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

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

Wild Card Weekend: Saturday results

The first day of the post-season is over and two teams got added for the Divisional games. Unfortunately I couldn’t see any of the games, we sure need to get Sky Sports in this house. Both games were close and if the playoffs stay this exciting all the way, we’re going to have some really great games to follow.

The Steelers came close to win a game that seemed lost after three quarters. Trailing 28-10 going into the fourth, the chances for Pittsburgh were slim. But some great plays brought them back in the game, only to have the Jaguars beat them with 37 seconds on the clock.

Looking back, their two 2-point conversion attempts were a mistake. Failing both of them, they missed the two points that cost them the game. But great performances on both sided, Roethlisberger showed once again he’s a great QB.

The final score of the Washington – Seattle game doesn’t do credit to the effort the Redskins made. Being 13-0 behind going into the fourth, Washington came back strong and took the lead early in the final quarter. But the Seahawks fought back and won the game 35-14.

I thought the Redskins had a pretty good shot at reaching far into the playoffs. Their story would have made an excellent addition to NFL history. But unfortunately for them, it wasn’t supposed to happen. But the team looks strong and confident, they will be back next season. No doubt in my mind about that.

For the Jaguars it’s a trip to New England to face the Patriots. The Jags will have to do better next week, otherwise they will get crushed by the Patriots. Mike Holmgren takes his Seahawks to his former team, the Green Bay Packers. Hopefully for him they will do better than the last time, when the Packers won in OT after a Hasselbeck interception.

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.