The NFL Divisional is underway, with bold predictions from all corners of the country. The AFC South and NFC West are likely to be hotly contested this season but there’s no doubt a few teams will have their sights set on winning it all come playoff time.
The “nfl standings 2021” is a divisional game that will take place in the National Football League. The game starts at 4:30pm on December 31st and has been scheduled to be played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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The NFL divisional round for the 2021 season has four exciting matches, and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know going into the second weekend of the postseason. Our NFL Nation reporters provide us with the most important aspects of each game, as well as a bold prediction for each matchup and, of course, final score predictions.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, and our Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. Matt Bowen picks out a key matchup to watch for every game, and Kevin Seifert tells us what to know about the officiating. Everything you want to know is here in one spot to help you get ready for a loaded weekend of NFL playoff football.
Let’s take a look at the whole divisional-round schedule, which includes the six wild-card game winners from last week as well as each conference’s No. 1 seed, who has just returned from a bye week. The weekend comes to a close with a Sunday night showdown between the Bills and the Chiefs, which has all the makings of becoming one of the finest games of the season.
CIN-TEN | SF-GB LAR-TB | BUF-KC | CIN-TEN | SF-GB LAR-TB | BUF-KC
4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday | CBS 60.3 in the matchup | TEN -3.5 in the spread (47.5)
What to look out for: The Titans have 35 sacks and 153 QB pressures this season with only a four-man pass rush (both second in the NFL), and they’ve only blitzed on 18 percent of their rushes. This season, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an 83.7 QBR against the blitz (third), but a 13.6 QBR when pressed (twenty-first). The Titans will need to make an impact on Burrow with their front four and drop seven into coverage to win the game. Turron Davenport (Turron Davenport)
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Burrow will outgain Titans running back Derrick Henry by 200 yards, according to a bold forecast (obviously including passing yardage). That’s what it’ll take for Cincinnati to upset Tennessee, the top-seeded team in the tournament. Burrow has been in excellent form over the last several weeks, so expect Cincinnati to lean on the quarterback’s hot hand as it prepares for Henry’s anticipated return. – Ben Little
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a 79.4 Total QBR (third highest in the NFL during that time), tossed seven touchdown passes, and didn’t throw an interception in the last three weeks of the regular season. He did, however, have a lot of success on the ground this season, as his seven running touchdowns were second in the league behind Jalen Hurts’ ten.
To counter the Titans’ underneath zone defenders, Cincinnati has to generate matchups for receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd out of inside alignments, according to Bowen’s game plan. E+ has further information.
Bengals | Titans Injuries
What you should know about officiating: Clete Blakeman, whose regular-season crew rated No. 7 in the NFL with 14.6 flags per game, will officiate a game between the NFL’s least penalized club and the league’s most penalized team (Bengals, 84). The Titans, on the other hand, were rated 17th with 121 flags. During the regular season, Blakeman had the second-most roughing-the-passer penalties (12), although the Bengals and Titans each had just two. Seifert’s
Coach Mike Vrabel of Tennessee is 8-0 both outright and against the spread when there are at least nine days between games. E+ has further information.
Bengals 37, Titans 31 is Baby’s choice. Titans 28, Bengals 24 is Davenport’s prediction. TEN, 59.5 percent, according to the FPI (by an average of 3.2 points)
Bengals DE is a must-read in this matchup. Hendrickson passes the concussion protocol and is expected to play on Saturday… With contact practice, Titans’ Henry passes the test… Why is there a chessboard next to Burrow’s locker this season… ‘I play to win games,’ Tannehill says as the Titans prepare for the playoffs.
