NFL Divisional Playoffs: Full Primer and Predictions for This Weekend's QBs

There are now eight teams left in the NFL playoffs as we head into the divisional round. The top-seeded organizations now get a chance to mix it up for a chance to advance to the conference championships.

Of the remaining teams, five out of the eight are led by quarterbacks who have already been to and won a Super Bowl. Only Tony Romo, Andrew Luck and Cam Newton have yet to even reach the big dance.

Romo is easily the most experienced QB of those three names and is looking to remove the gigantic monkey from his back. If he can do that, it will likely put him into the Hall of Fame conversation and add a much-needed layer to his highly scrutinized legacy.

Aaron Rodgers may be playing better than any QB in history, but the road to a Super Bowl this year will not come easy. Wilson and Co. return to the postseason to defend their championship, but do they have enough weapons on offense to go all the way?

Before we look too far ahead, teams will need to escape the divisional rounds first.

Odds and Ends

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• The referees could end up playing a big role in the outcome of at least one of these playoff games. To find out which refs will be working each game, check out this link for Football Zebras.

Note: Some NFL coaching staffs are savvy enough dig into the tendencies of officials and will adjust their play based on what ref is more likely to call (or not call) specific penalties.

• The weather in Seattle around game time should be relatively nice for this time of year with a high of 53 degrees and a low of 43, as per AccuWeather.com.

• Lambeau Field will be cold as always this time of year, with temperatures between 21 and seven degrees and partially cloudy skies. This weather could end up distracting the Cowboys, a team that plays most of their games in a dome.

• Clear skies combined with subfreezing temperatures are expected at Foxborough on game day. Other than cold air, weather shouldn’t be a factor in this classic matchup between the Patriots and Ravens.  

• At Mile High in Denver, it’s expected to be a cold day, with lows in the 20s. Despite the cold, the game will be dry, and the weather should be pleasant. Denver's high-altitude advantage will be less of an issue this late into the season because players have been conditioned all season long at this point.

• If for whatever reason you’re unable to check out the game on TV, follow along and stay up to date with the Bleacher Report Team Stream app for your mobile devices or tablets.

Cowboys vs. Packers

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Tony Romo

Last week Tony Romo finished the day with 19 completions in 31 attempts for 293 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. This was a great way for the oft-scrutinized QB to get his postseason started. He seems to be doing a nice job throughout the season, finally putting to rest the perception that he can’t win the big games or be one of the best in the game.

With one of the most potent running games in the NFL to turn to, Romo doesn’t have to force any risky plays. His bread-and-butter plays tend to come after defenses have overcorrected for the dominance that is DeMarco Murray.

Green Bay has a below-average run defense and pass defense (in terms of yards per play), so Dallas should be able to move the ball effectively. Romo needs to play smart football and avoid those ill-timed turnovers that have haunted his career. 

Aaron Rodgers 

Aaron Rodgers is not only one of the most efficient passers in NFL history, but he is also having perhaps the best seasons by a QB ever. He has used the uncanny combination of his rocket arm, accuracy, I.Q. and athleticism to slice-and-dice nearly every defense he faced this year, posting his sixth straight season with a passer rating over 100.

Rodgers is normally an underrated athlete who can extend plays within the pocket or take off for well-timed scrambles. However, this week might be a different story for the pending league MVP.

As per Marc Sessler of NFL.com, “Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that his star quarterback simply sat out Wednesday's practice as part of a pre-planned day of treatment on the calf he first injured in Week 16 against the Bucs.”

This injury is a major concern going into the game, and if his mobility is limited, it might take one of the more dangerous elements to his game.

Panthers vs. Seahawks

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Cam Newton

The task will not be easy for Cam Newton against the Legion of Boom, but if this offense is to have any success this weekend, Newton will need to be consistent with his accuracy. To beat this talented group of defenders, he must complete some tough passes into tight windows, while doing his best to avoid turnovers.

We should expect the Panthers to take as much pressure off Newton as possible, but there’s no avoiding the need to throw the ball if this team hopes to advance to the conference championships.

Last week Newton was inconsistent with his arm throughout the game but relied on an effective running game and a hefty dose of courage on his part. In a critical moment against the St. Louis Cardinals, he took off running on a 3rd-and-12 play and gained 13 yards, diving head first into two defenders converging on him at full speed.

We’ve seen his accuracy on display on several occasions, but if his footwork and technique becomes lazy, it will be tough for Newton to be steadfast with his targeting system.

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is one of the best QBs in the league at managing a game without allowing those costly turnovers that can drastically change the game.

Even while his receiving options have diminished this year, Wilson has found a way to supplement his offensive production with his legs. Despite running for more yards (849) than any other QB since Mike Vick in 2006, Wilson hasn’t lost a fumble to the opposing team a single time all year.

Wilson probably won’t need to play outside of his comfort zone in this game. His best bet will be to allow his dominant defense to do its thing, while he patiently waits for the right moments to strike.

Ravens vs. Patriots

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Joe Flacco

This contest pairs up two Super Bowl-winning QBs in what seems to be one of the better matchups of the weekend. Flacco has a tendency to be inconsistent as a quarterback, but we all know he can get hot in the postseason.

Per The Baltimore Sun, Flacco talked about the strategy of avoiding CB Darrelle Revis on Tuesday.

"

When you go out there and you try to change things around and avoid a guy or pick your spots to go at a guy, I think you’re usually taking away a piece of your offense that you rely on a lot. You allow them to dictate something by who they match him on or who he happens to be on on that play. 

