NFL Wild Card Predictions

Buffalo Bills over Houston Texans: This matchup should be fascinating. In one corner, you have a team that is succeeding almost in spite of its quarterback. In the other, you have a team that is largely succeeding because of theirs. Bizarrely enough, I'm going to take the team that's led by the QB (Josh Allen) I trust the least in this entire field outside of Kirk Cousins. Deshaun Watson has been playing pretty terribly of late (3 TD's/5 INT's/61.9 CMP%/ 72.6 QBR) in last 3 games) and if Bills hard-nosed defense causes some disruptions/takeaways, they'll be in an excellent position to control the clock with their running/short passing game and pull out a W. Plus would it really be Wild Card weekend without the Texans getting their ass kicked in the late Saturday afternoon slot?

New England Patriots over Tennessee Titans: There's plenty of reasons to be down on the Patriots here. They just dropped a home game to a 5-win Dolphins team led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Titans have a balanced, high-powered offense that could potentially expose the deficiencies of their defense (lack of speed, softness against the run) and as he showed in a blowout victory in Nashville last season, Mike Vrabel is completely unfazed by the mystique of Brady/Belichick. Even with their uncharacteristically mortal play of late, I can't bring myself to pick against the Patriots here. Their offense-which has looked significantly better over the past few weeks-should be able to put up some points on this merely decent Titans defense and even though he's playing by far the best football of his career, Ryan Tannehill has struggled mightily at Gillette Stadium (0-6 during his time with the Dolphins) in the past.

New Orleans Saints over Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins has done nothing to prove that he isn't a puddle when the lights shine brightest. Especially when you factor in the questionable health of top weapons Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, a road playoff contest against a hungry Saints team that can seems desperate to avenge their painful, arguably fluky playoff exits in back-to-back years doesn't seem like a scenario where he is finally able to flip the script. It also doesn't help that the Saints offense is tailor made to expose the soft cornerbacks that have gotten the Vikings otherwise excellent defense in trouble all season long.

Seattle Seahawks over Philadelphia Eagles: Doug Pederson has a gift for getting his team to play their asses off in big games, Lincoln Financial Field is about as a hostile of an environment as you'll come across in the league and recent history has shown what the Eagles are capable of when they're labeled underdogs, so it wouldn't be a shock if the Bird Gang walked away with another improbable W here. However in a showdown between two injury-riddled squads with abundant defensive deficiencies, I have to go with the team that gets better play out of its quarterback and barring some superhuman shit from Carson Wentz in his playoff debut, battle-tested veteran Russell Wilson should come out on top.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Indianapolis Colts over Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson may already be the best quarterback in franchise history, but I still have a very difficult time trusting the Texans organization once the calendar turns to January. Unless you hold their pair of sloppy victories over the hapless Bengals or 2017's comical blowout of a Connor Cook-led Raiders team in high regard, there's not a whole lot to gush over when assessing this franchise's playoff history (they've been outscored 125-57 in their other 4 playoff games, all losses). Their dismal postseason history combined with their middling play in December makes a matchup with the Colts less-than-ideal. This Colts squad plays with a ton of edge on both sides of the ball, has a veteran quarterback in Andrew Luck that boasts a pretty strong playoff resume in games that were held outside of Gillette Stadium (3-1 record, 8 total TD's, 6 INT, 84.7 QBR) and have only lost 1 of their last 10 games-including a win at Houston in early December. In a likely close game between two divisional opponents, I have to give the advantage to the tougher team that's been playing better football of late.

Seattle Seahawks over Dallas Cowboys: This is the 1st playoff matchup between these two teams since the infamous Tony Romo botched field goal hold game during the 2006 playoffs. Nearly 12 years to the day of that unforgettable gaffe, I'm expecting the Seahawks to come out of Arlington with a W yet again. As great as this defense and Ezekiel Elliott have been this season, I just can't pick against a Russell Wilson/Pete Carroll-led team that has a tendency to masterfully control the clock with their top-ranked rushing offense and delivers in big moments more often than not-particularly when you look at the decisive victories they've earned over the Cowboys (21-12 in Dallas last year, 24-13 in Seattle this year) in back-to-back seasons.