8:15 p.m. ET on Saturday | Fox GB -6 on the spread | Matchup rating: 76.2 (47)
What to look out for: There’s Lambeau Field cold and then there’s Lambeau Field cold. On Saturday night, it will be the latter, with temperatures in the single digits forecast during the game. “The colder, the better,” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers declared earlier this year. However, Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo may not agree. Since 2014, 101 different starting quarterbacks have taken the field in games with kickoff temperatures below 40 degrees, and Garoppolo isn’t one of them. Even in New England, he only took three plays in games when the temperature was below 40 degrees before kickoff, and all three were kneel-downs. — Demovsky, Rob
Strong prediction: In a game that could go either way, Packers kicker Mason Crosby will send his club back to the NFC Championship Game with his second game-winning field goal in as many games against the 49ers this season. The Niners’ run game and tough defensive front will keep this game close, but Rodgers will once again find late-game magic to set up Crosby for the game-winning scores. Nick Wagoner is a writer.
Pre-snap motion is utilized on an NFL-high 77 percent of the 49ers’ plays, and it was employed on an NFL-high 88 percent of their plays in the Week 3 defeat to the Packers. In that game, though, they averaged a season-low 5.0 yards per play with motion. Deebo Samuel, a receiver/running back who is attempting to become the sixth 49ers player to surpass 100 scrimmage yards and score a touchdown in consecutive postseason games, is one man the Packers will have to keep an eye on during pre-snap movement.
Look for Green Bay to attack wide out Davante Adams on first down off play-action, according to Bowen’s game plan. His 22 such catches were tied for the most in the league. E+ has further information.
NBC Matchup rating: 87.3 | Spread: TB -3 | Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (48)
What to watch for: The Rams have been short-handed in their secondary, but the Bucs might be without All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who suffered a high ankle sprain last week against the Eagles. That’s a big blow for Tampa Bay against arguably the league’s most devastating pass rush. The Buccaneers might need to rely more on their defense, which nearly pitched a shutout last week against the Eagles but surrendered 331 passing yards and four touchdowns to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford & Co. in these teams’ Week 3 meeting (a 34-24 win for Los Angeles). — Jenna Laine
• Full bracket, schedule and format » • First look at the divisional round » • Wild-card weekend overreactions » • See more playoff content »
Stafford and Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady will each throw for three touchdowns in a game determined in the closing minutes, according to a bold prediction. The Rams signed Stafford in the hopes that the experienced quarterback would help them win a Super Bowl in front of their own fans. Stafford will get the opportunity to establish himself against a seven-time Super Bowl champion. To defeat Brady and the Tampa Bay attack, he knows he’ll have to get his squad into the end zone often; Brady has thrown 32 touchdown passes in 16 career divisional-round games, 14 more than any other quarterback. So expect both quarterbacks’ stats to be out of this world. Lindsey Thiry (Lindsey Thiry)
Will Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans be shadowed by Rams CB Jalen Ramsey? According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Evans only saw Ramsey across from him on 18 percent of his routes in Week 3’s regular-season game. Evans has grabbed eight of ten catches for 101 yards in two games against the Rams over the last two years while seeing someone else. He caught five of nine receptions for 54 yards against Ramsey.
Brady is expected to aim for Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski in the center of the field, according to Bowen’s game plan. This season, Gronk has grabbed 38 of his 55 total catches on passes within the numbers. E+ has further information.
Rams against. Buccaneers: Injuries
What you should know about officiating: The Rams and Buccaneers were among the league’s 10 least penalized teams in 2021, with referee Shawn Hochuli’s crew throwing the third-most flags (15.5 per game). The Rams were rated third (92), while the Buccaneers were ninth (107). Hochuli’s crew made 57 offensive holding calls (tied for third most), while the Rams and Buccaneers were only penalised 16 and 20 times, respectively (both within the seventh fewest in the NFL). Seifert’s
Los Angeles has gone 8-1 against the spread versus Tampa Bay since 2010, including 2-1 under coach Sean McVay. And the total for the last five meetings has been exceeded. E+ has further information.
