Divisional Playoffs results

Okay, with Sunday’s games behind us, we can take a look at how I did. With Sunday turning into a totally different day than Saturday, I scored not very well over the weekend. Here are my results.

Seattle @ Green Bay
I picked the Green Bay Packers and I was right. After they had settled down, they rushed past the Seahawks and never looked back. And the snow adds something magical to Lambeau Field. I understand why they want to play the SuperBowl either indoors or in the sun, but I think it’s great to see them play in bad weather.

Jacksonville @ New England
I went for the upset, but Jacksonville just couldn’t keep the pressure on Tom Brady and the Patriots. In exchange, the Patriots’ defensive did a great job and closed down the run offense. And after sacking Brady on his first possession, the Jaguars’ defense practically never touched him again. We all knew the Patriots were a great team, but I remained skeptical about their chances to go 19-0. This weekend, they turned me into a believer.

San Diego @ Indianapolis
When you get the chances the Colts got last night, you have to win the game. They have no-one to blame but themselves. You cannot go out on downs when your nose is basically in the end-zone. And if you’re a QB as good as Peyton is, you shouldn’t turn the ball over that many times. Other than that, San Diego did a great job in staying in the game, forcing the Colts to make mistakes. I picked the Colts and they should’ve won this one.

New York Giants @ Dallas
Finally an upset in the NFL that I’ve correctly predicted. But as with the other upset this weekend, this one shouldn’t have happened. Dallas made some mistakes which let the Giants stay in the game. When you’re truly focused, you don’t get a personal foul against you. And you don’t let Toomer catch a ball in the open and let him run for a 52-yards TD reception. Manning played good, I never expected him to play good three games in a row. Hopefully this will get him over the struggles he’s had.

Well, going 2-2 again is not something to be very proud of. But it still beats a losing season.

Prediction for Divisional Playoffs (2)

Yesterday my predictions were split. I correctly identified Green Bay as the winner of their game against Seattle. As predicted, the weather was in favor for the Packers and it created some nice pictures. The Jaguars fell short to the Patriots, who improved to 17-0. I expected the Jaguars to have a better run offense, but it failed due to a good defense from the Patriots. Also, the Patriots’ offensive line was strong and kept Brady safe. And when you let Brady play his best game,  there is no way you can win the game. On with the predictions for today.

San Diego @ Indianapolis
The Charges have beaten the Colts in Indianapolis this season. That was the week after the Colts lost to the Patriots, a week where the Colts didn’t play their best game. Having broken the playoff curse, San Diego is looking for a trip to New England and play against the Patriots.

I don’t think the Colts will get beaten once again. They have too many options in their offensive game and on defense they have shown strength. I expect the Chargers to be swept away by the Colts’ offense and will lose by a margin of at least 10 points. Which is how it should be, since everyone wants a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game.

My pick: Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants @ Dallas
The Giants surprised me last week, in a very positive way. Eli Manning showed that he can be as good as everyone expects him to be and the Giants won at Tampa Bay. Looking pure at the stats, Dallas is the favorite for this game. And they have beaten the Giants twice this year, which gives them even more an edge.

But the Giants are strong away from home. After losing their first road game (at Dallas) they haven’t lost away from home. If the Giants can play the same, faultless game like they did last week, this game will turn into a very interesting match. The wise choice would be to pick the Cowboys, but I’m going with the New York Giants. Just because I want to see another game in the snow at Lambeau Field.

Prediction for Divisional Playoffs

After going 2-2 for the Wild Card Weekend, it’s time to post my predictions for the Divisional Playoffs. With the top teams returning on the field after a bye week, this week will be interesting. In this post I’ll look at the two games on Saturday.

Seattle @ Green Bay
With the win over the Washington Redskins, the Seattle Seahawks return to Green Bay to face the Packers and the elements. The last time they played the Packers in the playoffs, Seattle lost in OT after Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception.

The weather will be favorable to Green Bay, with cold weather and flurries expected. But even with better weather conditions, I would rank the Packers higher than the Seahawks. Not only do I think the Packers have a better team, they also have the Favre factor. He can personally turn a game around.

My pick: Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville @ New England
Going with the Patriots is the safe, and possibly wisest, choice. They’ve dominated this season, going 16-0 and humiliating several opponents in the process. But they’ve also shown some weaknesses, especially when the opponent is using the run offense.

Running the ball is what the Jaguars do pretty good. And it will keep the Patriots’ offense off the field. So I expect the Jaguars to stick to the running game, tiring the defense and succeed where others (like Baltimore and New York) failed.

So I’m picking: Jacksonville Jaguars