This weekend is the 2019-2020 NFL Divisional Round. The winners of the four games this weekend will play in the conference championship games. In this story, I will run through each game, and give my predictions:

Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers

I have been torn about this game. I think Minnesota has better pieces, but I think the strengths of the 49ers coincide with the weaknesses of the Vikings. This game is a home game for San Francisco and they are coming off a bye. After careful consideration, I am picking the Minnesota Vikings to win this game. I picked the Vikings because they have two amazing receivers and a tight end who can rotate being covered by Richard Sherman, the running back could have a big day of the screen game, and the Vikings defense stops the run better. I don’t expect Dalvin Cook to have a big day rushing, but I expect him to be able to get big gains off of screens. This takes away two big playmakers for the 49ers, Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman. Also, the Vikings run defense can stop the 49ers running game. The front seven is the strong part of this defense. Coming to the Vikings corners, I don’t think they are that bad. They are not elite, but they can hang around Emmanuel Sanders, and with Harrison Smith behind them Marquise Godwin can be taken away. In the end, I think the Vikings have more ways to attack the 49ers, both offensively and defensively. For these reasons, I am taking the Vikings on Saturday.

Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens

This game was a pretty easy decision, and I am taking Baltimore to win this game. The Ravens are hot and coming off a bye. Mark Ingram will be playing tomorrow, and when you combine Lamar Jackson with Mark Ingram special things happen. Baltimore plays a power running game, like Tennessee, but they have more speed and more dynamic pieces. If Tennessee wants to win this game, they have to use the same formula they used against the Patriots. Run the ball, and limit the time the opposing offense is on the board. The problem with that is the Ravens run defense is far better than the Patriots, and they won’t let Derrick Henry get 7 yards a carry. I think Baltimore wins this game pretty handily.

Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs

I also had a tough time making this decision. The Texans and Chiefs both have immense offensive talent, and the defensive lines for both teams are playing well. What brought me to my decision was the offensive line. For this one factor alone, I think the Kansas City Chiefs will win on Sunday. I think Mahomes and Watson are on the same level, just Watson has a lesser offensive mind, but the big point in this game will be the offensive line. Deshaun Watson was sacked six times against the Bills, and if the team gets down early then everything goes down the drain. The Chiefs’ offensive line has played well and allowed Mahomes to sit back and go deep. I think these teams are pretty evenly matched, but the offensive line play has me picking the Chiefs to win this game.

Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers

I also struggled to make this decision. Both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. I like Green Bay’s defense better than Seattle, but I like the X-factors in Seattle more than in Green Bay. I think Wilson is playing better than Rodgers, I think Metcalf is a bigger matchup nightmare than Adams, and I think Pete Carrol is the better coach. I think this game is going to be close and very evenly matched, and it’s going to come down to either which defense can make a stop, or who has the ball last. I said earlier that I like Seattle’s defense better, and I like them better only because of experience. The Packers defense is young, and there might be nerves, but this Seattle defense has leaders like K.J. Wright who have been here. Also, the Packers run defense hasn’t been great and Marshawn Lynch will have a game. This will keep Rodgers off the field, and force them to score quickly, taking away the run game. I think the X-factors and the experience on the defense for Seattle will make the difference and will be the reason they win.

These are just my picks; I would love to hear your picks and why. Put your picks in the comment section at the bottom. Thank you for reading.