Buccaneers 34, Rams 32, according to Thirty. Buccaneers 31, Rams 28 is Laine’s choice. TB, 65.8%, according to the FPI (by an average of 5.3 points)
Must-reads for matchups: The Making of Kupp: The Rams receiver attributes his success to his wife’s encouragement… Arians: Buccaneers RT Wirfs’ availability is likely to come down to the wire on Sunday… Stafford: Toe won’t be an issue against the Buccaneers… Arians were fined $50,000 for punching safety Adams… In a wild-card triumph, the Rams’ defense sets the tone, preparing for a rematch with Brady.
7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday | CBS Matchup rating: 96.3 | KC -2 in the spread (53.5)
What to look out for: When the Bills played Patrick Mahomes in Week 5, they did an excellent job of limiting the Chiefs to one throw longer than 20 yards. Meanwhile, Buffalo hit on four throws of at least 30 yards, two of which went for touchdowns. The Chiefs must find a way to win – or at the very least keep pace with the Bills – in this area, or they risk repeating the 18-point thrashing. Adam Teicher’s remark
Bills quarterback Josh Allen will dash for at least 50 yards and toss at least three touchdown passes on Sunday, according to a bold prediction. In six consecutive games, the Bills’ offense has run for 110 yards or more and averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry, the NFL’s second-longest stretch this season (Eagles). Allen has been employed more as a rusher as a result of this run, which will continue against the Chiefs. In their last matchup earlier this year, he had 59 yards on 11 carries. Furthermore, the offensive line will keep him clean, continuing its five-game sackless run, and enabling him to build on a five-pass-TD wild-card showing in a much tighter divisional-round game. Alaina Getzenberg is a writer who lives in New York City.
Mahomes has the most play-action touchdowns in the NFL, while Allen is second. On play-action plays, both quarterbacks had top-10 QBR scores. However, the defensive side of things may be crucial: With play-action, the Bills’ defense has allowed the lowest opponent QBR in the league, while the Chiefs’ defense has allowed the most.
Kansas City running back Jerick McKinnon should play a big part in the Chiefs’ screen game against Buffalo’s two-deep zone coverages, according to Bowen’s game plan. E+ has further information.
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The Chiefs’ key to winning against the Bills, according to Rob Ninkovich, will be going toe-to-toe with a top defense.
Bills | Chiefs Injuries
What to know about officiating: Referee John Hussey’s crew threw the third-fewest flags per game (12.1) during the regular season, but he has been assigned to two of the league’s most penalized teams. The Bills were rated No. 29 (139), while the Chiefs were ranked No. 24. (129). The Chiefs were punished for 36 offensive holding infractions, third most in the NFL, while Hussey’s crew was called for 40, sixth most. Hussey’s crew threw the second-fewest flags for taunting (seven), but the fewest for illegal contact, defensive holding, and defensive pass interference combined (18). Seifert’s
Buffalo’s away games have gone 12-4-1 to the over in the last two seasons. E+ has further information.
Bills 34, Chiefs 31 is Getzenberg’s prediction. Chiefs 27, Bills 24 is Teicher’s prediction. BUF, 52.1 percent, according to the FPI (by an average of 0.7 points)
Must-read matchups: Manning-Brady 2.0? Why Mahomes vs. Allen might be the next great quarterback rivalry in the AFC… Mahomes is getting ready to take on his next role as club owner… Allen’s extravagant handshakes with Bills teammates aren’t simply about having a good time… McKinnon offers the Chiefs something to consider when it comes to running back… The Bills’ No. 1 defense will be put to the test against a much-improved Mahomes… Gay was detained on a minor criminal property damage charge by the Chiefs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What time are the NFL games on Sunday January 22?
A: The NFL games will be on at 12 noon Eastern Standard Time.
What teams are in the playoffs 2022?
A: The Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots are all in the playoffs 2022.
Who is playing in the Super Bowl 2022?
A: The New England Patriots will play against the Seattle Seahawks.
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- nfl standings 2020
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