Texans over Raiders: This weekend's most hotly anticipated game also happens to be the hardest one to pick a winner for. No one knows what the hell the Raiders will look like with an erratic rookie quarterback in Connor Cook running the offense and The Texans are the gold standard when it comes to finding new ways to lose in the playoffs every January. However, I think the Texans huge advantage on the defensive side of the ball-particularly in the secondary-will be enough for them to earn the prestigious honor of getting railed by either the Patriots or the Chiefs in the Divisional Round next week.
Seahawks over Lions: The Lions season-ending 3-game losing streak that cost them a shot at winning the NFC North has now put them in the awful position of having to travel to Seattle on Wild Card weekend. On the plus side, their complete lack of a running game and the absence of safety/defensive leader Earl Thomas makes the Seahawks nowhere near as frightening as they have been in the past few years. That being said, I still don't have enough faith in this young Lions squad to go on the road and take out the most battle-tested playoff team in the NFC.
Steelers over Dolphins: Behind running back Jay Ajayi's ridiculous 204 yard-performance and a pair of interceptions from their defense, the Dolphins picked up an impressive 30-15 win over the Steelers in Miami on October 16th that kickstarted their unlikely playoff run after a brutal 1-4 start. I don't expect the same result this time around. This is a much more aggressive, well-rounded Steelers squad than the one that defecated all over the field in Week 6 and I don't think that the Dolphins defense has the depth or firepower to contain Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown for 4 quarters.
Giants over Packers: The Packers have ripped off 6 straight wins and have a certified playmaking wizard in Aaron Rodgers at quarterback that gives them a shot to beat any team on any given day, but even with all the fallout from Bieberyachtgate, I can't bet against an Eli Manning-led team with this strong of a defense in the playoffs.
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