Divisional Round Weekend Discussion Thread!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

First topic message reminder :

So the wildcard weekend was quite frankly crap, but the divisional shapes up to be a little humdinger!

Firstly we have the two AFC games with the same 4 teams returning to this stage as did in 2011/12!

Baltimore travel to Denver in what I think could be a potential banana skin for the Denver. Everything points towards a Denver win quite easily, but I quite fancy Baltimore to make this a close contest and actually nick the game. Look for Ray Rice to bounce back with a big game.

The Texans travel to Foxboro to take on the Patriots in what promises to be a very tense matchup. I am obviously as a New England fan gonna pick my Pats, but I think Houston could put up a good fight in this game! All depends on if Matt Schaub can find any sort of form, if he can they have a legit shot, if he plays like he did against Cincy then Houston are heading home in my opinion.

Then the NFC which has the better of the matchups I think!

Seattle travel to Atlanta in a real close matchup! I like the Falcons to take this one, not because they are infinately better, because I think both teams are quite even teams, but purely because in my opinion this is a game Atlanta just HAS to win. If they lose the media will be so smug, I will find it funny! But on a serious note this is one Atlanta has to have, and with the homefield advantage I fancy them to just edge it

In the matchup of the week Green Bay travel to Candlestick to take on San Francisco in a game which should make you fall in love with football all over again. Key to the matchup for me is whether Green Bay can protect Aaron Rodgers. If they can I can't see the Niners hanging with Green Bay's offence. And on that note it is paramount that San Fran get Justin Smith back. Aldon Smith has looked lost without him, and if he isn't back I like Green Bay's chances of protecting Rodgers

[RDuncan8]

Dont see how we should be out of sight? Ravens have more than matched us. You could say we are lucky the ravens arent out of sight. Two returns for tds. Flacco missing torrey smith twice.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Holy crap what a time for a coverage fail.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I can understand the not going with Manning on 3rd down and running time off the clock but with 36 secs and 2 timeouts in the Mile High air I'd have given him a shot at getting into FG range. He is a hall of fame QB after all

[RDuncan8]

Ridiculous. Now were throwing it away. Coin toss lost also.

[Skyforger]

At least this one is making up for the dull games last week!

[RDuncan8]

Getting absolutely screwed by the refs. Incompetent fools.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Ah there is Joe Flacco taking a sack on 3rd down. Must have been an imposter in normal time.

Ed Reed has been awfully quiet

[mikeygnfl]

So Peyton Manning takes the Broncos as far as Tebow did last year. Tebow even won a playoff game in Denver.

[RDuncan8]

So Peyton Manning takes the Broncos as far as Tebow did last year. Tebow even won a playoff game in Denver.

[mikeygnfl]

49ers have been totally dominant in the 2nd half. Though the game would have been alot closer. The Packers just couldn't handle Kaepernick (even when he gave them a head start).

[GSC]

Fair play to Baltimore and SF. Wonder how much job security Dom Capers has right now

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Just watched my recording of the 49ers-Packers and my god Green Bay's defence just looked like it was prepared for a different offence! Totally inept

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

325 yards allowed on the ground!!! That's just unexplainable even with a mobile QB

[GSC]

They spied Kaepernick.

Romeo Crennel seems like a nice fit in GB.

[GSC]

Same old problem for GB as it has been all season. They make too many mistakes, and Rodgers and co can't bail them out vs very good teams.

[mikeygnfl]

I have a feeling it will be the 49ers vs Seahawks at Candlestick Park next week.

[Colan (niner)]

Great day for 49ers fans. I'm very confident saying that the 49ers at their best win the SB. But they haven't strung two or three games in a row like that this season so I wont be holding my breath

[Pr4wn]

Cracking first couple of games this week. More than makes up for last weeks dullness.

[crazy_dave23]

Well i'm a bit gutted I missed last nights games due to being at my parents and generally busy!

Shocked by the manner in which Baltimore beat Denver... my Dad who is but a passive fan fan who attends the Wembley games with me most of the time was even able to slate Denver's coverage on the final TD of regulation when watching highlights through Gamepass (via Gameday Final before anyone points out that the game is still blacked out!)

