COLUMN: NFL divisional round playoff predictions

Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers- Saturday 4:35 p.m. on NBC

The Vikings come into this game after a shocking upset win over the Saints in overtime, while the 49ers come into this game fresh as they were off with a wild-card round bye. The Vikings got the upset win last week by getting in Drew Brees’ face, stopping the run and capitalizing off the Saint’s mistakes. I think the Vikings will try to do the same thing to San Francisco, but I think the 49ers’ defense will shut down the Vikings’ offense. The Vikings defense won’t be able to stop George Kittle, and the 49ers will win big.

49ers 34-Vikings 17  

Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens- Saturday 8:15 p.m. on CBS

Similar to the Vikings game, the Titans come into this game after pulling off a big upset over the Patriots despite only throwing for 72 yards and only scoring two offensive touchdowns. Last week, the Titans won primarily because of running back Derrick Henry. Derrick Henry ran for over 182 yards last week and got 204 of Tennesee’s 272 yards. Basically, he’s their entire offense, and the Titans win when Derrick Henry has a huge game. Even if Derrick Henry has a big game like he did last week, they still have a tall task against the Ravens. 

The Ravens come off a wildcard round bye after having the best regular-season record in the NFL. The Ravens are led by the star quarterback and favorite to win the MVP Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson had 43 total touchdowns this year along with 1200 rushing yards. The Ravens offense is hard to stop, but the Titans have the defense to do it. The Titans will keep this game close, but ultimately, the Ravens will stop Henry enough to win the game

Ravens 27-Titans 14

Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Texans come into the game with an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in dramatic fashion by kicking a game-winning field goal. The Texans trailed 16-0 last week before Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson took over the game and led the comeback win. The Chiefs come off a wildcard round bye after finishing second in the AFC.  Last year’s MVP Patrick Mahomes might not be putting up the numbers that he put up last year but he still has put his team in a good position. Patrick Mahomes looks to seek revenge against the Texans who beat them earlier this year. I think the Chiefs rebound from their loss to the Texans earlier this year, and they win the game.

Chiefs 27-Texans 17

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

The Seahawks come into this game with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Seattle’s rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf came up big last week with 160 yards and one touchdown. Green Bay comes in off a wild-card round bye with a 13-3 record and the second seed in the NFC. Aaron Rodgers comes into the playoffs with another 4,000 yard passing game.   Many people consider the Packers as the worst 13-3 record in recent history, but they have a lot to prove this weekend. I think the Packers will prove themselves this week and do just enough to win.

Packers 27-Seahawks 24