PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (WEEK 1)

Those who know me know that my favorite sport is professional football (NFL, not UFL), and that my favorite time of year is when the playoffs begin. Well boys and girls, the playoffs begin later today, so consider me a HAPPY MAN! We are officially 29 days away from the Super Bowl, and judging by most of the playoff teams, we should get a good one this year (except if somehow there is a Chiefs vs. Seahawks matchup). That being said, the twelve remaining teams have a long journey to navigate if they expect to be playing in the castle that Jerry built in 29 days. That journey begins today, and I will do my best to guide you there, beginning with my PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (WEEK 1 EDITION).

If you aren’t scared, feel free to add yours in the comment section below this entry.

Girlfriend/Wife Special (Saints at Seahawks) – Ladies, if you want to spend time with your boyfriend/husband on Saturday, feel free to occupy their time until 8pm. That is when the playoffs officially begin. Although they may try to tell you (as I will my wife) that the 4:30 pm game is important also. If they do, feel free to call them a liar. I know that Seattle is one of the toughest places to play a road game in the NFL, but this might be the most lopsided playoff game in recent memory. I am giving the Seahawks NO CHANCE in this game, and it won’t even be close. As a matter of fact, I think the Saints went up by a touchdown as soon as their plane touched down in Seattle.

My Prediction: Saints 31 – Seahawks 10


Front Row vs. Back Row (Jets at Colts) – This matchup reminds me of high school. We will get a chance to see a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game, when the kids who always sat in the front of the classroom (Colts led by Peyton Manning) will face off against the dumb loudmouth disruptive kids that sat in the back of the class (Jets led by Rex Ryan). That being said, it should be a highly entertaining and well played game. This game will be a true test of wills between the Colts (peaking at the right time) offense and the Jets (not as good as they think they are) defense. This one will be close and a lot of fun, so fellas, put your foot down and make sure that your lady knows that 8pm Saturday night is football time. If you end up watching The Notebook instead of this game, scan you man card into your computer and email it to me at the address shown at the top of this page.

My Prediction: Colts 24 – Jets 20


Thunder vs. Lightning (Ravens at Chiefs) – What happens when the league’s best rush offense plays host to the league’s fifth-best run defense in a playoff game? I don’t know thE answer to that question right now, but I will know after the 1pm game on Sunday. This game will be strength versus strength, because the Ravens’ hard hitting defense (thunder) simply don’t let you run the ball, while Kansas City’s offense (lightning) lives by the running game. As I see it, the only way to beat the Ravens is to exploit their below average corners in the passing game (but throw at your own risk because Reed is back behind those weak corners). However, I doubt that Kansas City’s 30th ranked passing game will be able to accomplish this feat. Although Kansas City is another ridiculously difficult place to play on the road, I think that the Ravens’ been here before attitude and road warrior mentality (they are 6 – 3 on the road in the playoffs since 2000) will overpower the young, inexperienced Chiefs who will be playing their first playoff game since 2006.

My Prediction: Ravens 21 – Chiefs 10


WHY DID THEY HAVE TO PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND?! (Packers at Eagles) – Whether my prediction for this game is right or wrong, I feel as though the winner of this game will be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. That being said, I must admit that this is the hardest game of the weekend to pick (and the reason that I am writing this blog entry so darn late). As a matter of fact, I came extremely close to not picking this game, and just saying that it was too difficult to choose a winner. For those reading this who know me personally, you know that is simply not my style. To pick this game, I had to look beyond the superficial Vick vs. Rodgers talk, and really dive into the match-ups. This is where I discovered my pick to win this game. While both teams will certainly light up the scoreboard, because there will be big play threats all over the field in Vick, Jackson, Maclin, and McCoy for the Eagles and Rodgers, Jennings, and Driver for the Packers, the difference in this game lies on the defensive side of the football. Although, the Eagles defense is a pretty good unit and has played extremely well at times this season, in my opinion the Packers defense is much better. Although Vick has proven time and time again that he can be unstoppable, the Packers defense has as good a chance as any to prevent him from scoring on every possession. He definitely won’t look like he did against Washington in that video game played earlier this season. The bottom line is that the offensive skill players in the game are ridiculous and the quarterbacks are two of the best in the business. However, I like Aaron Rodgers against the Eagles defense slightly better than I like Vick against the likes of Clay Mathews, Charles Woodson, and Nick Collins. Don’t miss this one, it will be a shootout. If you are a fan of Big 10 football and enjoy watching three yards and a cloud of dust, this is not the game for you.

My Prediction: Packers 38 – Eagles 35


Tune in next week for PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS (WEEK 2)….