Who could forget with the ' field-goal unit in last season's playoffs?This week's playoff slate features three rematches from the regular season, including the doozy between the and , who, yes, meet in the Divisional Round for the second straight year. Meanwhile, the one non-2015 rematch is Kansas City at New England -- the real gem of this weekend, if you ask me. It's the first game on the sked and it features the hottest team in pro football vs. the defending champions. Who would've thought the 2015 could have jumped from 1-5 to 12-5? Unreal.Real doubt lingers about whether the played over their heads or have legitimately snapped out of their aerial funk. Meanwhile, the will be lucky to produce any aerial works, much le sfireworks, given the quarterback situation. All games are previewed below, with a nod toward matchups, injuries and, of course, NFL history. And, of course, feel free to share your take on any of the elimination games Russell Westbrook Jersey this weekend: is the place.Now, let's get to it!Elliot Harrison went 3-1 on , giving him a record of 154-106 so far this season. How will he fare in the Divisional Round? His picks are below. at is easily the toughest game to call on the Divisional Round docket. Seattle is coming off that required as much intestinal fortitude as an athlete's body can handle. Carolina has enjoyed a week of rest, and will be hosting the defending NFC champs in Charlotte. Ron Rivera's group, it should be noted, hasn't lost there since November, 2014. Both teams play a physical brand of football . It's mostly the prospective brutality of the defenses involved -- but also the fact that the are the league bully and the carry the NFL's best record -- that has fans all hot and bothered about this matchup. The most important aspect of - is 's availability. He was , but obviously, , his status remains uncertain. Let me tell you, if we had a bit more clarity on the bruising RB at publishing, the pick in this one could be different. That said, the fact that is huge -- as discu sed . Meanwhile, Seattle's offense has been mostly unstoppable -- even with Lynch (and ) out. That doesn't mean the 'Hawks won't mi s Beast Mode; the guy's averaged 91.7 rushing yards over 10 postseason games for Seattle. Please forgive me if doesn't elicit as much confidence. What garners football faith in Carolina -- besides , of course -- is the ' defense over the last 11 home games. They've allowed a scant 16.5 points per game while boasting a plus-13 turnover differential. Throw in the fact that Riverboat Ron's D was tops in takeaways this season, and it gets harder to pick the . Carolina advances. Denver wins, and not solely because Jerami Grant Jersey the are so banged up. The did lose to this group , but bear in mind that game was at Heinz Field. Making adjustments at the line, and getting wideouts in mismatches, will be much more difficult for Pittsburgh with the Mile High crowd going nutso. Given that 's shoulder probably sounds like the shuffling of ice cubes after a 7 Up pour, this matchup could be brutal for the . is . , who's suffered from knee and back i sues in the second half of the season Paul George Jersey , just enjoyed a nice extra week of rest. So if I were defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, I'd dare Roethlisberger to try and throw deep with that bum shoulder. Play man coverage underneath, and a little of that two-deep zone jazz, and don't worry about him running. (Like he does that anyway.) On a different note, - has been a sneaky-good playoff series over the decades. The Orange Crush were one of the few teams to derail the in their domination of the mid-to-late '70s (back in 1977, to be specific). In 1984, Pittsburgh got payback by upsetting Denver in the Divisional Round. The almost pulled off an upset again in 1989 against a team that ended up in the . (Tim Worley fumblaya!) How about in the 1997 AFC Championship Game at Three Rivers? in OT on Wild Card Weekend? All of those games were fantastic. In other words, NFL history is cool. ALREADY COMPLETED Call it a kinda game. That's not a bad thing, as he is the top kicker in pro football. ( and er are hopping on Twitter right about... now!) These two teams present the best of both worlds regarding the bye/non-bye conundrum. Everyone suspects a team like the would want that darn off week. Agreed. Health is of primary concern for the entire receiving corps, . Meanwhile, the hottest team in pro football doesn't want to let the playoff meal get lukewarm. I've heard many players say that as nice as it is to get the time off, many of the ailments these guys are dealing with won't fully heal without a month off. So, both the Pats and are in the best situation for their situation. The meat and potatoes of this matchup really boils down to the meat-and-potatoes guys: the ' O-line. They have started a different group multiple times, and thus the offense struggled late in the year (especially sans ). How they fare against a now-healthy pa s rush will determine the outcome of the game. Justin Jackson Jersey With Edelman back in the fold, should be able to get the ball out quick to mitigate the pre sure. Still, , and will be a pre sure cooker. (Over/under on cooking analogies in this article was set at eight. Will we get there??? Stay tuned!) **Fun Fact 1:** New England has more sacks this season than Kansas City. **Fun Fact 2:** The and were the top two teams in terms of *not* turning the ball over in 2015. </content:weekly-predictions> So the story of this contest, or at least what we've all heard, is that of a suddenly hot quarterback. renewed league analysts' and fans' confidence in his ability to take over a game after his distanced themselves from the home . Al Horford Jersey Underneath the strong current of The Rodgers Legend was a Green Bay secondary that held the fort time and again, enough for the ' front to get to six times. (Did you notice the exemplary DB work, Cheeseheads? Or was it all about the QB? ) Nearly half of Cousins' pa sing yards came in the fourth quarter, when Green Bay held a multi-score lead. Are we maybe focusing too much on one quarterback in this game? Is being underestimated, despite his MVP2 campaign? (MVP1 = Cam.) Palmer has been a machine going vertical this season, which is why he has 65 completions of 20-plus yards ( ), averages 8.7 yards per attempt (best among qualified QBs) and 10.7 air yards per attempt (the highest figure in the pro circuit). The young Green Bay secondary -- guys like Ladarius Gunter, and (all of whom are 23) -- will be challenged vertically quite regularly. What I love about Arizona, and specifically Bruce Arians, is the willingne s to throw the deep ball early and often, thus forcing the defense to play the whole field. While I don't foresee , I like the to advance to the second NFC Championship Game in franchise history. Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter .

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