Playoff Time

After seventeen weekends of football, we have finally narrowed down the playing field to twelve teams. Most of the playoff teams had to prove themselves in the final week such as the Giants. After it was all said and done, we were left with some very interesting match ups for next week. Here are the games and my predictions for the first round of the playoffs.

AFC
First round byes: 1. New England Patriots  2. Baltimore Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: Looking at this matchup, it seems very lopsided in favor of the Steelers. The Steelers actually finished tied with the Ravens for the AFC North title but the Steelers lost to the Ravens twice this year so the Ravens had the tie breaker. Instead of having a first round bye, the Steelers will go into Denver as heavy favorites even with a banged up lineup. Their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still recovering from a sprained ankle and their running back Rashard Mendenhall suffered a knee injury in the last regular season game. The Broncos are coming into the game on a three game losing streak and an absent passing game. The only way I can see the Broncos winning this game is if Tim Tebow has another Tebow miracle but it will be hard versus one of the top defenses in the league. My Prediction: Steelers 23 Broncos 3

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans: After joining the season eight years ago as an expansion team, the Texans have finally made the playoffs for the first time. This is very exciting for the team but they problem is they are heading into the game with their fourth quarterback this season, Jake Delhomme. Their previous three quarterbacks have all gotten season ending injuries so its quite unfortunate for the Texans who believed they would be championship contenders earlier in the year. On the other hand, the Bengals have made the playoffs for only the third time in 22 years. They are led by a rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and his favorite target is rookie wide receiver A.J Green. It will been interesting to see how such a young team can play in the playoffs versus a very beaten up team. My Prediction: Bengals 17 Texans 10

NFC
First Round Byes: 1. Green Bay Packers   2. San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints: The Saints are actually very unlucky to not have a bye after finishing the season 13-3. Their quarterback Drew Brees had a record breaking year setting the new single season record for passing yards after he surpassed Dan Marino last week. His main target is second year tight end Jimmy Graham who also set the record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season. Don't underestimate the Lions offense as they have the great duo of Mattew Stafford to Calvin Johnson. This game is going to be extremely high scoring as it will come down to which defense can get more stops. My Prediction: Saints 38 Lions 28

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants: The New York Giants are coming into the playoffs very hot. They won their last two games of the season versus the Jets and Cowboys which led to them clinching the NFC East. Their defensive line has been incredible as Pierre-Paul, Tuck, and Umenyiora seem to be getting to the quarterback on every play. The Falcons played very good this season as well with the help of rookie wide reciever Julio Jones making big plays down the field. The problem with the Falcons is that they only went 4-4 on the road and this game is in New York. If this game was in Atlanta, I think the Falcons would come out on top but with how good the Giants are playing and the fact they are at home definitely gives the Giants the edge. My Prediction: Giants 24 Falcons 21