Free Clip Art Images of 2018 Nfl Playoff Bracket
The 2018 NFL Playoffs are here. The 2017 NFL flavour blitzed past us faster than anyone could imagine and it actually hasn't settled in merely how shocking this particular playoff field is.
There'southward a number of proficient quarterbacks playing over the side by side few weeks, merely but a couple playing this weekend. Only two teams with a top-three seed in either conferences made the playoffs last twelvemonth, and only four playoff teams -- the Patriots, Steelers, Chiefs and Falcons -- were too in the playoffs last year. All just 1 of the NFC teams fighting for the Super Bowl weren't even in the postseason final year.
Even the NFL teams who made the playoffs this twelvemonth are tough to rank out from a 1-12 standpoint because of the different injuries they've dealt with throughout the course of the season.
Breaking down the playoff bracket, which features four different huge favorites in Wild Menu Weekend alone, is non piece of cake. But let's try anyway. Shoutout to the CBS graphic team and the awesome Mike Meredith for the total playoff subclass beneath.
Wild Bill of fare Round
Titans at Chiefs (-9)
The Titans' biggest forcefulness -- running the ball -- lines up well against the Chiefs biggest weakness -- stopping the run. That's a carmine flag for a team favored as much as the Chiefs. But I can't stop thinking well-nigh the 2016 wild-bill of fare game where the Chiefs punched the Texans in the mouth early on and never stopped punching until information technology was xxx-0. A few months afterwards the Texans were signing Brock Osweiler. The Chiefs rank as a top-10 team in yards and points per drive, and the Titans aren't good at stopping teams from dinking-and-dunking down the field. It's piece of cake to see slow, methodical drives from Alex Smith followed by shot plays to Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, an early turnover from the Titans offense and a Chiefs 14-0 lead before half. The Titans aren't built to come back.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Titans vii
Falcons at Rams (-6)
The toughest game by far of Wild Card Weekend to predict because the Falcons are so full of upside. Granted, it'due south unfulfilled upside, just it's all the same upside. They match upwards well in terms of personnel on both sides of the brawl, but the biggest key hither for me is the Rams having Aaron Donald and the Falcons non having Andy Levitre. That'due south a big weakness in a bad spot against the guy who should win Defensive Player of the Twelvemonth. The Falcons are 20th against the run by DVOA and 21st in DVOA against running backs catching the brawl, per Football game Outsiders. That's a less-than-stellar recipe against Todd Gurley.
Prediction: Rams 24, Falcons 21
Bills at Jaguars (-ix)
At that place is something about the Bills that makes me desire to believe. Information technology's probably the improbable way they got into the playoffs in Week 17, coupled with the impossible manner they managed to go along winning games. Their whole is much greater than the sum of their parts. And notwithstanding, without LeSean McCoy -- or even a fully salubrious Shady -- the Bills are really going to struggle to score against the Jaguars. There is totally some kind of mode in which the Bills drag this game into the muck, force Blake Bortles to throw the brawl a lot and stop upward leading 13-10 (see higher up, same thing) in the third quarter, get the stadium panicked and steal a win. It but doesn't experience in the cards without Shady at 100 percent.
Prediction: Jaguars 21, Bills three
Panthers at Saints (-vi.five)
This isn't enough points given what we've seen from Saints-Panthers this season. Aye, it'southward tough to beat a team iii times (so they say, whoever they is), merely the Saints are just a bad matchup for Carolina. Their offensive line negates Carolina's dangerous defensive line and their laissez passer-catching running backs can negate the rush-heavy arroyo that Steve Wilks brings with Carolina'due south defence. New Orleans has been very skillful at habitation and Drew Brees has been great at home in the playoffs: in iv abode playoff games with New Orleans, he's completed 67.iv percentage of his passes for 1,153 yards and 8.4 yards per effort with x touchdowns and zero interceptions. I think the Panthers have a lot of upside, just they need Cam Newton to exist perfect, and he doesn't take enough around him for it to happen.
Prediction: Saints 31, Panthers 17
Note: Lines are my estimation from here on out.
Divisional Round
Chiefs at Patriots (-8)
We've seen this picture show before, and we know how it ends. Despite all the turmoil in New England (reported turmoil anyway) and despite the Chiefs looking dandy in my hypothetical Wild Carte du jour Weekend game, New England is still a huge favorite in this spot and proves why, with Tom Brady hooking up with Rob Gronkowski for a couple of touchdowns and Dion Lewis ripping off a couple of large runs. The Patriots defense force tin't completely stop the Chiefs criminal offence, only with two weeks to prepare for a revenge game against the team that humiliated them in Week one, a salty Bill Belichick takes care of Andy Reid'south squad.
