My NFL Wild Card Weekend predictions

The regular season is over, the teams are ranked and it’s time to get ready for the first week of playoff action. The games certainly are interesting, especially after some teams tried to get a favorable position for the Divisional games. Well, here are my predictions for the Wild Card Weekend.

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
I like the Steelers, but I don’t like their chances in the playoffs. Their defense is still solid, I expect them to have some troubles on the offensive side of the game. Losing Parker has left the offense unbalanced, which relies basically on the passing game. Roethlisberger has had a great year, but I don’t think it’s good enough.

In my opinion there are only two teams who can stop the Patriots: the Colts and the Jaguars. Their running game is great and they came close to beating the Colts. I think it’s too much for the Steelers to handle, so I pick Jacksonville to win this game.

Washington @ Seattle
Looking purely at the stats won’t give you any indication of the outcome of this game: they’re basically the same. Washington nearly didn’t make it to the playoffs, the division they’re in is strong. Seattle had it pretty easy getting another trip to the playoffs and they play solid football at home.

I think the drive within the Redskins team is big. They have been through a lot this year and will step up. So I’m going for a small upset and pick the Washington Redskins for this game.

Tennessee @ San Diego
This is a tough one to pick. The Chargers have beaten the Titans earlier this year at Tennessee, so that puts them in a more favorable position. On the other hand, the Titans are coming from a solid win at Indianapolis. And we shouldn’t forget the numbers of the Chargers in the playoffs, they haven’t been great in the past years.

That being said, I think the quality of the Chargers roster and the power they bring into the running game will put them ahead of the Titans. My pick goes to the San Diego Chargers.

NY Giants @ Tampa Bay
The Giants played a very good game against the Patriots, with basically nothing on the line other than refusing the Patriots a perfect season. But the Giants, and particularly Eli Manning, have also played very weak games. In a bad week Eli can throw more interceptions than other QB’s have in a season.

I like Tampa Bay, they’re balanced and show that you don’t need big stars to get into the playoffs. Their trip to the playoffs is a true team effort and I like their defense. Offensively not as strong as the Giants, but overall more balanced. Unless the Giants can play two great games in a row, this one definitely will be for the Bucs. I’m sticking with Tampa Bay in this one.