It seems like just yesterday that the NFL season was getting underway doesn't it? Heck, it seems like just two days ago since training camps were getting underway. Doesn't seem more than a week ago that the Giants were beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year either. Oh well, enough about time flying. The NFL playoffs get underway this weekend, and I am here to offer you my keen insights into what you can expect to happen....
Saturday, 4:30 pm. AFC wild card game, Cincinnati @ Houston.
The 12 and 4 Texans were rolling along at 11-1 a month ago, and looked like a shoo-in for the #1 seed in the playoffs. A funny thing happened on the way to the AFC title game--the Texans lost their swag.
Personally, I think the loss last week to the Colts might be the best thing to happen to Houston. My preseason pick to make it to the Super Bowl needs an extra week to get that swagger back, and I think they will get it against the Bengals. The key is going to be re-establishing the run, which the Texans have gotten away from the last few weeks.
Houston is 7-0 when Arian Foster runs for 100 yards or more on the season, and I think Houston does everything they can to get back to that pounding style that worked so well for them early in the year. Ben Tate is healthy again after missing long stretches of the season and is nearly as good as Foster.
Andre Johnson has been a huge target of late and will be again Saturday, but I don't think the Texans will NEED him to be. I think they jump out to an early lead, and then tee off on Andy Dalton. The result will be similar to last years 31-10 win over the Bengals with TJ Yates at QB. I'll go with 27-13 Houston.
Saturday, 8 pm, NFC Wild card game, Minnesota @ Green Bay.
The Vikings needed a 199 yard performance by Adrian Peterson and a perfect game otherwise to beat the Packers last weekend to make it into the playoffs. I don't think they will be as lucky two weeks in a row.
The Packers had one of the most opportunistic defenses in the league a year ago, and this year, although they forced fewer turnovers, they have played better defense. I think the key to this game will be the Packers ability to force young Christian Ponder into bad throws and poor decisions. If they can force an early turnover or two and get out to a lead, it will nullify Peterson's ability to have a huge impact on this game.
I don't think this will be a blowout, but I expect the Packers to win fairly easily when all is said and done. A close game at the half and early third quarter will turn into a Packers runaway with Ponder committing a few costly 2nd half errors due to the Packers pass rush. I'm going with the Pack 37-20.
Sunday, 1 pm, AFC Wild card game, Indianapolis @ Baltimore
The Colts have been a really nice story all season long, and a playoff win over the favored Ravens would continue that amazing story of Chuck Pagano coming back from a battle with Leukemia and top pick Andrew Luck wowing the league with all kinds of rookie records, as the Colts went from 2-14 to 10-6. Sadly, I don't think there will be a happy ending.
If the Ravens have a defensive weakness, it is against the run, which is the one thing the Colts do not do well. Baltimore is 9th in the league against the pass, and have the playmakers (like Ed Reed) to shut down Luck and force the rookie into interceptions, which is one thing he has been prone to in his incredible rookie campaign.
Much like the Texans, I think the Ravens get back to establishing their running game, which has been forgotten about all too often this year with their up-tempo, no huddle attack. I expect Ray Rice to be nearly unstoppable against a Colts defense that has had problems stopping teams with strong running games all year.
If somehow this game is close late, I think the Colts may actually have an edge, as I would trust Andrew Luck with the ball in his hands on a possible game winning drive more than I would trust Joe Flacco, but I don't think that will be the case. Once again, I'm going with the home team favorite--34-24 Baltimore.
Sunday, 4:30 pm, NFC Wild card game, Seattle @ Washington
Finally, we get to what I think will be the best game of the weekend. A battle of rookie quarterbacks making their first playoff starts. Two evenly matched teams, both with great balance, mobile quarterbacks and solid running games.
The main difference is that nobody, and I mean NOBODY, has been playing better football over the last month of the season than the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks won seven of their last eight games, including the last five by a combined score of, are you ready for this--193 to 60!!! It doesn't get much more dominant than that at the NFL level.
Seattle usually struggles on trips to the east coast, but with this being the playoffs, combined with how well they have been playing, I don't think that happens this time. Robert Griffin III's knee is still not at a hundred percent yet, and the fired up Seahawks defense will try to exploit that. I think Seattle does whatever it takes to win this game, and pulls it out at the end 27-24, possibly on a game winning Steven Hauschka field goal.
