Bedard and Price make their NFL playoff predictions

Here's our best guess-timate for what will go down in the postseason. Who goes home? And who will meet in Minneapolis?

BEDARD'S PLAYOFF PICKS


AFC

Wild-card round

(4) Chiefs 35, (5) Titans 17: Kansas City is not as "hot" as its four-game winning streak indicates, but they're good enough on both sides of the ball to dispatch with a Titans team that needs a revamp on offense in the offseason.

(3) Jaguars 20, (6) Bills 3: Buffalo is not a playoff team, and have yet to face a defense this good.

Divisional round

(1) Patriots 27, (4) Chiefs 17: Tom Brady gets some of his weapons back and his efficiency is right back where it should be.

(2) Steelers 37, (3) Jaguars 13: Classic setup with the Patriots struggling to put away the Chiefs, and Pittsburgh blowing out the frozen Jaguars. Everyone will be talking up Pittsburgh all week.

AFC Championship

(1) Patriots 30, (2) Steelers 27: In a game for the ages, Pittsburgh storms out to a big lead but New England stages a monumental comeback as the Steelers choke again. Game is decided on a slant-and-go from Brady to Brandin Cooks for 65 yards.

NFC

Wild-card round

(3) Rams 35, (6) Falcons 17: Los Angeles' pass rush is just too much and forces Matt Ryan into multiple interceptions. Todd Gurley breaks at least one long TD run.

(4) Saints 30, (5) Panthers 10: Saints' young guns in the secondary play beyond their years and make life tough for Cam Newton.

Divisional round

(4) Saints 24, (1) Eagles 10: No Carson Wentz makes for an easy road for the Saints.

(2) Vikings 17, (3) Rams 13: Los Angeles' Cinderella season comes to an end thanks to Minnesota's stifling defense.

NFC Championship Game

(4) Saints 20, (2) Vikings 17: Dreams of a home Super Bowl are once again dashed as Alvin Kamara scores two touchdowns and Case Keenum struggles against a fast New Orleans defense.

SUPER BOWL LII

Patriots 40, Saints 37: In one of the highest-scoring Super Bowls of all-time, elder QBs Tom Brady and Drew Brees put on a thrilling show. Both QBs trade haymakers back and forth with huge plays until Cooks puts the Patriots ahead for good on the type of reverse that Saints coach Sean Payton refused to call for Cooks when he was with the Saints.

PRICE'S PLAYOFF PICKS

AFC

Wild-card round

(4) Chiefs 27, (5) Titans 17: Kansas City has had a wildly inconsistent arc this season, but the way the Chiefs finished up makes me think they’ve put some of their issues in the rearview. At least, far enough behind them to win a wild-card game at home against the Titans. Tennessee’s late-season skid was stopped with a win in the regular-season finale, but the Titans aren’t quite ready for prime time.

(3) Jaguars 24, (6) Bills 21: I want to pick Buffalo — given the way the Bills survived a dramatic late-season run to the playoffs, they’re a great Cinderella story — but Jacksonville’s defense is just too strong. I still have a lot of questions about the state of the Jags’ offense beyond Leonard Fournette (Jacksonville doesn’t have a quick-strike offense, and so if there are struggles in the early going, it can’t fall too far behind.) But the Jags will still have enough to outlast Buffalo.

Divisional round

(1) Patriots 28, (4) Chiefs 20: Kansas City makes it a game for about two quarters, and then, Dion Lewis ducks into a phone booth and takes over.

(2) Steelers 37, (3) Jaguars 23: Jacksonville defense makes it interesting, but the Jags just don't have the quick-strike offense needed to hang with the high-octane Steelers.

AFC Championship

(1) Patriots 33, (2) Steelers 30: Decided in the final minutes on a Stephen Gostkowski field goal.

NFC

Wild-card round

(3) Rams 34, (6) Falcons 27: When they’re clicking, the Rams are really fun to watch. They'll struggle a bit with in the early going, but in the end, the Rams are going to have enough firepower. Even with two good defenses, expect a ton of points. This is going to be the best, most dramatic game of the weekend.

(4) Saints 41, (5) Panthers 38: This will be the second-best game of the weekend. I’m all-in on New Orleans and Alvin Kamara at home. The Saints defense will be just good enough to outlast Cam Newton and Carolina.

Divisional round

(1) Eagles 24, (4) Saints 21: No Carson Wentz, but you get those domed teams in the outdoor January chill of the Northeast, and it's a different story. The Eagles have just enough to outlast New Orleans.

(3) Rams 20, (2) Vikings 17: Todd Gurley and Jared Goff care not for your dreams of a home-field advantage in the Super Bowl, Minnesota.


NFC Championship Game

(3) Rams 20, (1) Eagles 17: LA pulls the upset as Aaron Donald dominates.

SUPER BOWL LII

Patriots 28, Rams 24: Sixteen years after he vanquished the Rams in New Orleans, Tom Brady comes full circle.