Durkin: NFL Divisional Round Picks

By Dan Durkin--

(CBS) And then there were eight.

Since going to the 12-team playoff format in 1990, No. 1 seeds in the NFC are 21-4 in the divisional round. In the AFC, they're 15-10. Will the Panthers and Broncos add another "W" to those totals?

The Patriots are seeking their fifth consecutive AFC championship game appearance, and the Seahawks are seeking their third consecutive NFC championship game appearance.

Which streaks will continue or be broken in the NFL's most competitive weekend?

If you're unable to watch the games, we'll carry the radio broadcast for all four on the WSCR 670 The Score airwaves.

Here's my take on how this weekend's action plays out.

(Home team in all CAPS)

PATRIOTS 23, Chiefs 20 — Saturday, 3:35 p.m. (CBS)

The last time we saw the Patriots play, they looked like mere mortals. Their offensive line play was sub-par, and the timing of their quick passing game was off schedule. Key starters in left tackle Sebastian Vollmer and receiver Julian Edelman return for New England. They'll need both to perform at peak levels against a Kansas City defense that's playing as well as any unit in the league right now.

The Chiefs like to press on the outside and bracket on the inside, so look for consistent double coverage against tight end Rob Gronkowski over the middle of the field. Can the Patriots' weapons in the passing game win individual matchups early in the down to give Tom Brady clean throwing lanes and quick reads?

This game projects to be relatively low scoring. The Chiefs offense may be playing without Jeremy Maclin (high ankle sprain), and they're already a conservative group as it is. Look for the Patriots to give Alex Smith different looks pre-snap and rotate and roll their coverages post-snap to muddy his reads. While it wouldn't surprise me to see the Chiefs win this game given the Patriots' injuries on offense, I can't pick Brady to lose to Smith at home.

CARDINALS 31, Packers 24 — Saturday, 7:15 p.m. (NBC)

These two teams met just three weeks ago in Arizona, where the Cardinals pasted the Packers, 38-8. In all my years of watching Aaron Rodgers play quarterback -- at an incredibly high level -- I've never seen him as frustrated as he was that day. Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher relentlessly attacked the Packers' porous offensive line with overloads, stunts and a variety of pressure packages that flummoxed Rodgers and Co., leading to eight sacks.

While I don't anticipate the same level of domination, the Cardinals are clearly the better team on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they should be able to run the ball effectively with David Johnson, which will force the Packers to drop safeties into the box to fill gaps. The consequence for this will be one-on-one matchups down the field, which heavily favor the Cardinals. Carson Palmer's third playoff game will be the charm as he picks up his first postseason win and gets his team one game closer to the Super Bowl.

Seahawks 24, PANTHERS 21 — Sunday, 12:05 p.m. (FOX)

Seattle should feel fortunate to even be playing this weekend. Perhaps Blair Walsh's shank was the wake-up call the Seahawks needed to carry them to another NFC championship? For the majority of last week's game, the Seahawks looked listless on offense. Curious play-calling from Darrell Bevell led to no rhythm against an already stout Vikings' defense. Rather than aiming their rush in front of Russell Wilson, the Vikings aimed it behind him, suffocating his preferred escape lanes to the perimeter. The Panthers have even better linebackers in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, so Wilson will need to make plays from the pocket to move the ball against Carolina.

Cam Newton should win league MVP given how he carried the Panthers' offense all season with such pedestrian weapons in the passing game. Given the Seahawks' preferred Cover-3 base defense, how they defend the seams and Greg Olsen -- who torched them in the regular-season meeting -- will be critical to their success.

The Panthers use limited receivers in their deep-passing game, opting to keep extra blockers in to provide clean pockets for the big-armed Newton. Their vertical passing scheme will send two receivers into the deep thirds of the field and force Seattle's deep defenders to make choices. I expect the Seahawks to be better prepared this time around and win a slugfest on the road.

BRONCOS 20, Steelers 17 — Sunday, 3:40 p.m. (CBS)

The injuries the Steelers suffered on offense in last week's brawl against the Bengals will likely be too much to overcome against the Broncos. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his shoulder separated and ligaments torn by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who also concussed receiver Antonio Brown.

When these two teams met the last time, Brown repeatedly torched Broncos cornerback Chris Harris to the tune of 16 receptions, 189 yards and two touchdowns, but he's already been ruled out for this weekend. And will Roethlisberger's shoulder allow him to push the ball down the field? Or will he be limited to horizontal passes? If it's the latter, that will invite an already-aggressive Broncos defense even closer to the line of scrimmage and suffocate passing lanes and limit yards-after-the catch opportunities.

Peyton Manning is making his first start since Week 10. How effective will he be physically, and how sharp will he be mentally against Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Keith Butler's well-disguised, pressure based scheme? The Steelers defend the run well, so they will force Manning to make throws down the field. Much like Roethlisberger, the question is how effective will he be? This game has the feel of a low-scoring affair, which favors the home team with the better defense.

Regular season record: 162-94
Wild-card round record: 3-1

Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @djdurkin.