NFL Wild Card Sunday

The early game has the San Diego Chargers traveling to Cincinnati to face the Bengals.

QB Philip Rivers has been one of the best in the league this season behind a vastly improved offensive line. The running game has seen a healthy RB Ryan Mathews for the first time in a few seasons.  WR Keenan Allen has been the best rookie WR since Bengals WR A.J. Green back in 2011. The Chargers have been the hot team down the stretch, will that continue today? Or can QB Andy Dalton get his first playoff victory behind a stout defense.

I will take the Bengals at home but it will be close. Bengals 24- Chargers 17.

The late game will feature the San Francisco 49ers at the Green Bay Packers.

The 49ers are the best team in the NFL in my eyes. The offensive and defensive line usually dominates the opposition. I don’t think that it will be any different today. The 49ers are at their best when running the ball and using the playaction passing game.

QB Aaron Rodgers will have a tough day passing with wind gusts from 15-20 mph. If any QB can manage to throw in the cold it would be Rodgers. He throws a tight spiral that should be able to cut through wind for the most part. RB’s Eddie Lacy and James Starks will have to be active in not only the running game but in the screen game if the Packers look to slow down the 49ers pass rush.

I just do not think that the Packers defense can make enough plays to slow down the 49ers enough to win the game. The turnover battle means a lot to the game, despite what yesterday’s games may have shown. I am taking the 49ers 38- Packers 24.

NFL Wild Card Saturday

The early game on Saturday, Indianapolis Colts at home taking on the Kansas City Chiefs.

My midseason review did not favor the Chiefs even after their 9-0 start. As you could see the second half of the season did not go quite as well. The Chiefs did manage to beat the teams they were supposed to, I will give them that.

The Colts were very inconsistent this season. They had many good wins, and some bad losses. Which team will show up today?

I have the Colts winning at home by a healthy margin. I would say by at least 10 points. We’ll say Colts 31- Chiefs 17.

The late game is the Philadelphia Eagles at home against the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints as many of you have heard all week play very poorly on the road, especially in the cold in recent years. Can Drew Brees rise up on the road and score enough points to keep pace with the Eagles?

The Philadelphia defense has played well of late and I think will continue to put pressure on the quarterback tonight. The offense will be able to move the ball on the Saints defense.

I will take the Eagles at home to win the game. I guess if I put a score on it, Eagles 38- Saints 27.

NFC Playoff Picture Prediction 2013

NFC Playoff Picture as of Week 14

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles (8-6)

Dallas Cowboys (7-7)

NFC West:

Seattle Seahawks (12-2)

San Francisco 49ers (10-4)

Arizona Cardinals (9-5)

NFC North:

Chicago Bears (8-6)

Green Bay Packers (7-6-1)

Detroit Lions (7-7)

NFC South:

Carolina Panthers (10-4)

New Orleans Saints (10-4)

Using the 2013 NFL Playoff Machine on ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine), I came up with what I predict to be the playoff picture after Week 17.

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

I have the Seahawks beating the Cardinals at home in Week 16 and then resting their starters in Week 17 losing to the Rams.

2. Carolina Panthers (10-4)

The Panthers will win out as they play the Saints at home in Week 16 and then go on the road to play a struggling Falcons team in Week 17.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

I have both Philadelphia and Dallas winning in Week 16. The Cowboys should beat the Redskins but you never know if they decide to take the ball out of RB DeMarco Murray’s hands.  Philadelphia is playing at home in a shootout with the Chicago Bears.  Whoever decides to take care of the ball best will win the game (winning the turnover battle normally wins games).  I say the Eagles beat the Bears at home. There is no evidence that home field advantage has helped the Eagles this season. I am just betting against Bears QB Jay Cutler. In Week 17 there will be a showdown for the NFC East between the Eagles and the Cowboys down at Jerry World. As you can see, I believe more in the Eagles than the Cowboys placing them as the 3 seed in the playoffs. The Cowboys could shock everyone and run the ball, and win two games to take the division. That simply will not happen because the Cowboys as we know decide to make things difficult on themselves.

4. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1)

In this scenario, the Packers will win out. The home game in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be tough with another game with QB Matt Flynn at the helm.  Then the Packers will be in a showdown with the Chicago Bears in Week 17, with a possible return by QB Aaron Rodgers. The winner of that game is in the playoffs as the NFC North Champion. The Packers could also get in if they lose to the Steelers and the Lions lose to either the Giants in Week 16 or the Vikings in the final game at the Metrodome in Week 17. The Bears would have to lose both games.

5. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

I have the 49ers winning out despite a potentially tough matchup in Week 17. They will beat the Falcons at home in Week 16.  The game that is up in the air is at Arizona in Week 17. The Cardinals could show up deflated after losing in Week 16 to Seattle on the road. This could make it an easy win for the 49ers and make them the 5 seed playing on the road in Green Bay in the Wild Card Round.

