that fire that fuels his anger is more directed towards his relationship with Coach Belichick, rather than some burning hatred of the Eagles or a desire to even the score for his legacy. 
             The camaraderie is gone.

       Even if it was never there to begin with, the handling of the team's business this season has been odd to say the least.  Sure, they are 8-0 at home this season, yet they have shown some disastrous discipline on defense and the offense has stagnated or ascended purely on the will of Brady.
       It's too Bradydependent.
     
      And this Bradydependence is going to haunt them as the much better, deeper, more physical and high octane LA Chargers come into their house and will beat them.
       This has been a long time coming for Phillip Rivers, he's been waiting a long time to get over the hump that is Tom Brady and finally get to a Super Bowl. We must point out that the numbers don't back him: He's 0-2 vs Brady in the postseason and 0-7 altogether against the Patriots.
     Yet, we get a feeling from his insane (or maybe gutsy) 2007 AFC Championship game appearance where he played on a torn ACL (which was surgically repaired only days after it was torn against the Colts in the previous round) that this is Rivers' moment:

Rivers in the RCA Dome in the 2007 AFC Divisional Playoff game vs the Colts after tearing his ACL. He would have a surgery only a day later and play a week after in Foxboro in what has been called one of the gutsiest performances of all time.

     He has the team, He has the coach in Anthony Lynn who's done a brutally awesome job, Rivers has his extra weapon in tight end Hunter Henry back to add to the arsenal already there of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, running back Melvin Gordon who's slightly more effective than he is healthy and all pro veteran Antonio Gates; he has the violent, impressive defense led by Derwin James who will make a host of plays against Brady in this game.

      And more than anything, Rivers has never let go of that aching feeling from that 2007 loss. The undefeated Patriots weren't that good during that title game and the Chargers, if they'd had LaDainian Tomlinson (injured) and a fully healthy Phillip Rivers, may have been the team history discusses when it talks about what team finally beat those "undefeated" 2007 Patriots team.
     Brady will be forced into the passing game early, but this will be disrupted by the mixed up, bizarre but effectively confusing blitz schemes of Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The secondary of the Chargers will interchange with the linebackers forcing Brady into passes he thinks are going to a receiver covered by a linebacker, but Is then switched to a safety or a corner with the linebacker that was in coverage now blitzing in Brady's face.
     You never bet against Brady, eh?
     Well I am and it's all to do with the fantastic all around team that the Chargers are: easily one of the two best teams left in the playoffs. Phillip Rivers has waited a decade plus for this moment and now he has it: it isn't the AFC Championship game yet, but Rivers and his Chargers will play like it is, while the carousel of egos, weathered relationships and a listless defense and up costing the Patriots big time.

PREDICTION:
Chargers win 25-21
     

Tell us what you think, who will win, if we've got this right or if we're insane.
See you on the other side.