Chiefs arrive with identity crisis in the Divisional Round; the Packers have it defined: Instant NFL replay

The Postseason is the setting in which reality usually gets to several teams and the Joker Round, the identity of several was unmasked and now it’s the turn of the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers to prove who they really are.

Last weekend, the reality of the level of their defenses reached the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks, while the true offensive face of the Chicago Bears was exposed in front of a solid defense and the Pittsburgh Steelers showed that his 12-4 mark in the regular season was based on a start with 11 wins over poor level teams.

For their part, the teams that finished the first planting in their conferences come up with contrasts in relation to the personalities they showed during the regular calendar. While the Packers were more regular on offense and defense and have a more defined identity, the Chiefs improved in some respects, but in the final stretch of the regular season, they showed irregularity in others.

At the forefront of the Packers’ offense, Aaron Rodgers had one of his most efficient and productive seasons of his career and is clearly a favorite to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award for the third time in his career. , but in addition to his skills is the solid work of his offensive line, which was the best in the league in protecting the quarterback in relation to the percentage of victory in the blocks (blocking the defensive by 2.5 seconds or more).

Without being perfect, Green Bay’s offensive line has done a good job of keeping away pressure from Rodgers, who suffered 20 of the 21 catches allowed by his front line in regular season and that, coupled with the speed with which throws (release), complicates the attempt of the defensive linemen to, at least, hasten it.

There is no rival more dangerous than the one who succeeds in what you already know he will do and the Packers are proof of that with a Rodgers connecting with his main weapon, Davante Adams, despite the defenses preparing to prevent- ho.

This is the identity of the Packers: a team that is defined by Rodgers ’success on the field.

In the Divisional Round, the Packers may face the biggest challenge of the campaign as they face the solid defensive of the Los Angeles Rams, whose letter of introduction is the pressure of their front line, capable of creating chaos in the efficient backfield of Green Bay.

For their part, we know that the Chiefs are perhaps the most explosive team in the league. They have shown that they can score in bulk when proposed, but without considering the last game of the regular season, in which they did not play several starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City offensive has shown only sparks. of its capacity.

In their Week 15 and 16 duels against New Orleans and Atlanta, and although he scored 32 points against the Saints, the offensive led by Muhammad battled to find the Falcons’ final and defensive zone, one of the worst in the league, limited to 17 points on the Kansas City attack.

During the second half of the regular season, the Chiefs gave the feeling of playing according to the level of the rival they had in front of them and the seven consecutive games with wins with six or less points difference prove it. On the other hand, when the opponent demands it, the Chiefs seem to find a way to ignite and come out with the victory, as evidenced by their streak of 14 wins, including Playoffs, against teams that reach the duel with a winning mark .

The identity of the Chiefs is that of a team with an explosive offensive, but in recent weeks, this attack seems out of sync and they need to recover it to counter the team’s greatest weakness, the defense against the race, which will have to face the powerful and productive ground attack of the Cleveland Browns.