NFL divisional round picks
The divisional round of the NFL playoffs is where big dreams go to die. From 2005-12, the top seeds in each conference went a stunning 7-9 in their playoff openers, with so many clubs squandering the home-field advantage and hard-earned benefit of the first-round bye. In seven of those eight seasons, at least one top seed lost in the divisional round, with both No. 1's going down in flames in 2008 and '10. Only in 2009, when the Saints and Colts made the Super Bowl, did the trend not hold.
If anything, that track record adds even more pressure to Denver (13-3) than it does Seattle (13-3), given that AFC top seeds are just 3-5 in this round since 2005, and the Broncos were the No.1 seed last year (at 13-3) when they lost that 38-35 double-overtime thriller against eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore.
Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has some painful memories from being in this position. This is the fourth time he's led a No. 1 seed into the divisional round, and he's only 1-2 in those games, losing with the 2005 Colts against sixth-seeded Pittsburgh, and last year to the fourth-seeded Ravens.
This weekend, both the No. 1 Seahawks and Broncos are home against No. 6 seeds: the Saints and Chargers, teams they've already beaten this season. That probably makes the favorite's role all the tougher to bear in the playoffs.
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