The playoffs of the 2012 season have begun in an orderly manner. Every matchup every week is the focus of the game. The wave of heated discussions is getting higher and higher, and it cannot stop at all!
Two games on January 5th!
In the American League, the Houston Texans faced the Cincinnati Bengals. The two teams faced each other in the wild card round for the second consecutive season. The offensive team led by Matt P. Bush performed well, but the defensive team led by JJ Watt showed its peak level. In the end, in a slightly dull game, "19:13", the Houston Texans defeated their opponents for the second consecutive year and entered the divisional round.
Because the Houston Texans are the third seed, which is a relatively high-ranking seed, this also means that they will challenge the second-seeded New England Patriots in the next round, and the war is now ready to start.
On the fourteenth day of this year's regular season, the Texans once challenged the Patriots on the road and lost miserably with a score of "14:42". Now they are heading north to Fox Castle again in the playoffs. The defensive team led by Watt will determine the outcome of the game. key.
In the National League, the Green Bay Packers faced the Minnesota Vikings. The rivals in the same division had just completed their confrontation in the last week of the regular season. Both improved their status and started fighting. The progress of the game can be said to be unexpected or reasonable, with full firepower. Aaron Rodgers led his teammates to an easy victory with "24:10", and successfully advanced over the corpse of their mortal enemy in the same district.
Similarly, the Green Bay Packers are the third seed, and their game with the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons is undoubtedly the focus of the game. Last year, the Falcons lost to the New York Giants with a humiliating score of "2:24" in the wild card round. Being able to meet the Packers in the divisional round, this year's situation has changed, and now both sides are gearing up.
This season, the two teams have never played against each other; last season, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Atlanta Falcons with a score of "25:14" on the road, but today is different from the past, the state and strength have changed, who will win? , not yet known.
Two more games on January 6th!
American League, Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts.
The biggest focus of this game is that if Andrew Luck can lead the Colts to defeat their opponents, then they will face Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos. Old and new grudges all swarmed in. Just thinking about it, the media reporters couldn't help but rub their hands in anticipation.
However, the Baltimore Ravens defensive team gave Luck a shocking education lesson, "24:9", defeating the Colts cleanly without leaving even the slightest chance, creating the largest score gap in the wild card game. , easily promoted. Luck was suppressed throughout the game and could hardly find any opportunities. After all, the expected showdown between the old and the new could not be staged.
As a result, the Baltimore Ravens will go away to challenge the Denver Broncos, the top seed in the American League. The Ravens play against the Broncos, and it's a battle of offense and defense. In the fifteenth week of the regular season, the Broncos once easily defeated the Ravens on the road with a score of "34:17"; now they meet again, whether the Ravens defense can successfully limit Peyton Manning will determine the outcome. .
What’s interesting is that the two divisional games of the American League will be offensive and defensive battles. Whether the old enemies Manning and Brady can once again compete on the American League finals stage is undoubtedly an outcome that the entire league is looking forward to. .
NFC, Washington Redskins vs. Seattle Seahawks.
Simply put, this is Robert Griffin III vs. Russell Wilson! Although the two rookie quarterbacks have never met in the regular season, judging from their current status, they are like sparks colliding with each other, refusing to give in to each other.
The Redskins won seven consecutive games at the end of the season, going from three wins and six losses to ten wins and six losses, and entered the playoffs. Now their morale has undoubtedly reached its highest point; the Seahawks won seven games in nine games in the second half of the season. Two losses, from four wins and three losses to 11 wins and five losses, the same progress.
In addition, there are many similarities in the game modes of the two teams, which also makes the direction of victory and defeat even more difficult to predict. But overall, Griffin, who just completed the second-best rookie season in history, may have a slight advantage.
The cruel reality was counterproductive. The Seahawks' defense dominated the game. Facing Griffin's read-option offense, they seemed to have been well prepared, allowing Griffin to annihilate everyone throughout the game with an absolutely strong performance. In the end, the Seahawks, who played away from home, easily defeated their opponents with a score of "24:14".
When all four wild card games were over, the Seattle Seahawks became the only low-ranked team to win. Naturally, they were also the only team to win on the road.
This season, the huge gap between the Seahawks' home and away performances is obvious to the entire league. Four of the five games are away games; but after entering the playoffs, the Seahawks have justified themselves with their excellent performance. , and are ready for a tough and hard fight.
