With the start of the new year most people are looking for a fresh start, however, for the NFL, it is not the start but the finish: it’s playoff time. This weekend marks the start of the playoffs with the divisional round. There are four games spread out over Saturday and Sunday with the winners all moving on to the conference semifinals. Check out my predictions below.

Saturday games:
4:35 ET- Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) at Houston Texans (9-7)
After week 7 and at a 2-5 record Houston seemed like there season was just about over. They had trouble deciding on a quarterback and the position had been hurting them the whole season. To make things worse, star running back Arian Foster has had basically no role this season as he has been plagued with injuries. However, even after the rough start, Houston used their strong defense and were led by star wide receiver Deandre Hopkins to turn their season around. They ended the season winning 7 of their last 9 games and won the AFC South division.
Very similarly to the Texans, Kansas City dug themselves into a deep hole early in the season. They struggled through the first 6 weeks losing 5 of those games. Another thing Kansas City share with Houston is that they too lost their star running back, Jamaal Charles, for the season. He was the main contributor to their offense and proved to be a costly loss for the team. However, Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith stepped up his game and the defense caught its stride leading the team to win all of its remaining ten games.
This is not the first meeting between the two clubs this season. They played in week 1 which resulted in a Kansas City 27-20 win. However, these two teams have come a long way since then and that result means nothing in terms of this game.

Key Players:
Houston- Deandre Hopkins (WR), JJ Watt (DE), Alfred Blue (RB), Brian Cushing (LB)
Kansas City- Travis Kelce (TE), Marcus Peters (CB), Eric Berry (FS), Alex Smith (QB)

Predicted result:
Both teams have been red hot since the start of the season. Both live off of their defenses and do not have the most efficient offenses. However, the difference between these two offenses is that Kansas City has an established quarterback who has experience in the big game. Alex Smith will lead a late drive to take the lead and Eric Berry will make an interception to seal the victory.

Predicted final score: Kansas City 30, Houston 24

8:15 ET- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
Pittsburgh has been fairly consistent this year winning when they need to and dropping a few games to some good teams. Still, it is a little amazing that they made the playoffs due to the injuries they have experienced. Star running back Le’veon bell was suspended for the first two games of the season but when he came back he made his presence felt. However, Bell tore his ACL and was out for the season only a few weeks after coming back. In addition to this, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger battled through multiple injuries and had to sit out a few games. With these issues the weight of the team fell on wide receiver Antonio Brown who followed up a career season with not only only career year, but a historically great season.
Cincinnati had a much different season than Pittsburgh. They have played very well the whole season with very good defense and consistent offense. Tight end Tyler Eifert put up a monster season catching fifteen touchdowns, the fifth most in the league. While Cincinnati managed to avoid injuries to key players throughout the regular season, they experienced a costly one that may very well cost them a victory. Quarterback Andy Dalton injured his hand at the end of the season and will miss the game. Former Alabama star AJ Mccarron will make the start, only the fourth start of his career.

Key players:
Pittsburgh- Antonio Brown (WR), Deangelo Williams (RB), Lawrence Timmons (LB), Will Allen (SS)
Cincinnati- Tyler Eifert (TE), Jeremy Hill (RB), Carlos Dunlap (DE), Geno Atkins (DT)

Predicted result:
These two divisional foes have already played twice the year, splitting the games by each winning one. While Cincinnati was clearly the better team during the regular season, the loss of Andy Dalton will prove to be a killer. Look for the Cincinnati offense to struggle to move the ball and Antonia Brown to have a big game. This game should only be close because of how well the Cincinnati defense will play.

Predicted final score: Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 17

Sunday games:
1:05 ET- Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
Coming off back to back Super Bowl appearances and the addition of an elite tight end in Jimmy Graham, Seattle looked poised to make another run and yet again dominate the league. However, Seattle struggled early on only winning 2 of its first 6 games. The team struggled on offense and their stingy defense had not been playing as well as everyone has grown accustomed to. Star running back Marshawn Lynch struggled with injuries all season and was virtually a non-factor. Even though the team had their issues, they then went on to win all but 2 of its remaining ten games. The defense started to play like everyone thought they would, quarterback Russell Wilson made a midseason shift and became one of the best quarterbacks in the league and wide receiver Doug Baldwin burst onto the scene catching twelve touchdowns in the final 8 games. Seattle is on a roll right now and not a team anyone wants to face in the playoffs.
This season Minnesota exceeded expectations on its way to winning the NFC North division. They had very few problems this season on their way to their first playoff appearance since 2012. After missing the entire season last year, elite running back Adrian Peterson showed why he still is the best running back in the league by having more rushing yards and touchdowns than any other running back in the league. The Minnesota defense has also played very well contributing to the team’s success. However, even though the season was a huge success for Minnesota, the one game this season that they really struggled in was against…the Seattle Seahawks, a 38-7 beatdown in Minnesota.

Key players:
Seattle: Russell Wilson (QB), Doug Baldwin (WR), Earl Thomas (SS), KJ Wright (LB)
Minnesota: Adrian Peterson (RB), Stefon Diggs (WR), Everson Griffen (DE), Eric Kendricks (LB)

Predicted result:
These two teams have proven consistently that they have 2 of the best running games in the league. Both teams will pile on the rushing attempts and it will be difficult for both teams to stop the run. What this game will come down to is which quarterback will be able to produce more against a good defense and time and time again, Wilson has proven that he is up to the task. Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is not nearly at the same level and will not be able to play effectively against the Seattle defense.

Predicted final score: Seattle 27, Minnesota 17w

4:40 ET- Green Bay Packers (10-6) at Washington Redskins (9-7)
This season, Green Bay has not played nearly as well as anyone thought they would coming into the season. The woes for this team started in the preseason when star wide receiver Jordy Nelson tore his ACL and was ruled out for the season. Additionally, former rookie of the year, running back Eddie Lacy, has been battling injuries and has not produced the way the team had hoped. However, despite these setbacks, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has put the team on his back and carried them to the playoffs. The team did struggle a bit in the middle of the season by losing 4 out of 5 games and recently lost the NFC North division title to the Minnesota Vikings, but these failures will merely motivate the team to win this game.
Last place. That is the position that almost every sports website and football analyst predicted Washington to finish in its division, the NFC East. However, Washington proved everyone wrong by not only not coming in last in the division, but ultimately winning it and being the only team from the division to make the playoffs. Before the season Washington was not even sure who their quarterback would be, Robert Griffin III or Kirk Cousins. They eventually went with Cousins and definitely made the right choice. Cousins not only led Washington the the Playoffs for the first time since 2012, but also had one of the greatest seasons in Washington history. Washington should be extremely passionate in this game as no one believed they would be here. Now it is time for them to prove their doubters wrong.

Key players:
Green Bay- James Jones (WR), Aaron Rodgers (QB), Clay Matthews (LB), Haha Clinton-Dix (SS)
Washington- Bashaud Breeland (CB), Kirk Cousins (QB), Jordan Reed (TE), Ryan Kerrigan (LB), Chris Baker (DE)

Predicted result:
While Rodgers will be almost impossible to stop, Washington will make a play late to steal the game. Neither team will run the ball very well and Cousins should also play well. This game should come down to which defense can make a play down the stretch and Washington has proven they can be that team. They are first in the league in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.

Predicted final score: Green Bay 30, Washington 34

Byes:
AFC- Denver Broncos and New England Patriots
NFC- Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals