NFL Playoffs

Most sports fans in the USA are talking about what's happening right now... the NFL Playoffs. I'm really excited about this. What I was disappointed about is the Buffalo Bills beating my team, the New York Jets, in Week 17. That got the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs with a win against the terrible Cleveland Browns. The Carolina Panthers this season were unbelievable, as they finished the season with only one loss. The Arizona Cardinals clinched their third division title in eight years. The New England Patriots gave up their first seed position to the Denver Broncos when the Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins... yeesh! I thought the Patriots would be one of the most feared teams this season, but in the end they are slumpin' and losin'.
Here are the rounds (the winning teams in the rounds are marked in bold):
Wild Card Champsionship:
AFC:
(3) Cincinnati Bengals - 16 vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers - 18
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Recap: Earlier, Bengals QB Andy Dalton was injured in Week 14. Ironically, in that game, the Bengals were playing against the Steelers. The Bengals came in with backup QB AJ McCarron. The Steelers scored 15 straight points in the first 3 quarters. Steelers starting QB Ben Roethlisberger was injured but he came back in the game. The Steelers used their backup QB Landry Jones for the remainder of the game. The Bengals tried to come back and scored 16 unanswered points. With seconds left in the game, the Steelers scored a field goal to have them win and face the Broncos.
(4) Houston Texans - 0 vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs - 30
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Recap: So yeah, that just happened... unexpected to Texans fans. And it maddened them. Texans QB Brian Hoyer had a horrible performance, throwing interceptions and getting sacked... giving the win to the Chiefs, led by QB Alex Smith. Playoff shutouts aren't common, but this one is huge, and the Chiefs have now won 11 straight games as they move on to face the Patriots.
NFC:
(3) Minnesota Vikings - 9 vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks - 10
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Recap: The Seahawks came into the game without their star RB Marshawn Lynch, who is still recovering from abdomen surgery. The Vikings thought they had it, until the 4th quarter. Vikings kicker Blair Walsh kicked three out of four field goals, and the first three gave the Vikings a 9-0 lead within three quarters. The Seahawks got on the board when QB Russell Wilson made a 3 yard pass to WR Doug Baldwin for a touchdown, and the Seahawks added on to the scoring with kicker Steven Hauschka kicking for an extra point after the touchdown and a field goal. Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater was sacked twice in the 4th quarter, once by LB Bobby Wagner and once by LB Bruce Irvin. The Seahawks move on to face the Panthers.
(4) Washington Redskins - 18 vs. (5) Green Bay Packers - 35
FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Recap: The Redskins came into the game clinching the NFC East title after a win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. The Packers started slow in the 1st quarter, with QB Aaron Rodgers sacked in the end zone for a safety and Dustin Hopkins kicking a field goal. After going up 11-0 when TE Jordan Reed scored a touchdown, the Packers began their comeback. They made such domination to force the Redskins to score 7 points in the 3rd quarter and none in the 4th, as the Packers outplayed the Redskins in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters. With the Packers winning the game, the home teams in the playoffs so far are 0-4. The Packers move on to face the Cardinals.
Divisional Championship:
AFC:
(1) Denver Broncos - 23 vs. (6) Pittsburgh Steelers - 16
