Divisional Round Review: AFC

Houston Texans vs Baltimore Ravens

This is the outcome almost no one saw coming (unless you either like the Titans or are a Lamar Jackson detractor). The Titans went into Baltimore and beat the Ravens 28-12 and seemed to have control over the game from the first Baltimore possession. Henry continued on his unstoppable tour and ran for 195 yards on 30 carries. He ran around, threw and even made some Baltimore defenders look silly in the game. Henry, at one point, even made All-Pro, Earl Thomas, look like his lead block on a 22-yard run. Tannehill again didn’t throw for more than 100 yards, but this time around he made his limited throws count even more by tossing two scores. Then, for good measure, added a rushing score to put the game away. The Titans defense played remarkably well again a seemingly unstoppable rushing attack that had confused and bewildered many opponents all season long. The Ravens not only let themselves get beat, but added on by beating themselves all game.

Lamar Jackson, the MVP frontrunner for most of the year, threw a few too many errant passes. He turned the ball over three times (two interceptions and a fumble lost). Granted one interception was from a tipped pass off his reliable tight ends’ hands, but the second was just a forced error of a guy trying to do too much while losing. The fumble was a bad judgment to not scramble when there were no receivers open. Instead, he held on too long and got a strip-sack for his mistake. While Lamar did accrue over 500 total yards of offense, 365 through the air and 143 on the ground, it was on a night when he just couldn’t find the endzone for most of the evening. Not all of the blame can be placed on the quarterback though as his receivers didn’t want to help much. There were seven dropped passes and a few that either would have been first downs or touchdowns.

The blitz-happy defense gives up two touchdowns through the air on bad mistakes by the secondary, while the run defense was a shell of itself against a foe they knew was coming. All week long everyone in the nation knew that you needed to stop Henry, but they didn’t get the job done. Lastly, the overall effort on this Ravens team looked suspect and closer to the end looked to be all but gone. A team that had run off 12 straight victories and got a first-round bye, looked rusty and like they didn’t show up to play. Again, let’s give the Titans their credit for playing an efficient and smart game, but the Ravens just helped them win any chance they could it seemed. 

Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs

What a game, the first half of this game was like none other I or most people have seen before. A team on the road came in and went up by 24 points early in the first quarter and looked to have this game in the bag. Then the 2018 version of the Chiefs said we will not falter, and we will not quit. Starting in the second quarter the Chiefs went on a run like no other team in the playoffs by scoring on seven straight possessions after that and only allowing one touchdown to the Texans the rest of the game.

The Chiefs ended up turning a 24-point deficit into a 20 point rout, the first time that has happened to a team in the playoffs. You can point to many things that helped their cause. Whether it was the brilliance of Patrick Mahomes throwing four touchdowns in a quarter, the second time this has happened in the playoff ever. You can look at the stops on special teams including a key fourth and four fake punts that failed for the Texans or on the ensuing kickoff a fumble by Deandre Carter to give the Chiefs the ball back inside the 20. Yet, the main reason for this comeback turned rout is the will of the Chiefs to find a way to win and win big while the Texans shrunk under the bright lights in the playoffs. Mahomes and his track squad team ended the game with over 300 yards through the air and 5 touchdowns.

While the Texans ended the game with one touchdown and multiple turnovers on downs and punts. The Texans offense stalled and looked to be outmatched after a while against a Chiefs defense that had reinvented themselves throughout the year. While the Texans defense turned from a force in the wildcard round to a land of misfit toys that couldn’t run with elite athletes all night. 

Summary

When the championship game comes around next week, we will see just who is the best in the AFC. Will it be a Chiefs team that can score at will and dominate over everyone by being better athletes? Or will it be the dominant old school team with the moose that runs like a deer? Personally, I can’t wait to see just who will show the real side of themselves and who shrinks the closer we get to the Superbowl.