So, I think as a play-caller, you have to just go out there, rely on your guys that you have that are out there, rely on the fact that they have ability. And as a quarterback, you have to go out there and just go through your reads. And if he’s open, throw it to him—if he’s not, don’t.

"

This reaction is not surprising to hear from Flacco considering the aggressive way he plays the game. We should expect Flacco to launch the ball deep off play action at least a couple of times each half, and one or two of those plays could be game-changing. 

Tom Brady

We can only imagine how bad Brady wants to get back to the Super Bowl. If his offensive line can hold off Baltimore’s bookends long enough for him to get some looks downfield, he should be able to take advantage of a vulnerable Ravens secondary.

However, the first part of that statement will be easier said than done. Baltimore was outstanding at pressuring Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in last Saturday's 30-17 win.

Brady is one of the most successful postseason quarterbacks to ever play the game and has a knack for playing well under extreme pressure. Having a healthy Rob Gronkowski this year should make a huge difference for the Patriots offense.

New England has been on a role winning 10 of their last 12 games. During that time, Brady has been as consistent as nearly any QB in the league now that the Patriots have improved some of their early-season troubles in pass protection.

Colts vs. Broncos

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Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning may have slowed his production down compared to 2013 or even the earlier part of this season. But we know that Peyton is still a dangerous weapon that the Indianapolis Colts will have a tough time contending with. He is undefeated so far at home this season, despite his struggles as of late.

If Manning is allowed to keep his jersey clean, he should have little trouble picking apart his former team. The Broncos just have too many weapons at their disposal, and Manning is the perfect guy to spread the ball around.

As Gil Brandt of NFL.com puts it, “[Manning] is probably better at reading and understanding defenses than anyone who's ever played.” 

I completely agree with this statement, which is why we should expect a worthy performance by the veteran. The big concern will be if the Colts can somehow manage to get consistent pressure on Manning without sacrificing too much by way of a blitz. Any team that blitzes Manning is often bound to be burned more than it can get the QB on the ground.

Andrew Luck

At times Andrew Luck reminds us he’s only in his third year with some of the errant throws he can make. But there’s no doubt this guy makes far more exceptional plays than he does head-scratchers.

Luck is an exceptional athlete who tends to play his best when it matters the most. His favorite target is WR T.Y. Hilton, but he may struggle trying to get open against this tough Broncos secondary.

Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware have been relentless against opposing quarterbacks, combining for 24 sacks in 2014. They will certainly do their best to make Luck’s day a difficult one. However, Luck is fast enough to escape pressure when he sees it and has the awareness and mobility to extend plays.

Important Stats to Know

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• The Luck-era Colts are 3-11 on the road vs. winning teams. They only beat the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and a less-than-stellar Houston team outside the comforts of Lucas Oil Stadium.

• According to ESPN’s Sportscenter, Andrew Luck tops the list among remaining playoff quarterbacks, accounting for a whopping 77 percent of his team’s offense this season.

• Since 2008, Joe Flacco has started more games and has a better record than Tom Brady. Flacco has started 14 postseason games over the last six seasons, going 14-4, while Brady has gone 4-5 in his nine playoff starts. 

• What’s perhaps more surprising is that seven of Flacco’s wins have come on the road, while Brady hasn’t won a single playoff game on the road since 2008.

• According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Ravens have won five consecutive playoff games, including three straight on the road.

• “Since Flacco joined the league in 2008, he’s completed 26 passes at least 20 yards downfield in the playoffs, twice as many as any other quarterback except Aaron Rodgers (14),” as per ESPN Stats & Info.

• Rodgers had the NFL's best QBR at home (93.0), while Tony Romo had the NFL's best QBR on the road (88.9) this season.

• At Lambeau Field this season, Aaron Rodgers has put together an impressive resume, complete with a 133.2 passer rating and a 25-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

• Russell Wilson had a Total QBR of 71.75 his rookie year, that remains the best total of his three-year career. 

• At 21.53 points per game, the Panthers are the lowest-scoring team remaining in the playoffs, yet they must face the stingiest defense in the NFL. Seattle has allowed just 15.88 points per game all season and is allowing just 39 points in its last six games. The last time a team scored at least 20 points against the Seahawks was Week 11, back on November 16.

• Since the current playoff format was implemented back in 1990, home teams in the divisional round have won 73 percent of the time, according to Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com.

Predictions

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• Brady and Manning have met 16 times in their careers. Not only will this be the 17th time they meet, I predict it will be their last-ever meeting in a playoff contest, if not the last time they square off on a football field in any fashion. 

• Every single home team will come out victorious this weekend.

• New England Patriots 27, Baltimore Ravens 13
• Brady will be sacked three times against the Ravens.
• Tight end Rob Gronkowski will have over 100 receiving yards in the Patriots victory over the Ravens.
• Joe Flacco has been hot in the postseason the last few years, but he will make some critical mistakes against the Patriots and have a frustrating day as his running game sputters. With a one-dimensional offense, Flacco will force too many throws and end his playoff dominance.

• Denver Broncos 38, Indianapolis Colts 32
• The game between the Colts and the Broncos will be the highest scoring of the divisional round.

• Green Bay Packers 33, Dallas Cowboys 24
• Aaron Rodgers will have a better statistical game than Tony Romo, while the Cowboys will have more success on the ground.

• Seattle Seahawks 23, Carolina Panthers 19
• Seattle will win against the Panthers, but Cam Newton will keep the game closer than we ever expected using his strong arm and athleticism. Expect Newton to run for over 70 yards on the ground and complete 55 percent of his passes.
• The Panthers will make four field goals on the day.
• No Seahawks wide receiver will have 60 yards through the air.

Ryan Riddle is a former NFL player and writes for Bleacher Report.