2012 NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Weekend Preview

The regular season is over. It was a great season. It was highlighted by stars, amazing plays, disappointing players, season-killing injuries, game-saving plays and last minute drives. In the end, there are only twelve teams that can move on. Teams left out of the post season are left sitting at home wondering where it all went wrong. They can look at a certain game or certain play but as one Bill Parcells once said “You are what your record says you are” and I think it’s very true this season. Every team that’s in the playoffs deserves to be in considering what that team did and what its opponents did. Every team deals with injuries and setbacks but it’s the teams that are able to work through those situations that end up coming out on top.

Gotta love the first week of NFL playoffs!:

Saturday 1/7
4:30 ET
-Cincinnati Bengals AT Houston Texans (-4)-
Last time these two teams played each other, it came down to two fourth quarter, come from behind drives by the Texans on the road in Cincinnati. The Benglas’ youth showed in those games and I’m willing to bet that they’ve grown since that experience. I like Houston’s home field advantage in this game (first ever playoff game) but I’m not confident in the quarterback situation brewing there. Would you trust your playoff life in third string T.J. Yates and fresh off the couch Jake Delhomme? It’s crazy to say but I’m more inclined to rely on Bengals rookie QB Andy Dalton and his team. All the pressure is on Houston and they’re losers of three straight so there is zero momentum heading into this game. The Bengals have faced tougher competition in the best division in football and I think they’re going to make the plays necessary to win a close game on the road.
My prediction: Bengals- 20 Texans- 17


8:00 ET
-Detroit Lions AT New Orleans Saints(-10.5)-
It’s easy to forget that just a couple of years ago, the Saints were Super Bowl champions. This offense, led by quarterback Drew Brees, has been on an absolute tear the past few weeks. Averaging over 40 points a game over the past three weeks, I don’t see the offense slowing down. The Lions haven’t been too shabby either. The last time these two teams faced; Detroit was in the middle of a stretch where it struggling for a few games after a hot start. They shot themselves in the foot with penalties in the last game against the Saints but ultimately I think that’s just who they are. They’re a young, inexperienced team that will make mistakes against a superior team on the road. I like a really high scoring game and there are only a few teams in this league that can beat the Saints in a scoring competition, the Lions are not one of those teams. Take the over for total points scored in this game.
My prediction: Saints- 37 Lions-31


Sunday 1/8
1:00 ET
-Atlanta Falcons AT New York Giants(-3)-
Two teams that I dislike for their own specific reasons. The Giants because they ruined my Cowboys season last week and the Falcons because I just find them boring to watch. To their credit, the Falcons are in fact the most consistent team in the league if you look at the numbers and if you watch them play week to week. The Giants on the other hand have been sporadic to say the least. I didn't know what to expect from them week to week during the season and I don’t know what to expect in this weekend’s game. What I do know: the Giants can do two things great. They can rush the hell out of the other team’s quarterback and they can make huge plays in the passing game with Eli Manning and his weapons. Falcons’ quarterback has never won a playoff game and he will feel immense pressure all game long if they don’t establish running the ball with Michael Turner early and often. I’m going to take the high risk/high reward team here and take the Giants. I’m betting on big plays and a fourth quarter comeback.
My prediction: Giants- 21 Falcons- 20

4:30 ET
-Pittsburgh Steelers(-8.5) AT Denver Broncos-
Now we all know you can’t rid of Tebow…even when he plays terribly and loses the final game of the regular season. Whatever the powers at be, they want him in the post season in the year 2012. After a month or so of Tebow magic, he’s come back down to earth and everyone has realized: you need a team’s quarterback to be able to throw the ball in this league. Tebow hasn’t been able to do that and he’ll face the toughest of challenges against the Pittsburgh defense. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a severely injured ankle and starting running back Mendenhall is out with a torn knee ligament. Neither offense will be able to score many points but I think they Steelers will just be too much for this Broncos team. Too much experience, too much talent on defense, too many tough players and they are not affected on the road. Ugly game but Steelers prevail.
My prediction Steelers- 13 Broncos- 6

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