It's one of the most fun weekends on the NFL calendar. Divisional playoff weekend. And I've gotta admit, this was one of the toughest weeks for me to make picks in recent memory. Well, one game in particular. But more on that later. As usual, I'm expecting the four Divisional games to be some of the best football we see all season. And to cap it all off, we've got Peyton vs. the Colts in the late game on Sunday. Yeah, it's gonna be good.
Ravens (11-6) at Patriots (12-4): Baltimore-Once again, the Ravens visit New England in the playoffs. It's not often that the Patriots lose at home in January, but they have--twice--against Baltimore in recent years. So you know the Ravens aren't intimidated. And I think it's safe to say nobody wanted Pittsburgh to win last week more than the Patriots. Because they know as well as anyone that Baltimore is going to be a very difficult out. Especially after how dominant the Ravens looked in Pittsburgh last week.
I don't remember the last time the Ravens had a home playoff game, yet they keep winning in the postseason. It's something like eight straight times they've won their playoff opener, and John Harbaugh has tied the NFL record for postseason road wins. Having beaten the Patriots in New England before gives them plenty of confidence, too. This is going to be a very tough game for Brady and Co. The Ravens are on a roll, and the bye week might not necessarily have been the best thing for the Patriots. After all, they rested their starters in a Week 17 loss to the Bills, too. They've both got exceptional defenses, so it really depends on which offense shows up. I really like the way Baltimore's offense has looked in its last two wins. For some reason, I'm feeling the upset.
Panthers (8-8-1) at Seahawks (12-4): Seattle-There are very few, if any, people who were surprised to see the Panthers win last week. Over the last month of the season, Carolina was certainly a better team than Arizona. But that performance by the Cardinals' offense was downright embarrassing. 70-something yards of total offense in a playoff game?! Seriously?! Not taking anything away from Carolina, but that was downright pathetic. (And, hey, it got the Panthers to .500!)
This week's matchup is an interesting one. Carolina got healthy at just the right time, and Seattle enters the playoffs on a roll. We're going to see probably the two best defenses remaining, so points are going to be at a premium. That noise factor can't be discounted, either. That's why getting the No. 1 seed and home field was so important. Because as well as the Panthers have been playing, their offense is no match for the Seahawks' defense AND the 12th man. Russell Wilson and his offense are used to it. That's a huge difference that works dramatically in Seattle's favor.
Cowboys (13-4) at Packers (12-4): Green Bay-This was the tough one. I waited until the absolute last minute before making this pick. Because the difference between these two teams is oh-so-slight. Any one minor thing could swing the game one way or the other. Romo's healty. Rodgers is not. Advantage Dallas. Dallas has the better running game. If it snows, advantage Cowboys. But if it doesn't, it's still going to be cold. That's advantage Packers. The defenses are about even, so it'll be up to the offensive lines to keep their quarterbacks upright. Especially since Aaron Rodgers can't really move right now.
I'm really having so much trouble separating these two. If there's an edge, I think the Packers have it. They were able to rest up, the crowd's going to be on their side, and they're much more accustomed to the conditions. Green Bay's playoff experience might come into play, as well. That's why, with all else essentially being equal, I'll give the Packers the edge. Regardless, I think the winner goes to Seattle and wins next week. Undefeated on the road vs. undefeated at home. Something's gotta give. This is gonna be fun to watch.
Colts (12-5) at Broncos (12-4): Denver-Peyton vs. the Colts. In the playoffs. Didn't it seem like this was going to happen eventually? It's time for Peyton to remind his former team what they used to have. A Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Because as good as Andrew Luck is, he's no Peyton Manning. And the Colts are nowhere near as good a team as the Broncos. (Can you tell I have a vested interest in this game?)
There are more than just personal reasons why I think Denver's going to win. For one, their defense is significantly improved over the unit that went all the way to the Super Bowl last season. And the offense seems to have gotten straightened out in that Week 17 win over the Raiders. There probably wasn't a team that needed the first-round bye more than Denver, either. As for what I said about the Patriots wanting Pittsburgh to win last week, the Broncos couldn't be happier with the way the wild card games turned out. Indy's a much better matchup for them than the Steelers would've been. Besides, for once, it'll be fun watching the Indianapolis Colts lose a playoff game involving Peyton Manning.
Last Week: 2-2
Overall: 163-96-1
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