NFL Picks - PLAYOFF EDITION
Get excited! It's playoff time! Time to separate the juiced up men from the boys. Oops, did I say that? Anybody remember when it came out that about half of the Carolina Panthers team that made the Super Bowl was on roids? Nobody remembers? That's because the NFL makes by far the most money out of any other sport and has the best PR around.
Wait, why am I depressing myself? It's playoff football! On to the picks (no spreads, it's the playoffs when only winning matters . . . if you really want my picks just look up the spreads and figure it out) . . .
WILDCARD ROUND
New Orleans at Seattle
Let me get this straight. Seattle is in the playoffs? Their QB is either Matt Hasselbeck playing with one hip or Charlie Whitehurst? I am WAY too excited to see Pete Carroll's face in the second half of this shellacking. Sean Payton and Drew Brees. I don't care if their second running back is the towel boy. This one's over by midway through the third quarter.
New Orleans 31 - Seattle 13
New York Jets at Indianapolis
The Jets have the Colts outgunned at pretty much every position. The only places the Colts have an edge are at Defensive End (slight edge) and quarterback. But this is the NFL and this is the playoffs. If the Colts can play bend but don't break (doable against the Jets and Mark Sanchez) then give me Peyton Manning despite his very depleted squad. Warning: Ugly game.
Indianapolis 24 - New York Jets 20
Baltimore at Kansas City
The Chiefs had me believing and I still maintain that the Ravers are overrated this season. However, have you been watching the Chiefs play lately? It has been beyond ugly in the trenches for them. Add to that the turmoil on the coaching squad and Baltimore's propensity for coming through defensively in the playoffs and I'll go with the experienced squad. Baltimore's defense is by far the best unit in this game.
Baltimore 20 - Kansas City 13
Green Bay at Philadelphia
This is the most exciting game on paper. What's funny is that the most important unit on the field is getting zero talk and that's Philly's defense. That Pack's defense has been great and will continue to be. Of course Vick is the X-Factor, and Green Bay's offense will be solid. But the Eagles' defense? Quietly underperforming for a while now. They'll still be blitzing but it won't matter the way the secondary is playing. Man coverage will get blown and Green Bay will exploit it. Vick is too banged up to make up the difference.
Green Bay 27 - Philadelphia 20
DIVISIONAL ROUND
New Orleans at Chicago
I know the Bears' D is looking very 2006 and Jay Cutler is most definitely a tremendous upgrade over Rex Grossman, but . . . bad Jay Cutler is showing up in this one. New Orleans won last season in large part due to its turnover margin. Again, the running game for the Saints will be nonexistent but too many big plays will be too much for the Bears.
New Orleans 20 - Chicago 10
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
This one gets me excited just thinking about it. Are there two people with more polar opposite images than Big Ben and Peyton Manning? The only thing that would make this game better is Bill Cowher's chin. All that said, this one's a blowout. Pittsburgh's offensive game may only give him a split second to throw but the Colts won't stop the run. And poor Peyton Manning will be flattened by the time this one's over.
Pittsburgh 34 - Indianapolis 17
Green Bay at Atlanta
Another great game. I had Atlanta as my NFC Champion from about Week 4 until that New Orleans game when the Falcons got the collective deer in headlights look going. Teams that play scared get eaten alive in the playoffs and the Falcons played scared in their most important game of the season. The Packers have the guns on both sides of the ball despite some injuries and I'll trust the Packers D in the 4th quarter over anything else in this game.
Green Bay 28 - Atlanta 24
Baltimore at New England
Oh the sweet revenge. Not even close. The Patriots will have a statement game and it will come in its first playoff game. If I need to explain this one to you then you haven't been watching. Flacco and an aging Ravens D vs. Brady's locks of Samson.
Brady's Locks of Samson 38 - Baltimore 13
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Pittsburgh at New England
Yes, I know that New England spanked them in Pittsburgh and I know that the Patriots' offense has looked unstoppable, but I have gone back and forth on this game several times in the past month. The most important player in this game is Troy Polamalu. If he is anywhere near healthy then this game is a toss up. He makes Pittsburgh the scariest thing in a football stadium since they allowed beer at Raiders' home games. Make no mistake about it. The winner of this game is taking home the Lombardi Trophy. As much as I'd like to go with the Pittsburgh D in this one (especially since I may or may not have gotten down on them to win it all at 8-1), the Steel Curtain has a question mark and Brady's Locks of Samson don't.
Brady's Locks of Samson 21 - Pittsburgh 20
Green Bay at New Orleans
I'm pretty sure that this would be the first ever NFC Championship featuring two wildcard teams but I'm too lazy to fact check it. That said, these are the two hottest teams in the NFC, except New Orleans is being forced to go with Mark Madsen and Mateen Cleeves as its backup running backs. The NFC really has the leftovers of the NFL this year (although I said that last year, picked the Colts to cover, then watched the Saints win it all, go figure). I don't think the Packers are a Super Bowl team because of the banged up situation they have, but they're the best of what the NFC has to offer, unless Michael Vick reverts to All-World form. However, that won't happen because of the karma situation he has. Give me Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay 31 - New Orleans 20
SUPER BOWL
New England vs. Green Bay
A rematch of Favre's lone Super Bowl victory. This one doesn't go down that way. Despite Matt Flynn's almost taking the Packers to a stunning upset win over the Pats a few weeks ago, I don't see Belichick and Brady letting it go down that way. Brady's Locks of Samson will make it rain TD's. Aaron Rodgers doesn't have what it takes to keep up . . . yet.
