Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (-5, 42)
Chiefs’ injured WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Patriots’ pass defense
The Chiefs caught a lot of people off guard with their 10-game – now 11 – winning streak after a 1-5 start. Kansas City’s defense has been solid throughout, but it wasn’t until receiver Jeremy Maclin and QB Alex Smith cooked up some chemistry that the Chiefs were a threat on both sides of the ball. Now Maclin is nursing an ankle injury which could either slow him down for the Divisional Round or keep him out entirely.
Maclin gave Kansas City something it had been lacking for seasons: a true deep threat. Defenses could no longer stack the box and bring in safeties, knowing KC couldn’t go beyond the sticks. However, with Maclin tearing up the turf, the Chiefs playbook had depth with the speedster reeling in 10 catches for 25 yards or more and finishing with 12.5 yards per reception.
The Patriots defense has always been a bend but don’t break group, and has been susceptible to the big play this season. According to SportingCharts.com, New England has given up 36 passing plays of 25 yards or more, which ranks sixth most in the NFL.
The Patriots like to keep everything in front of them and are quick to tackle, limiting opponents to just over 107 yards after the catch per game, which is among the lowest in the league. If Maclin does play, that questionable ankle could make his a few steps slower. If he’s out, Kansas City’s offense is about as one-dimensional as a Michael Bay flick.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (-7, 50)
Packers’ pass-catching RBs vs. Cardinals’ overaggressive defense
There aren’t many positives to take from the Packers’ 38-8 waxing at the hands of the Cardinals in Week 16. If you’re a Cheesehead, the majority of that game film can be supressed down deep in your consciousness, like that time you pooed yourself on the trampoline in grade school.
But the one takeaway would be Eddie Lacy’s 28-yard touchdown catch and run in the third quarter. Arizona rushed six, and Rodgers burned them with a dump to Lacy, who rumbled to the end zone for the Packers’ only touchdown of the game. Lacy, along with fellow running mate James Starks, have combined for five receiving scores and 580 yards through the air – kind of.
Most of those gains were made after the catch, a category in which Arizona has struggled to defend. The Cardinals are allowing nearly 131 yards after the catch per game, which sits among the most in the NFL. A lot of that has to do with the blitz-happy playbook, leaving opposing QBs to quickly check down to the running back to avoid pressure.
Arizona has watched rival RBs reel in 77 catches for 740 yards receiving, for an average of 9.6 yards per receptions – or pretty much a first down. The Cardinals could get a healthy dose of Lacy and Starks, who sits third among running backs in YAC, especially if they bring that same pressure like they did in Week 16, when they sacked Rodgers nine times. The Packers offensive line is in better shape now and did a good job giving their QB time versus Washington last weekend.
Chiefs’ injured WR Jeremy Maclin vs. Patriots’ pass defense
The Chiefs caught a lot of people off guard with their 10-game – now 11 – winning streak after a 1-5 start. Kansas City’s defense has been solid throughout, but it wasn’t until receiver Jeremy Maclin and QB Alex Smith cooked up some chemistry that the Chiefs were a threat on both sides of the ball. Now Maclin is nursing an ankle injury which could either slow him down for the Divisional Round or keep him out entirely.
Maclin gave Kansas City something it had been lacking for seasons: a true deep threat. Defenses could no longer stack the box and bring in safeties, knowing KC couldn’t go beyond the sticks. However, with Maclin tearing up the turf, the Chiefs playbook had depth with the speedster reeling in 10 catches for 25 yards or more and finishing with 12.5 yards per reception.
The Patriots defense has always been a bend but don’t break group, and has been susceptible to the big play this season. According to SportingCharts.com, New England has given up 36 passing plays of 25 yards or more, which ranks sixth most in the NFL.
The Patriots like to keep everything in front of them and are quick to tackle, limiting opponents to just over 107 yards after the catch per game, which is among the lowest in the league. If Maclin does play, that questionable ankle could make his a few steps slower. If he’s out, Kansas City’s offense is about as one-dimensional as a Michael Bay flick.
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (-7, 50)
Packers’ pass-catching RBs vs. Cardinals’ overaggressive defense
There aren’t many positives to take from the Packers’ 38-8 waxing at the hands of the Cardinals in Week 16. If you’re a Cheesehead, the majority of that game film can be supressed down deep in your consciousness, like that time you pooed yourself on the trampoline in grade school.
But the one takeaway would be Eddie Lacy’s 28-yard touchdown catch and run in the third quarter. Arizona rushed six, and Rodgers burned them with a dump to Lacy, who rumbled to the end zone for the Packers’ only touchdown of the game. Lacy, along with fellow running mate James Starks, have combined for five receiving scores and 580 yards through the air – kind of.
Most of those gains were made after the catch, a category in which Arizona has struggled to defend. The Cardinals are allowing nearly 131 yards after the catch per game, which sits among the most in the NFL. A lot of that has to do with the blitz-happy playbook, leaving opposing QBs to quickly check down to the running back to avoid pressure.
Arizona has watched rival RBs reel in 77 catches for 740 yards receiving, for an average of 9.6 yards per receptions – or pretty much a first down. The Cardinals could get a healthy dose of Lacy and Starks, who sits third among running backs in YAC, especially if they bring that same pressure like they did in Week 16, when they sacked Rodgers nine times. The Packers offensive line is in better shape now and did a good job giving their QB time versus Washington last weekend.