As a result, the final matchup of the divisional round has been settled: the Seattle Seahawks will challenge the San Francisco 49ers, the top seed in the National League!
At this point, the wild card games are all over and the seats in the divisional rounds are determined.
January 12th.
Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers.
January 13th.
New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks.
The second round of the playoffs is about to begin!
It can be said that enemies meet on a narrow road, and the encounter between the Seahawks and the 49ers is undoubtedly the most eye-catching among the four games in the divisional round, because this is a divisional rival that will never stop fighting, and because the regular season that just ended was second to last. The two sides just had a nail-biting game last week, and because the playoffs will inevitably amplify all the sparks... no one wants to miss this game.
What’s interesting is that among the four divisional games, the three elite quarterbacks Manning, Brady and Rodgers each played a game. There was definitely no shortage of focus of discussion and attention, but the most popular, exciting and tense one was. This game happened to be one without an elite quarterback participating.
Therefore, "Sports Illustrated" launched a new topic on social networks, "Lu Ke temporarily replaced Drew Brees' vacant seat, completing the puzzle of the four elite quarterbacks, just like Lu Ke temporarily replaced him last year." There is a vacancy for Peyton Manning. So, does this mean that he has become the successor to the new elite quarterback?"
If Harry Wayans hadn't mentioned it, people wouldn't have made any unnecessary associations at all; but now, after a spark was ignited, all kinds of conjectures began to emerge——
In last year's four divisional games, Brees, Brady and Rodgers played together. The injured Manning was absent. To fill the vacancy were the San Francisco 49ers' Lu Ke, the Houston Texans' Bu Bu and the Baltimore Ravens' Foola. Coincidentally, these three quarterbacks also reached the divisional round this year.
Logically speaking, in terms of experience and resume, both Bubu and Flacco have more "elite" potential. Bubu's performance has risen strongly this season, and Flaco has been in the league continuously since joining the league in 2008. After reaching the playoffs in five years, even if you want to make a horizontal comparison, they are a more suitable choice, but Harry cleverly shifted all his attention to Lu Ke.
Especially in this season's divisional competition, the statement that "the four elite quarterbacks faced four different opponents respectively" completed the last piece of the puzzle, which also made people look forward to the conference finals stage. " The grand scenes of "Da Manning VS Brady" and "Lu Ke VS Rogers" feel extremely beautiful just by imagining them.
And then... all the praise and all the complaints started going crazy again.
Obviously, for a second-year quarterback, such praise is a bit too exaggerated. The complaints and curses on social networks are overwhelming; coupled with the undefeated regular season, now the San Francisco 49ers There is no doubt that he has become a public enemy in the alliance.
The win-win strategy still works!
"Sports Illustrated"'s imagination can be said to have added fuel to the fire, making the focus of attention more and more boiling; but the fact is that even without Harry Waynes fanning the flames, the San Francisco 49ers are already the target of the entire league. The playoff clash with the Seattle Seahawks is also highly anticipated and hotly anticipated.
There is no need to mobilize at all. Both teams, players and fans are in high spirits. Is there anything more wonderful than advancing to the next round by stepping on the rivals in the same district? Is there anything happier than eliminating a rival in the same district in the playoffs? Apparently not.
For the San Francisco 49ers, they hope to extend their two-season unbeaten streak against this opponent, continue to push them into the abyss of humiliation, and then strut their way into the NFC Finals for the second consecutive year.
As for the Seattle Seahawks, they not only hope to break their winless streak, but also hope to counterattack their opponents and reach the National League finals. They are looking forward to returning to the finals stage again since 2005——
In the 2010 wild card round, they had seven wins and nine losses in the regular season and faced the New Orleans Saints who had 11 wins and five losses in the regular season. Moreover, they lost to their opponents by a huge score of "19:34" in the regular season that season. But in that wild card game, they defeated their opponents "41:36". That game was also called the Impossible Miracle. They created a miracle once, and now they can create it a second time.
Both teams definitely have no shortage of motivation to compete!
What's more, the strength gap between the two teams this season is far closer than the record of wins and losses.
In the offensive team, the San Francisco 49ers are third in the league, behind the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, while the Seattle Seahawks are ninth in the league; in the defensive team, the Seattle Seahawks are first in the league, and the San Francisco 49ers are second in the league.
From offense to defense, and even special teams, both teams are relatively even, which means the matchup will be very exciting to watch!