-By: Darren Braxton

Divisional Round Preview: AFC

Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens

This is a matchup most people didn’t see coming. Last week we saw the Titans knock off the Patriots and possible end one of the greatest dynasties in NFL history. Now the Titans are on a mission to knockoff another juggernaut in the Ravens of this year. This Ravens team has been dominating almost everyone they have played this year. Lamar Jackson is the MVP frontrunner and a breaker of numerous franchise and league records. He also leads a team that has rushed for more yards than any team in NFL history. You accompany that with a defense that has only been getting better as the season goes on and you got a team that is looking very scary after two weeks of resting up. On the other hand, the Titans have just been battle-tested in the wild card round against a solid New England defense through sheer Henry power. Derrick Henry, the league leader in rushing, accounted for 182 yards on the ground and 72% of the total offense for the Titans. They learned they can lean on him and a defense that is highly underrated at times to win. While not only can they do that, but when things open up more for the offense, they have an above-average quarterback that is playing excellent of late and a rising star at receiver. The combination of them is almost as scary as the Ravens. The keyword in that sentence is almost though, the Titans are good, but they aren’t the Ravens. The Titans have shown they can lose of recently, while the Ravens haven’t loss in three months. There is a reason one is coming off a bye with a 14-2 record while the other is on the road all postseason long. If I was a betting man, I would put my money on a well-rested team that is hungry for one thing and one thing only, a Superbowl. For them, everything else they have achieved is just a byproduct to get where they want to be. 

Tennessee 16 – Baltimore 34

Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs

This is a rematch that most people are going to like to see. This should be an offensive matchup that just might be a shootout. The last matchup in week 6 saw the Texans come out on top, yet a lot has changed since then. Let’s start with the two teams’ defenses. The Chiefs defense is completely different from before. They finally have their biggest issue under control when it comes to stopping the run. They haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since Week 14, and because of that the defense has been making more turnovers and allowing fewer points. They also haven’t allowed over 21 points since week 12. This defense is playing faster, smarter and harder than most teams in the league. The Texans defense is starting to look like themselves again since the return of All-Pro J.J. Watt has given them a boost and got the turnovers and sacks coming at a solid rate. While they are still having some lapses in coverage, overall, they are good. On the other hand, Patrick Mahomes is back to his MVP self while the offense is just humming along with the aerial weapons and a ground game that has found its rhythm. On the flip side, the Texans have a potent attack both by the air and ground, yet they have a fatal flaw that can hurt them against any team, they don’t have a reliable line. Last week they gave up seven sacks to the Bills vaunted defense and looked like a line made of swiss cheese at times. If this matchup is going to be even, then the Texans need to get the line under control and the Chiefs need that defense to hold off the ground game. In a tough matchup, I’m going with the Chiefs to hold up better in the end. 

Houston 17 – Kansas City 27

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interview

NFL Playoff Wildcard Predictions: AFC Edition

Buffalo Bills vs Houston Texans 

• This matchup is an intriguing one, to say the least. You have a potent offense against a defense that is legitimately a threat. Deshaun Watson and his arsenal of weapons including Hopkins, Stills, and Fuller are a dangerous matchup for any team. You throw in a complementary running game with Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson Jr. you got an offense that can score at will when fully healthy. On the flip side, you have a defense that has shown to have some of the best pass defense in the league led by Tre’Davious White who leads the league in interceptions this year with six. You mix in a front seven that can stop the run and rush the passer with the best of them and we got a real battle of offense versus defense. Unfortunately, this is not the real key to winning, the key to winning is whose opposite strength can win over the matchup. If it was up to me, I would bet money on the Houston defense holding off the Bills offense. Josh Allen might have a few good throws and runs, but for the most part, the offense will get stalled. 

My Prediction: Bills 17, Texans 28

Tennessee Titans vs New England Patriots

• Here we go again with another former coach/player of Belichick versus the man himself. These matchups aren’t always so fun for Belichick of recent. In the last two years, he has lost three games of that variety. Even with the recent track record, Belichick in the playoffs is a different animal on its own. He is known for taking away the one thing you do best, in the Titans cases, it’s the running game. Derrick Henry versus a very stout rush defense should be the main matchup, while the secondary one is just as important, the Patriots offense versus the Titans defense. The Pats offense has struggled all year and of late, they have been surviving off of gadget plays and trick plays. The Titans defense has been an under the radar defense when it comes to stops and turnovers. I can see it now, a defensive battle that comes down to who can make the most key plays in the end. My money is always going to be on the Patriots unless they face the Ravens or the Giants. Those two teams just seem to know how to stop the Patriots in the playoffs.  

My Prediction: Titans 20, Patriots 24

-By: Darren Baxton

Writer/Interviewer