Baltimore Ravens over Los Angeles Chargers: The 2018 Chargers have made a habit of winning when they weren't supposed to and a 2,600+ mile trip to a hostile environment for a game that kicks off at 10:00 AM PST certainly qualifies as such. However, the Ravens are on a god damn warpath right now and I'd be surprised if a Chargers squad who has struggled to put points on the board in back-to-back weeks thanks to Philip Rivers' regularly-scheduled sudden decline in play will be able to hang with this old-school monster of a team that can stifle opposing offenses as well as anyone in the league while wearing down defenses with a revolving door of dynamic rushing threats.

Chicago Bears over Philadelphia Eagles: I'm having a REALLY hard time not picking the Eagles here. The defending Super Bowl Champs have a huge edge in postseason experience (duh), Doug Pederson likely has a ton of insight on former protégé Matt Nagy's tendencies from their days in Kansas City and Nick Foles has an inexplicable gift for putting up monster performances in important games. Despite all of these very legitimate reasons to pick Philly, I'm giving the ever-so-slightest of edges to the Bears. Their aggressive, takeaway-happy defense gives them the best possible chance of limiting Big Dick Nick's aerial magic and as long as they maintain the balance they've displayed in recent weeks and avoid turning the ball over, Mitch Trubisky and co. should be able to expose the flaws on the back end of the Eagles defense.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs over Tennessee Titans: I firmly believe that the 2017 Tennessee Titans are the worst team to make the playoffs in my conscious lifetime. Marcus Mariota has played well below-average all season long, their pass-catchers not named Delanie Walker are inconsistent at best and their secondary is once again one of the most burnable in the league. If this mediocre team whose playoff berth can only be described as a miracle comparable to Moses parting the Red Sea can go into the notoriously hostile environment of Arrowhead Stadium and pick up a victory over a Chiefs squad that appears to have regained their mojo over the past month after a really rough mid-season stretch, I'll probably have a shock-induced stroke.

Atlanta Falcons over Los Angeles Rams: To me, this is the biggest coin flip of the weekend. In one corner, you have 2017's most surprising success story headed by a 1st-year head coach and a 2nd-year quarterback that made stunning progress after a disastrous rookie campaign. In the other, you have the defending NFC Champions that have cemented themselves as the posterboys for epic big-game collapses. Despite every sign telling me otherwise, I'm going to give the Falcons a slight edge here. I think they have the speed and proficiency in the front 7 to shut down LA's offensive centerpiece Todd Gurley plus their postseason experience gives them an edge over a young Rams team that very well could be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the moment.    

Jacksonville Jaguars over Buffalo Bills: If LeSean McCoy was healthy, this game could've turned into a dogfight. The Jags defense is somewhat vulnerable against the run and in a battle between QB's that are making their 1st-career playoff starts, Blake Bortles' tendency to throw INT's in bunches is a huge disadvantage against the typically turnover-averse Tyrod Taylor. However, with McCoy set to play through a pretty serious ankle sprain and the absence of another player that can be effectively plugged into the workhouse RB role in this firepower-deprived offense, I think that the Bills long-awaited return to the playoffs will be ruined by a talented Jags D that can get to the quarterback and shutdown the pass with relative ease.

New Orleans Saints over Carolina Panthers: On paper, you would think that the Panthers vaunted defense (3rd against the run, 7th in total yards allowed, 11th in points allowed) allowed would give them the edge in this matchup, but the Saints cruised to wins in both of their regular season meetings this season. I don't expect the tide to suddenly turn in a playoff environment on Sunday afternoon. While the Saints defense can be exposed, Carolina's erratic offense simply can't be trusted to put up a ton of points, especially against a team with a dense arsenal of offensive weapons (Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr.) that possess the explosiveness to break off chunk gains or score long TD's at any given moment.

NFL Wild Card Predictions

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. 

