Wildcard Round Was Fun, But The Playoffs Are About To Get Better!

 Last week was a good week of football. But you know, that was just the beginning. Rarely teams from the wild-card weekend go on to win Super Bowls. Last time a team that participated in the wild-card round and won a Super Bowl was the Baltimore Ravens from 2012. Is there any chance that a team from the wild-card round could win a Super Bowl this year? In my opinion, there are three teams from the wild-card round, who could win it all. The LA Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and the defending champs, the Philadelphia Eagles. All three teams won their respective wild-card matchups this past week. Let's talk about their path to Super Bowl this year.

Dallas Cowboys

  So how good are the Dallas Cowboys? They are very good. They are not an elite team, but they can play elite football on certain nights. The Cowboys' defense is really good. Their offense is just above average. Not saying Dak Prescott is an average or a below average quarterback, they just don't have enough playmakers around him on offense. Ezekiel Elliot is one of the best running backs in the game of football and Amari Cooper is a true number one receiver. But that's all Dak Prescott has. Cole Beasley was pretty effective last year and year before that, but this season he has been okay. There were games when Beasley couldn't get himself open. For a slot receiver to not get open enough to catch two to three passes in a game, is pretty embarrassing.

 Anyways the Dallas Cowboys are a good team, and I think have will most likely go to the NFC Title game this year. They are playing the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, who have a pretty talented roster. If Cowboys play physical, which they certainly can, they can definitely beat the Rams. Cowboys are entering the divisional round with a lot of momentum on their side. They have won eight of their last nine games. Rams went 2-2 to conclude the regular season after they started with an 11-1 record. Their last two wins came against the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, who went a combined 7-25 this season. Maybe no Super Bowl for Cowboys this year, but they will be right back to win one next year. I know they haven't won division titles in back to back years since the mid 90s, but Dak Prescott can have his team win division titles and playoff games on a consistent basis.

(I know the Rams didn't play in the wild-card round, but I just want to explain why I don't believe in them).

  Los Angeles Rams maybe the most talented team in the NFC, but I don't see them going to the big game this year. Before the season started, I looked at the Rams' roster and thought to myself that other than injuries, there is nobody stopping the Rams this season. I said to myself they have one of the most explosive offenses in the game, and their defense should finish the season top two or three in scoring and in total defense. They started off hot and opened the season with eight straight wins. However, their defense hasn't been what we expected it to be. Even when they were winning, we saw the defense gave up a lot of big plays and a lot of points. The defense has star players like Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib, and Marcus Peters, and yet it plays like a below average defense in some occassions.

  Offense of the Rams is really good. However, Brandin Cooks has been a major disappintment in my opinion. Yes, he did finish the season with eight catches and career high in receiving yards, but there were some games where he was nowhere to be found. He's a burner who is supposed to take over games, but nope, it was either Robert Woods or Cooper Kupp making plays as primary receivers. Rams are entering the playoffs with no Cooper Kupp, and with Todd Gurley banged up. If Cooks doesn't step up, I wouldn't be surpised if the Cowboys beat down the Rams this Saturday night.

Los Angeles Chargers

  The Rams might be the most talented team in the NFC, but the LA Chargers are the most complete team in the NFL. They have a heck of a defense with a great front and a pretty solid secondary. Their offense is loaded with weapons as they have Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams, Austin Ekeler, and they also have Hunter Henry coming back this week for the divisional round matchup against the New England Patriots. The Chargers' quarterback maybe getting old, but he is still an excellent quarterback and he is a great leader for his team. Philip Rivers brings excitement in the game. He brings energy! He is one of those guys for whom you wanna play for.

  I believe the Chargers have the best chance as the team from the wild-card round to go all the way and win the Super Bowl. As a Patriots' fan, I'm worried about this matchup with Philip Rivers and the Chargers. I would be upset to see my Patriots go one and done in the postseason this year, but it is not going to hurt me as much, as I really want Rivers to win a Super Bowl title. This year is Philip Rivers best chance to win a Super Bowl. This Sunday, if Rivers does beat Tom Brady, who he has never beaten, Rivers will get so much more confidence and so much more energy, that he is going to feel unstoppable. Nobody wants Rivers and this Chargers' team to feel unstoppable.

Philadephia Eagles

  Philadephia Eagles will go as far as Nick Foles will take them. He took them to a Super Bowl victory last year, and now he is only three wins away from winning another Super Bowl title for the Eagles. Four to five weeks ago, after falling to 6-7, many expected the Eagles to miss the playoffs this year. Then Carson Wentz got hurt and Nick Foles was inserted back to the starting lineup. Eagles went onto win three games in a row, and made it to the postseason as the sixth seed. In all three games, Nick Foles didn't just manage the games, he played lights out. In the game against the Houston Texans in Week 16, Nick Foles put up great numbers, made all the crucial plays, and led his team to a game winning drive.

 This week, the Eagles will be visiting the New Orleans Saints to play them at their dome. Rarely a team goes to that dome and comes out with a win against the Saints. However, even though I'm picking Drew Brees and the Saints to win, I wouldn't be surprised to see Nick Foles beating Drew Brees at his house. Hey, Foles beat the number one ranked Vikings' defense in the NFC championship game, and Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. Foles didn't win a Super Bowl last year because of the Eagles' running game or the defense. The Eagles won because Nick Foles played exceptionally well and executed in the clutch. Saints better play the Eagles tough!

  I don't believe the Indianapolis Colts could win it all this year. I admire Andrew Luck and I have been amazed with how well he is played this year, especially after starting the season 1-5. There is just something missing with this Colts' team. I don't know what it is, but there is something missing. They are talented, but not talented enough. Their offense is good, but it isn't the scariest. Their defense is good, but it isn't a take-over defense. Frank Reich is a good coach, but he isn't Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, or even Sean McVay. Andrew Luck is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the game of football, but he isn't Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Philip Rivers. All that said, I could see the Colts win against the Kansas City Chiefs this Saturday at Arrowhead. But after that, they will lose to either the Chargers or the Patriots in the championship round.

Enjoy the divisonal round everybody!