From reading up, watching highlights etc. it seems like Green Bay was somewhat in it until part way through the 3rd where they just blew up conceding 3 consecutive TDs and letting Kaepernick run through them (I mean he was probably doing this earlier given his overall stats, but it obviously hit the scoreboard hard in the late third early fourth)... He barely looked like he was touched.
As much i love the way that Capers revamped our defence a couple of years ago, I think you have to make a change... its our Achilles heel yet again. I know we always seem to have injuries all over on the defence and that impacts things, but most guys are back now. Last year it was the pass, this year the run.
I also feel we are a better team without Woodson... he was epic a couple of years ago but everytime I watch he seems like more and more of a liability (this isn't really based on last nights game as I haven't seen enough to comment on his specific game performance)

Out of interest, I presume that the GB SF game had started well before the Denver Baltimore double OT game (which I think set a record as the longest game in 26 years) or did they delay the second game until the first was over?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

They started the SF-GB game whilst the other game was still going on!

It was just crazy crazy stuff

[GSC]

Ultimately Green Bay needed Rodgers to have a perfect game, and he was fairly meh by his standards.

Denver just looked lethargic, Fox played too safe

Flacco and Kaepernick had the best games of their careers to boot.

[GSC]

I said above, but Crennel seems a perfect fit in GB.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Ultimately Green Bay needed Rodgers to have a perfect game, and he was fairly meh by his standards.

Denver just looked lethargic, Fox played too safe

Flacco and Kaepernick had the best games of their careers to boot.

I still don't know why with 31 seconds and 2 timeouts remaining you don't give your hall of fame QB the ball to get you into FG range at Mile High.

There's not taking risks and just being plain stupid

[cherriesfna]

Lets go hawks!!!

[GSC]

Saw the good and bad of the bye last week

Denver looked like they spent the week in bed, while SF came out full of energy

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Nice play by Sherman saving the TD.

Be interesting to see how Atlanta does against a mobile QB. Sucked twice against Cam this year

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Ut oh Matty Ice with an INT failing to take advantage of the good field position.

Matty Ice or the Mattural?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Oh Beast Mode with another fumble!

But encouraging signs for Seattle, Wilson with all sorts of time in the pocket and a good lane for Lynch

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Well that should be the game right there.

Crazy not to run Lynch on 3rd and 1, even stupider not to do it on 4th and 1

[crazy_dave23]

Falcons

[sodhat]

Sherman well and truly beaten over the top. Priceless...

[BamBam]

Loved Kaep's performance last night, even more fun watching the game with a Packers fan! He was unbelievable, after that early pick I thought this was the Seahawks game all over again, but he made play after play. His 2nd TD to Crabtree was an amazing throw, any of the top QBs would have been proud of that.

Didn't catch a lot of the Broncos game, but all credit to Flacco and the Ravens. Considering they gave away 14 points on ST, they have done brilliantly to come through.

Could we possibly see a Harbaugh Bowl, with Ray Lewis in his last game at the Super Bowl? Probably too early to pick it, but it wouldn't shock me

[BamBam]

Oh and the Seagulls

[GSC]

Don't think that half could've been much worse for Seattle

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

That was exactly what Seattle needed to start the half.

Need to stop Atlanta now or force a turnover. Atlanta score here it's awful tough to come back from that

[sodhat]

Terrible attempt at a tackle from Samuel. Why not wrap up? He's too busy chasing a highlight hit.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Because it is Asante Samuel.

[GSC]

Thats one of the best drives I've seen all year. Took guts Atlanta never showed the first 3 times.

Also if you're going to give it, take it Sherman

[GSC]

Might be time for some of those who started proclaiming Irvin a smart pick to quiet down.

Hes been crap. Clemons a massive miss.

[Derbyblue]

Might be time for some of those who started proclaiming Irvin a smart pick to quiet down.

Hes been crap. Clemons a massive miss.

Wasn't that all of us apart from Cherries?

Big INT for Seattle.

[Derbyblue]

Who was covering Miller?

[GSC]

Stupid decision from Ryan, and playing coverage is not working on D. Gotta bring some heat.

Massive gut check time for Atlanta

[JmD]

To say that the Atlanta secondary (particularly their tackling) have been pathetic would be flattering.

[GSC]

Heads are going to roll in Atlanta.

Massive choke job.

[crazy_dave23]

Heads are going to roll in Atlanta.

Massive choke job.

[GSC]

They almost choked twice

Glad to see the jinx worked

[GSC]

Yay, now we can hire Gus Bradley

[adams_legend]

Bet Seattle wished they hadn't tried to ice the kicker

[crazy_dave23]

phew!!!!

[sodhat]

Kudos to Seattle and Wilson there. Really impressive performance but Atlanta dragged it out at the last.

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