Another week of playoff football is upon us here at The Lance. Last week we went 50% on our predictions as both the Bills and Texans took losses, (yes, we’re not perfect) causing us to go 2-2 for the Divisional Round BUT 7-3 in all of the playoffs.
Sam: Patriots (#2) @ Broncos (#1) 1/25/26 3:00 PM:
The Broncos come into this game after a 33-30 overtime thriller against the Bills. The Broncos defense was able to force five turnovers with 3 sacks, ten QB hits and 4 tackles for loss in the win. On the offensive side, Quarterback Bo Nix recorded 279 passing yards with three passing touchdowns. After suffering a broken ankle, Nix will be sidelined for this pivotal matchup, making this matchup quite boring to say the least.
FOR THE RECORD, THE BRONCOS SHOULD NOT BE IN THIS GAME, BRANDIN COOKS CAUGHT THE BALL.
However, the last time a backup quarterback played in a conference championship game, Cough Cough… (Nick Foles in 2018) magical things happened, so we can never doubt the heroics that Jared Stidham may have in store for us. On the other side, the Patriots came into this game riding high off a 28-16 win over the Texans, forcing 4 interceptions and a trip to Cancun. In this matchup, Drake Maye will have a chance to prove his worth against a star studded Denver Defense, hungry to avenge the loss of their Quarterback.
Our Pick: It’s hard to win a playoff game without your starting quarterback. If the Broncos are not able to establish a run game early on, we believe the Patriots can get out to a large lead. This game will be a matter of whose offense can perform better with two well rounded and disciplined defenses, and who better to put your trust in than one of MVP Frontrunners, Drake Maye with a chance to go to the Super Bowl? we will be taking the Patriots 24-10.
Andrew: Rams (#5) @ Seahawks (#1) 1/25/26 6:30 PM:
The Rams come into this game after a very close matchup with the Bears in a game where they came out on top in a 20-17 win in overtime. Last week the Rams defense came up big as they intercepted Caleb Williams three times and had 4 total pass deflections throughout the game. A problem for the Rams however, was stopping the run game as the Bears ran for 160 yards. However, on the offensive, the Rams did look very promising as they ran for 111 yards and had 2 Kyren Williams-rushing touchdowns, alongside Matthew Stafford throwing for a solid 258 yards. Now for the Seahawks, they come in fresh off a blowout 41-6 victory against the 49ers. This win for the Seahawks was nothing fancy, but instead good efficient football. However the one player that stood out the most was Kenneth Walker III as he ran for 116 yards to go with 3 rushing touchdowns. The defense and special teams also played key roles as they racked 2 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks, 7 pass deflections and a Rasheed Shaheed 95 yard touchdown kickoff return to start the game. This is the third time the Seahawks and Rams have met this season and now the question becomes who will take the crown of this series as both teams won one game.
Our Pick: Sam Darnold has had a crazy career as he started off on the Jets then went to the Panthers and 49ers and for those six years he had a tough time finding consistency. However, last year, he revived his career and took his team to a 14-3 record, but unfortunately they were eliminated by the Rams. Keeping that in mind Darnold will have a chip on his shoulder entering this game and even though he is the same quarterback who said he saw ghosts on field in 2019, we will take the Seahawks in a 38-35 game.