Niners, Giants and more NFL Divisional Round picks | Lorenzo’s Locks
Time for divisional round action in the NFL! Lorenzo Reyes is back and shares his favorite picks ahead of this weekend’s slate of games.
Lorenzo’s Locks
The NFL playoffs’ wild-card weekend had wild comebacks, big plays and plenty of hours on the couch.
While the divisional round means fewer games, there could be more than six hours of football consumed on Saturday before six more Sunday. (Sadly, there is no more weekday football until next season.) And we are here to, once again, help prioritize with another watchability rankings.
Last week, the game slotted sixth provided arguably the most exciting moment. The No. 1 matchup had the least tension, but more than 30 million people tuned in anyway.
Here is how we rank the four divisional round games by “watchability” – so you can decides which one to pay the most attention to.
EXPERT PREDICTIONS: USA TODAY Sports’ NFL divisional playoff, Super Bowl picks
UPSET ALERT?: Ranking top four seeds based on who should worry most in divisional round
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4. Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs
The second-half comeback completed by Jacksonville had football fans on the edge of their seat last Saturday. They draw the Saturday slot once again against the top-seeded Chiefs. Any game in which quarterback Patrick Mahomes plays is worth watching. Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson played for Kansas City coach Andy Reid and began his coaching career under Reid, whose teams are 30-6 with more than 10 days of rest.
Time/channel: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
3. Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers
Bring back the 1990s. These two rivals duked it out for the NFC crown throughout the decade. San Francisco has returned to postseason prominence before Dallas, which is trying to make the NFC championship game for the first time in 27 years. All that’s standing in its way is the league’s top defense and a rookie quarterback who was the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft.
If not for the inconsistency that has plagued Dallas all season and San Francisco’s 11-game winning streak, this game would be higher on the list.
Time/channel: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
2. New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
Like the other NFC divisional game, this is another rivalry packed into the matchup. The upset-minded Giants took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings to set up a date with the No. 1 seed for the third time in five weeks. The Eagles won both previous matchups, but Jalen Hurts’ shoulder injury and the Giants’ momentum will make this one worth keeping an extra set of eyes on.
Time/channel: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
1. Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
The first matchup between these teams ended when Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest six minutes into the game. His miraculous recovery since – Bills coach Sean McDermott said Hamlin is around the team almost daily now – has been inspiring for the entire country.
Now a rematch is set. Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Buffalo’s Josh Allen are two of the league’s young, star quarterbacks. The battle between the Buffalo offense and Cincinnati defense will be one to watch. How Burrow holds up behind a depleted offensive line will be another key element.
If there is one game to be in your seat for before kickoff, it’s this one. The potential image of Hamlin running out with the team will have many emotions attached to it.
Time/channel: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS)
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
