This is it. This is the weekend you've all been waiting for. It doesn't get much better than the NFL's divisional round, as the league's Elite Eight compete for a spot in the Final Four. Call it January Madness.
While the wild-card round left most fans yawning on their couch (final scores of 27-13, 26-6, 30-12 and 38-13 will do that), the matchups in the divisional rounds _ especially on Sunday _ have the potential to keep you on the edge of your seat. All four home teams, and all four favorites, covered last week. Since 1990, when the NFL moved to a 12-team playoff format, No. 1 seeds in the NFC are 22-4 in the divisional round but the AFC's top team is only 16-10. Could we be in store for another upset? The belief here is that the same thing will happen as last week, as all four home teams cover and advance to next week's conference title games.
What makes this weekend's matchups even more exciting is that all four games are rematches from the regular season. It's the first time that's happened in six years. At this point of the season, teams don't need extra motivation, but that revenge factor can sometimes be that extra edge that pushes a team over the top (we're looking at you especially, Atlanta and Kansas City).
The NFL saved its best game of the weekend for last, as the Packers and Cowboys face off in what could be an epic shootout. The Steelers-Chiefs tilt earlier in the day could produce the exact opposite, a grind-it-out, in-your-face old-school matchup that will make purists proud. On Saturday, you'll be treated to an offensive exhibition thanks to Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense, and then you'll see a familiar sighting as Tom Brady & Co. put on a show.
There are only seven games left in the NFL season, and these four are usually the best. A quick look at the remaining teams' records against the spread (ATS) this season: Patriots (13-3), Cowboys (10-5-1), Falcons (10-6), Packers (10-6-1), Steelers (10-7), Chiefs (9-7), Seahawks (8-8-1) and Texans (7-9-1).