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Carolina Panthers over Arizona Cardinals: The Carolina Panthers are riding a giant wave of momentum right now after going 4-0 in December and making a highly improbable run to an NFC South title. I expect their hot streak to continue into the playoffs as they face the injury-riddled Cardinals in the Wild Card round. The Cardinals have just not been the same since Ryan Lindley took over at quarterback for the injured Drew Stanton. Lindley can makes some plays from time to time, but his accuracy woes and inability to protect the ball are a huge hindrance to this team. The Cardinals haven't won either game Lindley has started this year and I don't expect that to change today. The Cardinals talented defense is more than likely going to give Cam Newton some trouble and keep them in the game, I just don't have enough faith in the Lindley-run offense to put up enough points on this suddenly stout Panthers defense to pick up the victory.  

Baltimore Ravens over Pittsburgh Steelers: Of all the Wild Card matchups, this is easily the most intriguing. Ravens/Steelers is arguably the most heated rivalry in the NFL and the two squaring off in the playoffs is only going to raise the intensity. These two teams are much more evenly matched than their regular season matchups indicate (in both games, the home team won by a wide margin) and I expect this game to reflect that. Even though the Steelers have been playing better of late and have never lost to the Ravens in the playoffs, I have to go with The Ravens in this one. Joe Flacco is a completely different animal in the playoffs, they have a front seven that can disrupt Ben Roethlisberger and they'll be hungry to avenge their blowout loss at Heinz Field in October, and prove themselves as legitimate contenders after a mediocre December. However, to pick up this win the Ravens are going to need start fast and not let up. The Steelers are going to test the Ravens weak secondary even more than usual without star running back Le'Veon Bell in the lineup, and I don't trust them to hold up for an entire game against the Steelers loaded receiving corps. Even though they have to go on the road and play a squad who can easily exploit their secondary problems, I believe the Ravens are fully capable of deifying the odds and advance to the Divisional round.    

Indianapolis Colts over Cincinnati Bengals: In my eyes, there's no two teams in the NFL this season that have been more erratic than the Colts and Bengals. The Colts were mostly dominant throughout the season then all but completely crapped out down the stretch. The Bengals have been far more traditional with their inconsistent play: looking like legitimate title contenders some weeks and looking like a low-level arena football team in others. In their regular season meeting in October, the Colts handed the Bengals one of their embarrassing losses- forcing nine straight three-and-out's and holding them to just 135 yards of total offense as they cruised to a 27-0 victory. Given the high-stakes stage of this second meeting, I fully expect the Colts to win yet again. Though the Bengals picked up a impressive, hard-fought victory over the Broncos in primetime just two weeks ago, this team typically falters in big-game situations. Whether it be because of Andy Dalton's turnovers, the defense getting torched or another unforeseen factor, the team just implodes when they're in the spotlight, and I expect the same thing to happen again this year. The Bengals have sabotaged themselves three straight years by playing their sloppiest football of the season on wild card weekend and were sent packing in the ugliest possible fashion as a result. The Colts haven't been without their share of recent playoff woes, but they're nothing compared to those of the Bengals. Plus Andrew Luck is pretty much unflappable and recovers from turnovers as well as any quarterback in the league; a skill that Dalton does not possess. That quality alone is enough to give the Colts the advantage in this matchup. Unless the Bengals completely stray from their recent tendencies, the Colts should be able to take this one without too much difficulty.       

Dallas Cowboys over Detroit Lions: The Dallas Cowboys have proven all their detractors (myself included) wrong all season long and strung together a 12-4 season against all odds. Now that the playoffs are here, the same skeptics are looking for Tony Romo and co. to choke under pressure. At least for this week, I expect the Cowboys to continue to prove people wrong and pick up a playoff win. The Cowboys haven't looked this good since I started paying attention to football in the late '90s, and I truly believe they could beat just about anybody in the league right now if they continue to play at the same level. I expect the Lions outstanding defense to show up and make this a low-scoring affair, but their lackluster offense led by Matthew Stafford- who is playing the worst football of his career right now- to hold them back immensely in what should be a tight contest. The Cowboys are having the ultimate fairy tale season right now and I expect that Cinderella story to continue into next week.  