Brady's Locks of Samson 35 - Green Bay 27 (regrettably)
Wait, why am I depressing myself? It's playoff football! On to the picks (no spreads, it's the playoffs when only winning matters . . . if you really want my picks just look up the spreads and figure it out) . . .
WILDCARD ROUND
New Orleans at Seattle
Let me get this straight. Seattle is in the playoffs? Their QB is either Matt Hasselbeck playing with one hip or Charlie Whitehurst? I am WAY too excited to see Pete Carroll's face in the second half of this shellacking. Sean Payton and Drew Brees. I don't care if their second running back is the towel boy. This one's over by midway through the third quarter.
New Orleans 31 - Seattle 13
New York Jets at Indianapolis
The Jets have the Colts outgunned at pretty much every position. The only places the Colts have an edge are at Defensive End (slight edge) and quarterback. But this is the NFL and this is the playoffs. If the Colts can play bend but don't break (doable against the Jets and Mark Sanchez) then give me Peyton Manning despite his very depleted squad. Warning: Ugly game.
Indianapolis 24 - New York Jets 20
Baltimore at Kansas City
The Chiefs had me believing and I still maintain that the Ravers are overrated this season. However, have you been watching the Chiefs play lately? It has been beyond ugly in the trenches for them. Add to that the turmoil on the coaching squad and Baltimore's propensity for coming through defensively in the playoffs and I'll go with the experienced squad. Baltimore's defense is by far the best unit in this game.
Baltimore 20 - Kansas City 13
Green Bay at Philadelphia
This is the most exciting game on paper. What's funny is that the most important unit on the field is getting zero talk and that's Philly's defense. That Pack's defense has been great and will continue to be. Of course Vick is the X-Factor, and Green Bay's offense will be solid. But the Eagles' defense? Quietly underperforming for a while now. They'll still be blitzing but it won't matter the way the secondary is playing. Man coverage will get blown and Green Bay will exploit it. Vick is too banged up to make up the difference.
Green Bay 27 - Philadelphia 20
DIVISIONAL ROUND
New Orleans at Chicago
I know the Bears' D is looking very 2006 and Jay Cutler is most definitely a tremendous upgrade over Rex Grossman, but . . . bad Jay Cutler is showing up in this one. New Orleans won last season in large part due to its turnover margin. Again, the running game for the Saints will be nonexistent but too many big plays will be too much for the Bears.
New Orleans 20 - Chicago 10
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh
This one gets me excited just thinking about it. Are there two people with more polar opposite images than Big Ben and Peyton Manning? The only thing that would make this game better is Bill Cowher's chin. All that said, this one's a blowout. Pittsburgh's offensive game may only give him a split second to throw but the Colts won't stop the run. And poor Peyton Manning will be flattened by the time this one's over.
Pittsburgh 34 - Indianapolis 17
Green Bay at Atlanta
Another great game. I had Atlanta as my NFC Champion from about Week 4 until that New Orleans game when the Falcons got the collective deer in headlights look going. Teams that play scared get eaten alive in the playoffs and the Falcons played scared in their most important game of the season. The Packers have the guns on both sides of the ball despite some injuries and I'll trust the Packers D in the 4th quarter over anything else in this game.
Green Bay 28 - Atlanta 24
Baltimore at New England
Oh the sweet revenge. Not even close. The Patriots will have a statement game and it will come in its first playoff game. If I need to explain this one to you then you haven't been watching. Flacco and an aging Ravens D vs. Brady's locks of Samson.
Brady's Locks of Samson 38 - Baltimore 13
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Pittsburgh at New England
Yes, I know that New England spanked them in Pittsburgh and I know that the Patriots' offense has looked unstoppable, but I have gone back and forth on this game several times in the past month. The most important player in this game is Troy Polamalu. If he is anywhere near healthy then this game is a toss up. He makes Pittsburgh the scariest thing in a football stadium since they allowed beer at Raiders' home games. Make no mistake about it. The winner of this game is taking home the Lombardi Trophy. As much as I'd like to go with the Pittsburgh D in this one (especially since I may or may not have gotten down on them to win it all at 8-1), the Steel Curtain has a question mark and Brady's Locks of Samson don't.
Brady's Locks of Samson 21 - Pittsburgh 20
Green Bay at New Orleans
I'm pretty sure that this would be the first ever NFC Championship featuring two wildcard teams but I'm too lazy to fact check it. That said, these are the two hottest teams in the NFC, except New Orleans is being forced to go with Mark Madsen and Mateen Cleeves as its backup running backs. The NFC really has the leftovers of the NFL this year (although I said that last year, picked the Colts to cover, then watched the Saints win it all, go figure). I don't think the Packers are a Super Bowl team because of the banged up situation they have, but they're the best of what the NFC has to offer, unless Michael Vick reverts to All-World form. However, that won't happen because of the karma situation he has. Give me Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay 31 - New Orleans 20
SUPER BOWL
New England vs. Green Bay
A rematch of Favre's lone Super Bowl victory. This one doesn't go down that way. Despite Matt Flynn's almost taking the Packers to a stunning upset win over the Pats a few weeks ago, I don't see Belichick and Brady letting it go down that way. Brady's Locks of Samson will make it rain TD's. Aaron Rodgers doesn't have what it takes to keep up . . . yet.
Brady's Locks of Samson 35 - Green Bay 27 (regrettably)
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