Last Week's Record: 2-2 (Correct: Chiefs, Packers Incorrect: Vikings, Ravens)
Overall Record: 3-5
Kansas City Chiefs over Tennessee Titans: What the Titans have accomplished over the past two weeks is absolutely remarkable. Mike Vrabel has this team playing hard-nosed, gutsy football on both sides of the ball, which has allowed them to knock off NFL royalty and an electrifying team that had won their previous 12 games with pretty minimal resistance in back-to-back weeks. Considering the immense fearlessness and focus they've displayed in the playoffs so far, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising if they went into Arrowhead and earned a 3rd straight road win over a Chiefs team that has a checkered history in the playoffs (especially over the past 25 years or so) to clinch their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1999. However, there's one thing that the Chiefs have that the Patriots and Ravens didn't: an elite vertical passing attack that can move the ball downfield and score points in no time at all, which should significantly reduce the effectiveness of the clock-bleeding, repeatedly run the ball up the gut offensive approach the Titans have heavily leaned on in both of their wins as well as expose the weaknesses on the back end of their defense.
San Francisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers: I continue to lack trust in either of these erratic-ass teams, so I've been forced to raise a ton of questions about both sides over the past few days. Will the 49ers be the imposing two-way powerhouse they were in the Divisional Round or the soft, aloof team that lost to the Falcons a month ago? Will Aaron Rodgers make clutch throw after clutch throw like he did last week to carry the team to a win or will the future Hall of Famer inexplicably be put on the back burner in favor of a running game that has proven several times that they can't be relied on to carry the offense on a weekly basis? Can Jimmy Garoppolo protect the ball in a showdown with a QB that does as good of a job at avoiding turnovers as anyone that's ever played the position? Can the Packers offensive line withstand the heat from an 49ers imposing pass rush that can attack you from the edge and interior with equal proficiency? Can the 49ers continue to hide Akhello Witherspoon's bum ass in coverage? How will head coaches with the lack of playoff experience that Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur possess approach a game of this magnitude? Ultimately, I'll give the slightest of edges in this wildly contested matchup to the home team, although I fully expect this to be a far more competitive game than their regular season matchup at Levi's Stadium in which the 49ers eviscerated the Packers 37-8.
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