2022 NFL DIVISIONAL PLAY OFF WEEKEND 22nd / 23rd JANUARY 2022

 

The wild card games are done and we now have the Divisional Playoffs as we begin to edge closer to the end of the post season and Superbowl LVI. We are down to the final eight teams who will contest the Divisional Playoff games this weekend and put themselves into the Championship games for the right to play in the finale at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, on February 13th. We can anticipate some cracking NFL games this weekend, who can win to keep their season alive and who will be watching Superbowl LVI from the comfort of their sofa with a cold beer along with me?

Just who has reached this stage of the playoffs (seeds in brackets);

AFC

Tennessee Titans [#1]
Kansas City Chiefs [#2]

Buffalo Bills [#3]

Cincinnati Bengals [#4]

NFC

Green Bay Packers [#1]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers [#2]

LA Rams [#4]

San Francisco 49ers [#6]

The opening game on Saturday night is in the NFC where No1 Seeds Green Bay Packers [13-4] will host 6th Seed San Francisco 49ers [10-7] at their Lambeau Field stadium, Quarterback Aaron Rogers is many people's idea of MVP once again this season and we could end up with a mammoth clash if he can lead Green Bay towards Superbowl LVI should the No1 Seeds prevail (we hope). The other NFC tie sees LA Rams head to the reigning champions Tampa Bay.

Sunday morning (UK times) sees the first of the AFC games where the Tennessee Titans received a playoff 'bye' week having secured the No1 seed, held on to win their final game against Houston Texans for the 28-25 win to maintain its hold on the No. 1 spot in the AFC. Now, the Titans having rested should also see the return of Derrick Henry to look forward to after the first-round bye and will play the Cincinnati Bengals. Elsewhere in the AFC matches we have another exciting match up where Buffalo Bills travel to Kansas City Chiefs in the final game this weekend.

Saturday 22nd January 2022
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAY-OFF
Cincinnati Bengals  19 @ 16  Tennessee Titans [H/T 9 - 6]
21:30  Venue: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee.
Our first play off game will see Cincinnati head to face Tennessee the #1 seed in the AFC. The Bengals have come on plenty this season to secure the AFC North for head coach Zac Taylor and Quarterback Joe Burrow but have it all to do against the top seed in their own stadium especially with the likely return of Julio Jones, AJ Brown and their missing diamond running back Derrick Henry for head coach Mike Vrabel. A game where the defence held and caused the first 'shock' result in the playoffs, Bengals win with a late field goal and head into the AFC Championship game. Wow

Sunday 23rd January 2021
NFC DIVISIONAL PLAY-OFF
San Francisco 49ers  13 @ 10  Green Bay Packers [H/T 0 - 7]
01:15  Venue: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
While San Francisco did well to hold off an erratic Dallas side on the weekend they now face a far bigger challenge with a visit to Green Bay who are the #1 seed in the NFC. Should be a win for the packers at home, having enjoyed a week off to rest and recover, Aaron Rodgers can send them closer to another Superbowl. Not so, another 'shock' and defence on top again, as the 49ers progress.

NFC DIVISIONAL PLAY-OFF
LA Rams  30 @ 27  Tampa Bay Buccaneers [H/T 20 - 3]
20:00  Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida.
The Rams booked their place in this weekends matches with a thumping 34-11 win over Arizona. The Rams have a talented roster with the likes of Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr now on top of their game and will surely create a lot of problems even for the Goat Tom Brady and his Buccaneers, high quality action on both sides, can't wait. I think it will be very tight, only three points in it coming down to the final quarter. Let's see...we it hasn't been close so far, it's been an unusual play off campaign this year ... and yet Tampa have a last gasp TD to make it interesting with couple of mins to play. And as we thought it was about to enter overtime, with under a min to play and no time outs, Matt Stafford connects with Cooper Kupp twice and a field goal wins it. WOW

AFC DIVISIONAL PLAY-OFF
Buffalo Bills  36 @ 42  Kansas City Chiefs [H/T 14 - 14]
23:30  Venue: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas, Missouri.

Possibly the most interesting clash of the play off round here with the 2nd/3rd seeds facing off, Josh Allen vs Patrick Mahomes and plenty more match ups. Both put up impressive numbers in their opening play off wild card games, Bills saw off New England 17-47 a level of defeat that the Patriots head coach Bill Belichick rarely tastes and the Chiefs themselves ended the career of big Ben Roethlisberger with a 21-42 win to set up this mouth watering clash.

[Times shown are GMT]

Will update with the final scores later over the weekend and then look forward to the AFC and NFC Championship Games next Sunday 30th January. Then of course begin to look at the Superbowl LVI itself which will be on Sunday 13th February in Los Angeles and broadcast live on BBC TV in UK.