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NFL Legend Richard Sherman Predicts NFC Playoff Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 4:22 PM ET

Wild Card Weekend has officially come to an end, and the Divisional Round matchups are set.

The NFC features two games with a heavy favorite. First, the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions will host the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders, who pulled off a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal. The Lions enter the Saturday night game as 9.5-point favorites over the Commanders (ESPN BET).

The second NFC Divisional Round matchup is between the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles and the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon, with the Eagles favored by 6.0 points (ESPN BET).

On Tuesday, Seattle Seahawks legend Richard Sherman hosted the latest episode of "The Richard Sherman Podcast," where he discussed each upcoming playoff game. The first NFL game he went over was Lions-Commanders, when he predicted Detroit to move on to the NFC Championship Game.

"[The Lions' run offense] may be the winning advantage for the Detroit Lions because it does a number of things," Sherman said. "It keeps Jayden Daniels off the field and you're running the ball, you're controlling it... If somehow the Lions, you know, are doing their meticulous, just run it five yards a pop. Jahmyr Gibbs pops one, then the defense gets the stop, and they go up 14 points. It becomes a really difficult game for the Washington Commanders to play."

Sherman went on to discuss the Eagles vs. Rams matchup, where he predicted Philadelphia to take the win.

"I think Philly goes," Sherman added. "You know Saquon [Barkley] is just having a special season. He's running the ball well. Their offensive line is really, really tough to deal with for a lot of people. Lane Johnson, [Jordan] Mailata, there's just so much talent on that team, so I think they're going to figure it out, and I just don't know if the Rams have enough experience."

Overall, the former cornerback has a Lions vs. Eagles matchup in the NFC Championship Game. It is the popular pick, but a Detroit and Philadelphia battle certainly looks like the best potential matchup for the semifinal game, at least on paper.

Sherman knows a thing or two about deep playoff runs. He helped guide Seattle and its "Legion of Boom" defense to two straight NFC championships, along with one Super Bowl win in 2014.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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