SANTA CLARA – The time finally has come for the 49ers to enter the NFL playoffs as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, almost a year to the day from last season’s traumatic exit in Philadelphia.
“Yeah, it’s been a pretty quick year,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said. “It feels like we were just in the playoffs and we were just in Philly and all that.”
Two of the 49ers’ expected NFC challengers are already done, with the No. 2-seed Dallas Cowboys and No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles dispatched in the wild-card round.
So, the NFC’s divisional round features the No. 7 Green Bay Packers at the 49ers on Saturday night, then the No. 3 Detroit Lions hosting the No. 4 Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday.
On the AFC side of the ledger, the No. 1-seed Baltimore Ravens get divisional weekend started as Saturday afternoon hosts to the No. 4 Houston Texans. Capping the weekend will be Sunday’s tilt between the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Buffalo Bills.
Who advances to the NFL’s Final Four for next Sunday’s conference championship games? Here is what we predict:
Packers vs. 49ers, Saturday, 5:15 p.m.
Cam Inman: No team in NFL playoff history has fared better in Saturday action than the 49ers (13-5) or win more divisional-round games (18-8). Add another win. No need for a tale-of-the-tape comparison to size up this matchup. The 49ers are more talented at every position, and they’re hungry to dig back into postseason action at Levi’s Stadium, where they are 4-0 via their 2019 and ’22 teams’ two-win debuts. Christian McCaffrey (or anyone else, really) can join Terrell Owens, Vernon Davis, Colin Kaepernick and Raheem Mostert as Packers’ playoff killers over the past 25 years. Score: 49ers 34, Packers 17
Jerry McDonald: Maybe it’s proximity bias, but getting the feeling that the Packers are about to run into a buzzsaw. They’re coming off a short week, headed to the West Coast and got little more than walkthroughs while the 49ers got a head start in terms of both rest and preparation. Unless Brock Purdy and Co. repeat their Christmas night turnover avalanche, Green Bay’s season stops here. 49ers 38, Packers 20
Dieter Kurtenbach: Jordan Love’s backyard football won’t fly against a defense with this kind of disciple and these kinds of playmakers. It was fun while it lasted, but the Niners will pick off the young quarterback at least twice while McCaffrey carves up the Packers defense. It might be a fun game to start, but the Niners will suffocate a young, talented, but not-quite-ready Packers team over four quarters. Put me down for a blowout, too. Score: 49ers: 33, Packers 21
Texans at Ravens, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Inman: The AFC’s No. 1 seed holds serve to end DeMeco Ryans’ sensational debut season as the Texans’ coach. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf) is out, and that makes it tempting to think C.J. Stroud might light up another secondary. Alas, Baltimore will savor this win, because it’ll be its last in the playoffs (advance pick: Bills over Ravens in AFC final). Score: Ravens 26, Texans 24
McDonald: Remember when C.J. Stroud was getting criticized before the 2023 NFL Draft for reasons that aren’t worth repeating now that they’ve been fully debunked? To see Stroud and DeMeco Ryans in the AFC Championship Game would be a beautiful thing, but it’s hard to envision them beating a rested Baltimore team. Presumptive MVP Lamar Jackson may even get tight end Mark Andrews back and the Ravens may be the most buttoned-up team in the postseason. Score: Ravens 27, Texans 20
Kurtenbach: Lamar Jackson has struggled against, arguably, the three best defensive coordinators he faced this season — Brandon Staley (bad coach, great d-coordinator), Jim Schwartz, and Jonathan Gannon. You know who else is really good at coordinating a defense? Ryans. I doubted the Texans last week, and I was emphatically humbled. And while I have serious doubts about Houston, outdoors and on the road, I’m picking the kid in the upset of the season. Score: Texans 33, Ravens 30
Bucs at Lions, Sunday, noon
Inman: Detroit can’t avoid an emotional letdown after last weekend’s first playoff win in 30 years. The Bucs are playoff tested, and while they no longer have Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield has enough defiance and moxie to lead an upset to set up next weekend’s return to Levi’s Stadium for the NFC title. Score: Bucs 27, Lions 26
McDonald: I know I’m in the minority but I’ve always liked Baker Mayfield’s swagger and skill as an anticipatory thrower when with a decent team. I don’t see that as being enough to win in Detroit, whose fans will give a rousing sendoff for the Lions to Santa Clara and the NFC Championship Game. Marin Catholic/Cal product Jared Goff has somehow gotten zero MVP buzz yet is doing the heavy lifting in getting the Lions to the brink of Super Bowl LVIII. Score: Lions 31, Buccaneers 28
Kurtenbach: It’s quite simple: Don’t pick against the Dome. That place is going to be bumpin’ on Sunday. As for the football: The Lions have too many playmakers and just enough of a pass rush to win this game. And while I worry about Jared Goff — he looks like he’s itching to turn the ball over three times in a game — I think he saves that for the homecoming in Santa Clara. Score: Lions 28, Buccaneers 20
Chiefs at Bills, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Inman: Like 49ers-Packers, this is another 2021 season divisional rematch, and the Bills avenge that 42-36 ouster (not to mention the 2020 season’s AFC title game). Josh Allen is rolling through these playoffs like a tumbleweed down N Street in his native Firebaugh in California’s Central Valley. Patrick Mahomes’ first road playoff game results in his first roadblock to the AFC Championship Game. Score: Bills 21, Chiefs 20
McDonald: It’s time for the Chiefs to pay for their wildly inconsistent offensive play that sent them on the road for the divisional round instead of the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium. Josh Allen has a 100.5 passer rating in six career starts against the Chiefs including the playoffs with 15 touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns. Has two or more TD passes in five of the six games. This time, it will be enough to beat Patrick Mahomes. Score: Bills 24, Chiefs 17
Kurtenbach: Oh, so we’re going to doubt Mahomes now? I don’t think that’s going to work out for anyone. The Chiefs are a solid football team that is still quite good on offense — it’s just not great like in years past. But you know what is great for the Chiefs this year? Their defense. Buffalo might be on a roll, but I don’t see the home field as an advantage for them. The Chiefs know how to handle themselves on the big stage and the Bills Mafia will tighten up if Kansas City jumps out to an early lead. I’ll bet on Andy Reid to find ways to move the ball and Buffalo to need Allen to do it all. One-man shows don’t run very long in the winter. Score: Chiefs 23, Bills 18
Source: www.mercurynews.com