NFL Wild Card Predictions

Well it's that time of the year again, the NFL playoffs start today with a series of intriguing matchups. Could would be looking at our future champion in this round or will it be one of the top two seeds? We'll have to wait and find out..... Here are my picks for all four wild card games.

Cincinnati Bengals over Houston Texans: The first game of the weekend is a rematch of last year's wild card game where the Texans blew out the Bengals with backup quarterback T.J Yates under center. This go-round I think it will lean the other way. As I mentioned in my year-end recap, A month ago the Texans were my pick to make it to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. Their play over the last month has completely changed my opinion of them.Their playing with no fire, confidence, or momentum which is terrible entering the playoffs. The Bengals are the exact opposite. They stepped up big time with a great second half of the year and they are firing on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been making big plays and their pass rush has been dominant of late. I also really like the matchup of Andy Dalton versus the weak Texans secondary. Unless the Texans go back to mid-season form all of a sudden, I think Andy Dalton, A.J Green and the Bengals defense will handle the Texans on their home turf.

Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings:I'm bitter that my beloved Chicago Bears didn't make the playoffs because of the Vikings narrow victory over the Packers last week. This week, I expect a different result. Lambeau Field in the playoffs is a completely different animal for the Vikings. I don't expect Christian Ponder to put up another solid performance like last week, leaving 100% of the pressure on Adrian Peterson. Peterson can absolutely handle it (he has all year, he is the only reason they are in the playoffs), but I think Aaron Rodgers and co. will step to the plate and take care of business. The return of Charles Woodson will benefit the Packers defense and I don't think Peterson will put quite as much of a beatdown on them as he did last week. The Packers have too many weapons for the Vikings to slow down and I think the Packers will win handily.

Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts: With the return of Ray Lewis and what will be most likely be the final home game of his career combined with Colts coach Chuck Pagano in is second game back after finishing his leukemia treatment against his former employers, This going to be an emotional football game. On paper, this is a very even matchup. The Ravens have not been on the top of their game recently, but Ray Lewis's presence makes them a completely different football team. Lewis is clearly a shadow of his former self from an on-field performance standpoint, but his leadership makes the Ravens play far more inspired football. The Colts have been playing emotionally-charged football since Pagano's leukemia diagnosis and Andrew Luck has done far more than expected in his rookie season. That being said, I don't think the Colts will be beat the Ravens. The Ravens are going to play their hearts out to give Ray Lewis in a win in his last game in front of the home crowd and I think they will pull it out. The X-factor for Baltimore will be Ray Rice. The Colts run defense is pretty weak and if he runs well and catches short passes, he will overshadow the Ravens's flaws. It's a great matchup and this will be an emotionally deep game for both teams, but I think the Ravens home-field advantage and talent advantage will allow them to defeat the Colts.

Washington Redskins over Seattle Seahawks: In the most hotly-anticipated game of wild-card weekend, I'm expecting a slugfest. You got two rookie quarterbacks and two talented football teams with a ton of momentum squaring off. It might not be the popular pick considering how the Seahawks have played recently, but I like the Redskins in this matchup. Robert Griffin III is lacking the burst he had for most of the season because of his sprained knee, but their read option offense matches up well against the Seahawks. As good as Seattle's defense is, They play poorly against play action. The read option has is a nightmare for opposing defense because you don't what they are going to do. RG3 could run, fake it to Alfred Morris to pass, hand off to Morris, or drop back in the pocket and throw a bomb downfield. The Redskins have too many weapons to contain. The Redskins also have the advantage of having this game be at home. The Seahawks are unbeaten at home, but they are definitely beatable on the road. The Seahawks are going to fight hard and could absolutely win this game. Marshawn Lynch is playing out of his mind and Russell Wilson has looked great to finish off the year and he should have a good game against the subpar Redskins secondary. The Seahawks are going to need big performances from their defensive standouts like Richard Sherman, Chris Clemons, and fresh off suspension Brandon Browner if they want to win this game. It should be a battle, but I like the Redskins to pull a narrow upset victory over the Seahawks.