Who's getting a W this weekend and moving onto the conference championships? The MMQB staff makes its picks.
There are only eight teams left in the playoffs, and there's an interesting divide between the conferences. The AFC is full of fresh faces, as all four of the teams on that side of the bracket are quarterbacked by players drafted in 2017 or later (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield). The NFC, meanwhile, is home to three of the most decorated QBs in NFL history (Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady) and a guy who played in the Super Bowl just two years ago (Jared Goff).
If you think Goff is at a disadvantage in the NFC, you're not alone. Packers-Rams was the only game picked unanimously by our staff, with top-seeded Green Bay favored to take care of business at Lambeau Field. Even the Browns drew the support of one of our writers against the defending champion Chiefs. The other two games of the weekend resulted in a 4-2 split, with the Bills picked to win at home and the Buccaneers selected to beat the Saints for the first time in three matchups this season.
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Over the course the 2020-21 NFL season and postseason, the "Vegas Whispers" sharp plays have gone 70-49-1 against the spread.
