NFL Wild Card Picks

It's been a long time since I've written about sports. With the start of the NFL playoffs this weekend, I felt like I should offer my thoughts/picks on this weekend's slate of games.

My picks:
Cincinnati Bengals Over Houston Texans: If this game had been played in October, I would have went with Houston all the way. But with the slew of injuries the Texans have suffered, I really can't see them winning.  Rookie T.J Yates (who was the third string quarterback at the beginning of the season) is getting the start, despite his shoulder injury suffered last week against the Titans. Yates is going against the great defense of the Bengals, whose pass rush has been extremely effective all season long. The Bengals also have the advantage of being healthy and the leadership of Andy Dalton (who is without a doubt the best rookie quarterback in the league in my mind, sorry Cam Newton). It should be a good game, but I foresee Houston's fairy tale season coming to an end tomorrow night.

New Orleans Saints Over Detroit Lions: The Lions have been the surprise team of the year. I called before the season that they would be much improved, but even I didn't expect them to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they have the daunting task of playing the Saints in their first playoff game. The Saints are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They have been decimating their opponents in the last few games. Drew Brees has been playing like a man possessed and has showed just how elite of a quarterback he is. Their playoff experience and the chip on their shoulder from their shocking early playoff exit last season gives them an extra advantage.

Atlanta Falcons Over New York Giants: This is my upset pick of the weekend. The Giants have been way too inconsistent to advance in playoffs. If they bring their A-game, it's very possible they could win this game, but I wouldn't be willing to gamble on them. On the other hand, Atlanta has been looking very strong recently. Matt Ryan has stepped up big time in the second half of the season after a sluggish start. He looks to be very determined to lead this team on a run in the playoffs. The Falcons have a lot of weapons (not to say the Giants don't) that should overwhelm the Giants defense (especially in the passing game). It's going come down to a couple of big plays to decide the outcome and I think the Falcons will take it because of that.

Pittsburgh Steelers Over Denver Broncos: Even with a banged up Ben Roethlisberger and Rashard Mendenhall going down for the year, I don't see the Steelers losing this game. Their defense is too good and they don't really need to score too many points to beat Denver. The Broncos also limped into the playoffs. They played absolutely awful in their last three games (especially the last two). Their one-dimensional offense will get eaten alive by Pittsburgh's defense. The only advantage the Broncos have is that this game is in Denver. Denver is the hardest place to play in the NFL, but I don't see it being too much of a problem for Pittsburgh. Unless Tebow Time strikes again, I don't see Denver having a chance in this one.