We have finally reached the playoffs after another grueling, exciting, injury-plagued season. We went from 32 teams down to the final 12, with the top 4 seeds (Denver, New England, Atlanta and San Francisco) all having byes. Here’s a look at the 4 Wild-Card Weekend Games.
First Down: Cincannati Bengals @ Houston Texans Jan 5 4:30 (NBC)
The game that will start the weekend off is the exact game that started us off last year. The Bengals and Texans met last year in the playoffs and a guy by the name of T.J. Yates led Houston that day to a win. Tomorrow it will be Matt Schaub who for most part of the season was not only leading his team to number 1 in the AFC but also legitimizing himself as a premiere quarterback. However, 3 losses in their last 4 games has costed them a bye week and has put the pressure back on Matt Schaub. The Texans lost two tough road games against New England and Indianapolis while they were shutout at home by the Minnesota Vikings in week 16, their final home game of the season. The Bengals will no doubt try to follow what the Vikings did, but they will have to neutralize “J.J Swatt and Co.” Andy Dalton has been good but not consistent. They lost four and then won four in a row but since a home loss to the Cowboys in week 14 the Bengals have played dominant defense in 3 wins against (Philly, Pitt and Baltimore). Geno Atkins will have to get to Schaub and shutdown the play-action game with Arian Foster. Last year was a blowout (31-10) and I don’t think that will be the case this year. All games this weekend should be close but this will be the highest margin of victory.
FINAL SCORE: Texans 31 Bengals 21
Second Down: Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers Jan. 5 8:00 (NBC)
Very rarely do you see two teams in the NFL face each other three times in a season including in back-to-back weeks. However, since the NFL adopted the new change in the schedule a few years ago that week 17 will be all division games, we should expect these rivalries more on in the playoffs. Nothing says rivalry like a good Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings football game. Gone are the days of Favre; on both teams and now the new wave of talent led by Aaron Rodgers and my vote for MVP Adrian "AD" Peterson have stepped in and have made their mark. The reigning MVP Rodgers did not have a terrible season, but by no means was it an MVP season. Yet with a defense that somehow manages to make a play at key moment and an offense that can score at will the Pack are in every game. Especially when it comes against the Vikings. Both the meetings this season were close including week’s 17 epic game that saw the Vikings win on a last second FG and get into the playoffs. The Packers haven’t been able to stop AD in either game as he’s averaging two touchdowns and 200 yards on the ground. For the Vikings their defense has been superb during a 4 game win streak. Road wins against St.Louis and Houston on the road show that they Vikings can stay in games with their defense and Peterson on the road. If Peterson has an awful game their’s no chance they win but with the Lambeau weather and the strong foot of Blair Walsh, I am leaning towards the Vikings.
FINAL SCORE: Vikings 27 Packers 24 (Blair Walsh wins it again on a FG)
Third Down: Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens Jan.6 1:00 (FOX)
It’s arguably the game of the week with the story of the year (Colts) against one of the greatest to ever play the game (Ray Lewis). There are so many storylines from Chuck Pagano returning not only from Leukemia but now against his former team the Baltimore Ravens. Bruce Arians’s name has been swirling around in Head Coaching jobs. Ray Lewis said this past week it’s his final year and will retire. Andrew Luck has led a squad of rookies to an unprecedented 11 win season and the Ravens know they have probably one last shot at this with the core they have. Let’s start with the Colts who after already clinching the number 5 seed played their butts off against a Houston team desperate for a bye and a win. Pagano's return energized the players and the crowd and made it nearly impossible for the Texans to hear anything. However, with Ray Lewis back and on the other side lines Andrew Luck should be in for a whole lot of pain. Luck has showed arm strength, and speed to avoid bad sacks but his 18 interceptions and 24 turnovers say something else. If Luck plays will and the duo of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis keep knocking down Flacco it should be a nail biter. The Ravens are just too tough at home and there are no doubts the Ravens will play their tail off for Ray Lewis.
FINAL SCORE : Ravens 28 Colts 20
Fourth Down: Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Redskins Jan.6 4:30 (CBS)
Although all 4 games are great this might be the marquee of the four and it is the last one on the wild-card docket. Two rookie, athletic, African American quarterbacks Russel Wilson (SEA) and Robert Griffin III (WSH) have gone leaps and bounds over what anyone could have imagined. NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin kept throwing the Seahawks in the garbage but Pete Carroll’s team took it literally and went a perfect 8-0 at home. They beat good teams and they lost to bad teams, but the one thing this is going against them the most is History. The Seahawks have not won a road playoff game since 1993 and will need Marshawn Lynch to have a big day. For Washington they beat Dallas in week 17 to win the NFC East and have been playing "playoff-like" games since October. It’s the first time the Redskins will have a home playoff game in nearly 15 years and it’s all because of rookie’s Robert Griffin, Alfred Morris and veteran London Fletcher. Since starting the season at 3-6 the Redskins were heading towards another long off-season until they beat the Cowboys on thanksgiving day and turned their fortunes. They won their final 6 games but the one thing the Redskins have to worry about is their defense. While it has played better, the high octane Seahawks offense have shown teams they can score and thats not just on Buffalo and Arizona. Also the last time Seattle played option teams like Carolina and San Francisco, they held both to just 1 touchdown. It should be the game of the week with Seattle squeaking away the win.
Final Score: Seahawks 24 Redskins 23
Bold Prediction: Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson wil combine for 300+ rushing yards.
If my predictions are correct the Division Weekend should see
AFC:
Houston @ New England
Baltimore @ Denver
NFC
Minnesota @ Atlanta
Seattle @ San Francisco
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