The playoffs are here and it’s always a good news/bad news situation. The good news is it’s the playoffs! The bad, the Bears aren’t in them and we’ve only got a few more weeks of football left! The Old Man needs to get a script for half a year of Prozac to make it through the off season! The Lions, Bengals, Broncos, and 49ers are back in the playoffs after a couple of years absence and the Texans are making their first appearance in post-season play. How will they do? Read on to find out!
Cincinnati Bengals (+3) at Houston Texans – Saturday Afternoon
Beep, beep, beep. What’s that sound you ask? Why, it’s the Bengals backing into the playoffs. A lot of things went the Bengals way last Sunday and their reward is a round one matchup against a team they could actually beat. Houston enters this weeks contest riding a three game losing streak and one of those losses was to the hapless Indianapolis Colts. The Texans also have bit of a concern at quarterback as TJ Yates left week 17 with a non-throwing shoulder injury.
Drew Brees will look to continue his record-breaking season into the post-season.
How serious is the injury is won’t be known until he actually suits up and plays. The Bengals are riding the arm of rookie Andy Dalton and their defense, although the D got off to a sluggish start in week 17. This will be a close game but I think the Texans will win on the legs of Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Look for the Texans to run, run, and run. I think they win 24 to 20.
Detroit Lions (+10.5) at New Orleans Saints – Saturday Night
The Lions are coming off a tough loss to the Green Bay Packers. Had they won that game, they would have went to a more favorable matchup against the New York Giants. Instead they get the hottest team in football in the Saints. In week 13, the Lions lost in New Orleans by a score of 31 ti 17. I really don’t see this game being that close. Detroit is notorious for starting off slow and then making a comeback.
They’re also used to their home crowds being loud and helping them out on D with false start calls against their opponents. This week the Lions will be the ones with all the false starts as the Superdome will be rocking. If backup Matt Flynn can put up 45 points against the Lions D, how many do you think Brees and company will hang? I think the Saints win this one by more than 25. The Lions return to the playoffs will be short lived. Saints win 45 to 24.
Atlanta Falcons (+3) at New York Giants – Early Game Sunday Afternoon
The Falcons won three of their last four games by scoring 31 points or more. Their one loss was against the Saints. The Giants are coming off the win-and-in game against the Cowboys, so they’ve been in playoff mode for some time. I know most people are saying the Giants are the team you wanted to play in round one, well I guess that’s true because I’d rather face them than the Saints at this point, but the Giants can be a very good team and they can beat you.
Eli Manning to Victor Cruz has become a very potent combination. However, I don’t think the Giants win this one. The Falcons are playing decent football right now. Julio Jones is proving his worth, Michael Turner has been running with authority, the the Falcons D has been solid. I think the loss to the Saints opened their eyes and actually helped them refocus on their mission. I think the Falcons win 31 to 17. Their reward for winning? A date with the Packers.
Pittsburgh Steelers (-8.5) at Denver Broncos – Late Game Sunday Afternoon
Beep, beep, beep. What’s that noise? Nope, not the Bengals backing in, this time it’s the Broncos. The Broncos are another team riding a three-game losing streak into the playoffs. All the conspiracy theorists out there are saying the losses are due to the coaching staff creating plays designed for Tim Tebow to fail. The truth of the matter is that Denver just isn’t that good! All of Denver’s wins this season, except for one, came against teams that are not in the playoffs.
The playoff team they beat? Beep, beep, beep – the Bengals. The only thing the Broncos have going for them this week is that the Steelers are a banged up team. Big Ben is still hobbled by the high ankle sprain and he’ll be limited. The top running back, Mendenhall, is out with a torn ACl, and safety Ryan Clark won’t suit up due to having Sickle Cell Anemia and playing in that altitude could kill him. Even with all these injuries, look for the Steelers to pummel the Broncos. The Pitt D is just too good and the Broncos just don’t have the offensive firepower to beat them. Steelers win this one 38 to 10.
That’s it for this week. Take it to the bank!