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Recap: The Broncos earned the first seed in the AFC because of their defense. And their defense made many of the biggest plays in this game to send them to the AFC Championship. Broncos FS Bradley Roby's forced fumble of Steelers RB Fitzgerald Toussaint made a game changer in the 4th quarter, and Broncos OLB DeMarcus Ware pressured Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to prevent the Steelers from tying the game. Broncos QB Peyton Manning avoided big mistakes in the game, surving five drops from his receivers, and made the biggest throw of the game when he absolutely needed it. The Broncos defense kept a passing game alive, forcing a huge turnover in the 4th quarter, and then Manning came up with some huge 4th quarter heroics. The Broncos have made big comebacks throughout the year and have a lot of confidence in their ability to close out tight finishes. The Broncos are used to these sort of games. One of them came against their AFC title foe, the New England Patriots. The Steelers will be kicking themselves for not taking advantage of opportunities. They had 396 total yards in this game against the best defense in the NFL, but they couldn't finish drives. Their second drive of the game finished with a 30 yard touchdown in a 4th and 1. A penalty took the Steelers out of field goal range in a 4th quarter drive. Broncos CB Aqib Talib broke up a pass in the goal line to force a field goal for the Steelers. Toussaint's fumble set up Manning's heroics. WR Martavis Bryant led the Steelers with 154 receiving yards and 40 rushing yards. Steelers' WR Antonio Brown is suffering a concussion and that left the team wondering "What if?" all offseason. The Steelers looked one offensive play short for much of the game. Roethlisberger was too much not often in the same page as WR Markus Wheaton. RB CJ Anderson earned a bigger share of the Broncos' backfield with a superior performance. He broke free with a 34 yard run and ran tougher than RB Ronnie Hillman. Anderson finished the game after Hillman struggled early, gaining only 38 yards in 16 carries. Steelers OLB James Harrison, OLB Jarvis Jones, and ILB Lawrence Timmons were all standouts Sunday, and weren't good enough to carry their team on their own. The Broncos scores 6 cheap points early because of the poor performance of the Steelers' special teams. The Broncos advance to the AFC Championship game.
(2) New England Patriots - 27 vs. (5) Kansas City Chiefs - 20
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Recap: The 11 game winning streak from the Chiefs came to an end as they lost to the Patriots. The Patriots called 11 consecutive passing plays in their opening posession, as the first touchdown was scored by TE Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots passed the ball 42 times and rushed 10 times (excluding QB kneel-downs). The Chiefs hung around for four quarters and had several chances that they threatened to win. But they could never make the play, as they had missed opportunities in defense. The Patriots completed 13 consecutive passes at one point and finished the game with three touchdowns, two from Gronkwoski and one from QB Tom Brady. Before the game, it was rumored that Gronkowski had back and knee injuries but it was said that he is ok to play. Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin had a high ankle sprain, causing him to not be himself and weakened the Chiefs' offense. The Patriots had Chiefs' TE Travis Kelce on the check. Chiefs' OLB Justin Houston was a non-factor, as he is suffering a knee injury. The first sack of the game came 2 minutes in the 4th quarter, when Patriots' DE Chandler Jones took down Chiefs' QB Alex Smith. Jones also forced a fumble that killed a Chiefs drive deep into Patriots' territory. Jones left the game with a knee injury, along with LBs Jamie Collins (back) and Jerod Mayo (shoulder). The Chiefs' comeback fell short, and the Patriots advance to the AFC Championship game for the 5th straight time.
NFC:
(1) Carolina Panthers - 31 vs. (6) Seattle Seahawks - 24
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Recap: The Panthers jumped out a 31-0 lead in the 1st half and survived a 2nd half comeback attempt by the Seahawks to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time in 10 years. Remniscient of the Seahawks' blowout of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, the first half was comprehensive dismantling of an inferior opponent on the opening snap, when Panthers' RB Jonathan Stewart broke through the second line of the Seahawks defense for a 59 yard run. DTs Star Lotulelei and Kawann short dominated in the line of scrimmage, forcing Seahawks QB Russell Wilson throwing an interception to LB Luke Kuechly. Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said that his biggest concern was his team's ability to finish games. This was an issue for the Panthers against the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants, and it happened again Sunday afternoon. