The Joe Quarterback Podcast

We are coming down to it now! One more game stands between us and knowing who will be vying for the title of Super Bowl Champion on February 8. After Buffalo’s heartbreaking, overtime loss to Denver last week, my prediction for the big game is shot for the year. So, we forge ahead and look at this week’s matchups!

New England Patriots (2) vs. Denver Broncos (1) – The Divisional Round was not just heartbreaking for Buffalo, it was heartbreaking for Denver as well. After gutting it out on a fractured ankle in overtime, Bo Nix is done for the year, and Jarrett Stidham steps in to fill the gap. Sean Payton has gone on the record to say “Stiddy” is ready. He may be ready, but after being drafted by New England, then following Josh McDaniels to the Raiders and the Broncos, it seems to me that the Patriots have an inside track on what to expect from the Auburn University product; not to mention Carlton Davis would have had a chance to watch Stidham during their days together on the Plains of south Alabama. Also, a young New England offensive unit led by MVP candidate Drake Maye looks poised to take the next step. After an incredible run, it seems unlikely that it’s going to be Denver’s year. Patriots 28, Broncos 18.

Los Angeles Rams (5) vs. Seattle Seahawks (1) – I’m not sure I could have been more “off” about the NFC Division Round match up of San Francisco versus Seattle. Certainly, there were extenuating factors, chiefly that Kittle was out with a torn Achilles, but San Francisco certainly had enough weapons including 2026 MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey. With a strong defensive unit including a secondary that looks like echoes of the early 2010s “Legion of Boom” and Sam Darnold playing like a man on a mission to prove he was worth the #3 overall pick in 2018, the Seahawks look like the real deal. The Rams are also looking strong on both sides of the ball led by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford and that formidable 13 personnel attack. This will be the deciding game in a “best of 3” series this year with an average margin of victory of 1.5 points from the previous 2 contests. In spite of my earlier prediction on who would represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, this victory goes to the home team.  Seahawks 29, Rams 28.