The NFL Roundup: Divisional Round - Day Two

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If anything, the first day of the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs served as a valuable lesson, specifically that winning this deep into the tournament requires more than flash and dash and a touch of blind luck. Teams have to be perfect, they have to execute on every single play, or they can expect to be blown out like Houston and Seattle were in yesterday's games. But while that particular slate of games were a touch lopsided, it looks like today's matchups should provide us with some incredible football, so without further ado, here is our in depth look at today's games as the Divisional Round comes to a close.

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NFC DIVISIONAL MATCHUP
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
AT&T Stadium - 4:40 p.m. EST - FOX

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
Not only did the Green Bay Packers run the table to reach the Playoffs, but they also managed to stun a quality opponent in the Wild Card round by beating the New York Giants handily to the tune of 38-13, and much of those points came courtesy of QB Aaron Rodgers, who tossed four touchdowns in the contest. But while the Packers and their miraculous season have been the talk of the town for some time now, they head to Dallas to face an incredibly strong Cowboys team, one that beat the Packers in Week 6 during the regular season and one that boasted the strongest record in the NFC, allowing for them to lock up the NFC East and earn home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Much like last night's Patriots game, this is the Cowboys game to lose. They have one of the finest offensive lines in football, one that gives rookie QB Dak Prescott all the time in the world to throw the ball, and one that sets up perfect running lanes for tailback Ezekiel Elliott. Which means the only way the Packers will have a chance to win this game, is to figure out a way to rob Prescott of the passing game, or button up the run game and while Green Bay's defense is solid, stopping either one of these incredible rookies is easier said than done. Regardless, expect the score in this one to be closer than it was in either of yesterday's games, because Rodgers will find the end zone against the Dallas D, but in the end, that will likely not be enough to spoil the Cowboys incredible dream season. 

AFC DIVISIONAL MATCHUP
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Arrowhead Stadium - 8:20 p.m. EST - NBC

HOW THESE TEAMS REACHED THE DIVISIONAL ROUND
The Pittsburgh Steelers did what they do best in the Wild Card round, pouring on the points by land and by air and following that up with a healthy dose of stifling defense in their blowout win over the Miami Dolphins and they head into Arrowhead Stadium tonight to face an incredibly worthy opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that struggled early in the season, going 2-2, and oddly enough, losing to the Steelers during that time frame before heading into their bye week. But after their week off, everything changed and the Chiefs won ten of their next twelve, giving the league leading Raiders a run for their money before eventually winning the AFC West and securing a first round bye in the Playoffs.

KEYS TO THE GAME
This could be the best game that the Divisional Round has to offer, simply because both of these teams are so evenly matched. Both of them feature strong defensive squads that know how to attack passing routes and neutralize running backs and both of them feature top tier quarterbacks that know how to read a defense and pick it apart, and both QB's are complimented by a vicious run game. However, there is a sense of vendetta hanging over this game for the Kansas City Chiefs and that could prove dangerous for the Chiefs, because the real keys to this game, are patience and execution, because both of these squads feast upon mistakes and the first one to continually make them is the one that loses this game.