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw three unanswered touchdowns and kicker Steven Hauschka with a field goal. The Seahawks will point to the time zone and poor footing for their slow start. To their credit, they did not tap out in the 2nd half despite their 31 point defict after the 1st half. Stewart became the first RB to rush for 100 yards against the Seahawks' defense in 27 games despite his foot tweaking early in the game. If this was the end of the Marshawn Lynch era in Seattle, it was an anti-climatic encore. RB Marshawn Lynch was forced to only 20 yards in six carries in this game. He has looked a step slower all season and was an easy target for defenders. The Seahawks can turn this backfield to rookie RB Thomas Rawls. Panthers QB Cam Newton only missed six throws in this game, but his 19 yard touchdown pass to TE Greg Olsen was an example of throwing a receiver open in cramped quarters. Newton has been the most improved passer this season, with 27 touchdowns verson 3 interceptions since Week 9. For the second time in the past month, the Seahawks never held a lead at any point of the game. Prior to December, Wilson had a lead in every one of his 70 career starts. This NFC Championship will mark the third time the Panthers and Cardinals will face each other in the playoffs.
(2) Arizona Cardinals - 26 vs. (5) Green Bay Packers - 20 (OT)
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Recap: The Packers' season ended in overtime for the second straight year. A stunning Hail Mary throw by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and an unbelievable catch by WR Jeff Janis forced an overtime in this game. Cardinals QB Carson Palmer spun out of pressure avoiding sacks from LBs Clay Matthews and Mike Neal to pass the ball to WR Larry Fitzgerald for a 75 yard run deep into Packers' territory. The game was a load of ironic plays, most of them from Aaron Rodgers. He passed the football for 58 yards at one point to avoid a 4th and 20 with a Hail Mary. Credit goes to Janis, who shielded the ball from Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson. The ref at the beginning of overtime failed to flip the coin in the coin toss the first time. The Cardinals threw a pass at the end of the 4th quarter to have Aaron Rodgers give more time to work the game-tying drive. Palmer fought bravely on a night that wasn't his, but his team survived despite him struggling through all four quarters. Packers' head coach Mike McCarthy lost seven playoff games with him as head coach. After WR Randall Cobb left the game with a chest injury, the Packers are now missing FOUR of their top receiving targets from a year ago, including WR Jordy Nelson. The name "Jeff Janis" did not inspire much Packers fans before Saturday night, but he made a pair of amazing catches. Before Saturday night, Janis had four catches for 95 yards but no touchdowns. The likes of WR Michael Floyd and RB David Johnson as complementary players cannot be overstated. Johnson made a catch in traffic for a first down, while Floyd is starting to become a dominant player in the end zone. The Cardinals advance to the NFC Championship for the second time in the Super Bowl Era.
AFC:
(1) Denver Broncos - 20 vs. (2) New England Patriots - 18
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
NFC:
(1) Carolina Panthers - 49 vs. (2) Arizona Cardinals - 15
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Super Bowl 50:
(N) Carolina Panthers - 10 vs. (A) Denver Broncos - 24
Levi's Stadium, San Francisco, California

The Denver Broncos are your Super Bowl 50 champions!

 

Kansas City will beat the Patriots. Carolina will beat Seattle.

Carolina will beat Kansas City in Super Bowl 50

 

Patriots vs Panthers Patriots win.

 

Full story isn't revealed yet, you must watch the games to see if your predictions are right

 

So im not allowed to make picks?

 

You can make picks, but you should watch the games and if the team you picked wins, your pick is correct

 

The image killed me

 

Patriots beat the Chiefs, and the Patriots are going to the AFC Championship for the 5th straight time
UPDATE: Panthers beat the Seahawks, and the Panthers are going to the NFC Championship for the 1st time in 10 years

 

Patriots lost to the Broncos...

 

I am so f***ing mad right now

 

hah get rekt

 

When you miss your first field goal out of 500+ attempts. #PoorGostkowski

 

thankfully

 

Brady is the best though

 

If you mean by deflating footballs.

 

Don't you know that the allegations weren't true

 

The exact number is 523

 

WHAT. A. GAME! Panthers wipe out the Cardinals, to head to their 2nd Super Bowl in franchise history. The Panthers are like the NFL edition of the NBA's Golden State Warriors...
I'll be at Super Bowl 50 by the way!

 

Gottem