We're down to four division leaders and three games left in the 2018 postseason. The divisional round produced the miracle in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What's in store for spectators in the conference championship contests?
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has been the subject of much criticism throughout the season, but he looked sharp against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite his defense allowing 42 points. Running back Leonard Fournette racked up three touchdowns, but the fourth-year signal-caller moved the chains when necessary against a quality group.
Will the New England Patriots force another quarterback into a corner leading to self-destruction in a big game?
The Minnesota Vikings kept their Super Bowl hopes alive with a last-second downfield completion that resulted in a walk-off victory. Now, they'll line up against a tougher defense at Lincoln Financial Field. Can Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz end quarterback Case Keenum's successful run under center?
Check out the viewing details for both conference championship games and predictions on the final scores.
Sunday, January 21
AFC Championship Game
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots: 3:05 p.m. ET, CBS, CBS All Access
NFC Championship Game
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles: 6:40 p.m. ET, Fox, Fox Sports Go
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
The Jaguars spoiled an AFC championship scenario most thought we'd see—including Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell:
Le'Veon Bell@L_Bell26I love round 2’s...we’ll have two round 2’s in back to back weeks...
2018-1-14 04:51:17
Instead, we'll see the Patriots' calculated offensive attack against the No. 2 defense in the NFL that ranked second in sacks with 55 during the regular season.
Quarterback Tom Brady will have a difficult time finding his receivers with cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye in coverage. The matchup between tight end Rob Gronkowski and the Jaguars defensive backs will become a deciding factor down the stretch.
After a poor postseason debut against the Buffalo Bills, Bortles came out throwing against the Steelers and put the ball in the right spots for his pass-catchers. New England will likely attempt to minimize Fournette's impact on the game.
Expect head coach Bill Belichick to force Bortles into long drives in the hope he either turns the ball over or goes three-and-out.
Wide receivers Keelan Cole, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and Dede Westbrook must produce in the passing attack to balance the offensive approach against a Patriots team equipped to take away an opponent's strengths.
New England has the talent in the secondary to keep the Jaguars receivers under wraps, which puts too much pressure on the backfield. The Patriots will struggle through the first half but pull away after halftime adjustments to advance to Super Bowl LII.
Prediction: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
This matchup features two hard-nosed defenses that will limit the opponent's offensive production on the ground. The Eagles and Vikings finished the regular season with the No. 1 and No. 2 run defenses, respectively.
One of the quarterbacks, Case Keenum or Nick Foles will have to complete passes for first downs or put his team in field-goal range to win this contest.
Despite a win over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC divisional round, Foles hasn't thrown a touchdown pass since Christmas Day against the Oakland Raiders. Now, he'll face the best defense in the playoff field Sunday. It's not a favorable matchup for the Eagles.
Philadelphia's defense deserves some respect, but Keenum has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game since Week 7. He made some critical throws in late-game situations, won a back-and-forth duel with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and is a capable ball-carrier when scrambling from the pocket.
In a close game decided by inches and yards, trust Keenum to finish with enough impact plays to put the offense or special teams unit in position to seal a victory. The defense won't allow Foles or the Eagles running backs room to move the ball. The Vikings will play Super Bowl LII in their stadium February 4 against the Patriots.
Prediction: Vikings 17, Eagles 13
Read Again http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2754176-nfl-playoffs-2018-schedule-and-predictions-for-conference-championshipsBagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NFL Playoffs 2018: Schedule and Predictions for Conference Championships"
Post a Comment