Prediction: Patriots 31, Chiefs 21
Jaguars at Steelers (-4)
Big Ben remembers, Jags. Ben Roethlisberger remembers how you intercepted him 5 times during the regular season and nearly caused that old cowboy to retire. Well, that quondam cowboy has a few bullets left in his holster. Or something. Jacksonville's a terrible matchup, again, but Roehtlisberger won't play as poorly as he did during the regular season, and Jacksonville won't get a agglomeration of breakaway runs late from Leonard Fournette because they won't be winning. Instead, Pittsburgh volition bottle up the run and force Bortles to throw, ending an entertaining Jaguars season prematurely. Blake Bortles is the 1 who might throw 5 picks hither.
Prediction: Steelers 21, Jaguars ten
Saints (-1.five) at Eagles
Predicting the future a couple of days ahead is difficult. Expounding to a full week in accelerate and bold a victory? Proficient luck with that! It'south even hard to predict the line here, merely I have a difficult time with the Saints being a road favorite against the No. 1 seed in a game where we could encounter some terrible atmospheric condition. I also have a hard time backing Nick Foles, and I'm not going to practise it here, with the Saints going into Philly and moving the ball plenty to put up points early and forcing Foles to try and pass a lot. It won't end well. Philly will probably evidence me wrong and I can't wait to run into Eagles fans in my mentions on Twitter (@WillBrinson). Should exist a blast.
Prediction: Saints 24, Eagles 13
Rams at Vikings (-4)
Another rematch from a regular flavor game that, while not a shootout (therefore a game that did not go a lot of love nationally), was pretty entertaining. This game will exist besides, with the Rams having another shot to become down the field and tie things up late against a Vikings defense that is the best in the NFC on that side of the ball. The Vikings near permit it to happen, but Harrison Smith steps in at the final second and intercepts a Jared Goff pass intended for Cooper Kupp near the goal line. Besides bad, because Sean McVay was going for two after he scored, and boy would that have been something.
Prediction: Vikings 17, Rams 10
Championship Circular
Steelers at Patriots (-half dozen)
The scheduling gods shine down upon us at CBS, gifting all of us a rematch of the highest-rated game of the 2017 season, and the best game of the twelvemonth in Steelers-Pats 2. Antonio Dark-brown was missing for most of the start matchup and Pittsburgh almost took intendance of business organisation, but fell short courtesy of the cool NFL catch rule. Fortunately for the Steelers, they accept Brownish back at possibly around 75 pct and a healthy Le'Veon Bell. Unfortunately they are playing in New England. The Patriots take lost in New England in the playoffs, simply it doesn't happen much and information technology doesn't happen this year, with the Pats barely holding on and winning with a late field goal in a thrilling AFC title game.
Prediction: Patriots 34, Steelers 31
Saints at Vikings (-iii.v)
Speaking of rematches, how about this gem from 2009, when the BountyGate Saints stormed past Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson to help set up the only Super Bowl victory of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton era. The Vikings get their revenge in this one, thanks in large part to an underrated offensive line and an underrated law-breaking in general. Case Keenum isn't a perfect quarterback, only he does plenty to make things go in this criminal offence, extending plays and taking some shots down the field, just mostly not turning information technology over. The defense force is the best in football and swarms Brees while managing to canteen up Alvin Kamara and Marker Ingram enough to steal a win.
Prediction: Vikings 20, Saints 17
Super Basin
Patriots (-2.v) at Vikings
An epic Super Basin unfolds in the Vikings' abode stadium -- the fizz is palpable in the week leading up to the game, with Minnesota understanding it tin can become the first-ever team to win a Super Bowl it's hosting, not vi months after the Packers were joking effectually about stealing a Super Bowl in the country of the purple giants. Justin Timberlake even covers Prince during the halftime show. Keenum plays the game of his life, and the Vikings are holding the ball with less than thirty seconds left on the Patriots' two-yard line. Sound familiar? The similarities stop there, with Mike Zimmer and Pat Shurmur feeding Latavius Murray, who leaps over a pile of Patriots to score the game-winning touchdown. Confetti reigns downwardly, and the perennially underrated Mike Zimmer hoists the Lombardi as a score of press-box scoundrels fire up "Is the Patriots' dynasty dead?" columns for Monday morning.
Prediction: Vikings 21, Patriots 20
Source: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2018-nfl-playoff-bracket-projection-vikings-roll-at-home-win-super-bowl-lii/