6. New Orleans Saints (11-5)

The Saints defense on the road does not play very well. The Carolina Panthers defense is great wherever they play.  As mentioned above the Saints lose in Week 16.  The Saints will then be playing for the 5th seed. If the 49ers win, the Saints Week 17 game does not matter.  However, the Saints vs Buccaneers game is played at 1pm est. They will be playing to win, and therefore should beat the Buccaneers at home.

The Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions will both finish at 9-7. The Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears will finish next at 8-8. The NFC was a tough conference this season and much better than the AFC in my opinion.

AFC Playoff Picture Prediction coming tomorrow.

There will be playoff predictions following the end of the regular season.

Adίos for now

NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round

The  Wild Card Round features 4 intriguing matchups. This round alone should make for another great postseason.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Cincinnati Bengals (6) at Houston Texans (3)  4:30 PM ET

Deja vu. Oh wait, these two teams played in the Wild Card Round last year with the Bengals going on the road to Houston.  The Texans were without starting QB Matt Schaub, but it did not matter because the Texans won 31-10 at home.

Cincinnati has a much improved defense from last season. They had 30 total takeaways (2nd in the AFC) and had 51 sacks on the season, (3rd in the NFL) one behind the leaders Denver and St. Louis. QB Andy Dalton has played well all season but has turned the ball over more this season (16) than the previous season (13), his rookie year.

Houston was regarded as the best team in the NFL for the first half of the regular season. They average 372 yards per game (7th in the NFL) while only giving up 323 yards per game, (7th in the NFL). The NFL Sacks Leader DE JJ Watt (20.5) as always will be a force on the defensive side of the ball.

Every game comes down to turnovers. This one will be no different. Usually I am inclined to give the home team the nod when I am unsure of my prediction in the outcome. This time though, I feel like the upset will happen because the Texans are fading down the stretch. I will take the Bengals on the upset 20-17.

Minnesota Vikings (6) at Green Bay Packers (3) 8:00 PM ET

The last time that the Vikings went to Lambeau Field for a playoff showdown it featured the infamous endzone celebration by WR Randy Moss back in the 04-05 season. The Packers won the first two meetings in the regular season but the Vikings got the last laugh winning the playoff game 31-17.

The Packers went on the road to the Metrodome last week in the regular season finale and lost on a last second field goal by the Vikings Pro Bowl Rookie Kicker Blair Walsh. There were four key plays during the game that the Vikings were able to capitalize on, extending drives and keeping Packers QB Aaron Rodgers on the sideline.

In the second game in as many weeks, both teams know what to expect from each other.  Vikings RB Adrian Peterson will get his yards, much like Rodgers will be able to throw the ball all over the field.  The difference will be whether or not Vikings QB Christian Ponder can manage the game well enough and stay turnover-free.

The Packers WR’s do have a tough time catching the ball in cold weather which could keep the Vikings close.  The Vikings defense is not nearly as stymieing on the road. However, unless the Moss of old shows up to the game with QB Daunte Culpepper throwing him the ball, I see the Packers winning the game 27-16.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Indianapolis Colts (5) at Baltimore Ravens (4)  1:00 PM ET

The Colts and Ravens had played some great playoff games over the years. QB Peyton Manning is gone, insert QB Andrew Luck and it seems that the Colts are almost back to where they left off. Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano spent the last few seasons in Baltimore as a defensive coach before taking the gig in Indianapolis.

The Colts are a young team with some veteran leaders who rode the wave of emotion all year long to the playoffs. The Colts play extremely well in the fourth quarter and have won many close games including many come from behind victories. Their running game has been almost non-existent, the lowest yards per game of any playoff team (22nd, 104 ypg).

If you have watched the Baltimore Ravens play over the last several years, you would know that they win games by playing tough defense and running the ball. This season they lost their identity and have tried to let QB Joe Flacco win ball games through the air. The team fired Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron because they realized that Flacco will not be an elite quarterback. The gameplan is now going back to the running game and RB Ray Rice.

MLB Ray Lewis will be back from injury and his leadership will improve what has been a mediocre defense this season.  The Colts defense has been decimated by injuries and cannot stop the run. I see the Ravens winning this game and ending the Colts magical season.  S Ed Reed will intercept at least one pass from Luck and the score will be 34-24.

Seattle Seahawks (5) at Washington Redskins (4) 4:30 PM ET

This game features two rookie quarterbacks. QB’s Russell Wilson for Seattle and Robert Griffin III have been in a battle with Andrew Luck for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The two defenses have nothing in common. The Redskins defense has played well enough to win, while the Seahawks defense has single-handedly won games.

CB Brandon Browner has been activated off of the reserve/suspended list. This should bolster what has already been a great secondary. However, the key for the Seahawks defense will be to stop the best running game in the league. If they can do that and force RGIII into making bad decisions they could and should win the game.

The Redskins will need to find a way to stop RB Marshawn Lynch and Seattle’s running game.  Wilson tends to struggle more on the road and the team has had problems winning on the road.

This game will come down to who plays the best defense. Seattle has one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Redskins defense is not ranked very highly in total defense but they find ways to get stops when they need them, especially at home (5-3).  I think that RGIII and London Fletcher, offensive and defensive captains respectively, will find a way to win the game at home. The score will be 23-16.