The NFL playoffs start on Saturday, and which team will win in the wildcard playoff round
Tim Tebow lead the Broncos to their first postseason appearance since 2006. They play the Steelers on Sunday.
Great matchups await us this weekend, as we watch to see who will take one step closer to Superbowl 46. On Saturday, January 7th will feature the Cincinnati Bengals going to and playing the Houston Texans. Then later on the 7th will show the Detroit Lions making a postseason appearance for the first time in 11 years against the high octane offense of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. On Sunday, January 8th, the Atlanta Falcons play the New York football Giants, and of course, the Tim Tebow-lead Broncos play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mile High. Here’s my predictions for this fun-filled weekend.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans: The Houston Texans come into this game with a defense that is ranked 3rd overall in the league, and are making the franchise’s first playoff appearance. Houston has the best running back in the game, Arian Foster, who ran for 1224 yards and is one of the best receiving backs coming out of the backfield. Cincinnati isn’t half bad either on the running game side of things. They have Cedric Benson who hits the hole hard, and is a 1000 yard rusher. Benson is a big reason for the success of the “Red Rifle” Andy Dalton. Dalton is an excellent mobile quarterback and he can chuck the ball all over the yard. None more to sensational receiver A.J. Green, who caught 65 passes in his rookie season this year.
The Texans last win of the season came in week 14 against this same Bengals team by a score of 20-19, and they lost out against three teams with a combined record of 17-31 and none of those teams were playoff teams. The Texans are playing poorly at the wrong time of the year, and the Bengals are playing well. The Call: Bengals 14-13.
Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints: Cue the wild circus music for this game, because it will be a wild offensive shoot out. Drew Brees is my MVP this year, threw for the most yards in a single season, and he will continue his air assault against the 22nd ranked Lions pass defense. Brees can throw it deep to receivers like Robert Meachem and Marquis Colston. He has a great redzone tightend in Jimmy Graham. It also doesn’t hurt to have an up and coming star running back like Mark Ingram to run the ball against defenses. Lions are also stacked on offense. Matt Stafford passed for 5038 yards this year and a good chunk of those went to Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Johnson is a monster, and as long as the ball is within any kind of reach, he will catch it.
Both teams have respectable defenses, but they have been vulnerable to the pass all year. The Saints are undeafeated in New Orleans this year, and I see that record to continue this week in a close, last possesion game. The Call: Saints 37-35
Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants: Matt Ryan of the Falcons is a consistent quarterback, that simply finds ways to win. His receiver Julio Jones runs a quick slant, catches the ball, and turns on the speed and turns a small gain into a touchdown. Roddy White is a physical monster that caught 100 balls this year and will catch even more against a banged up Giants secondary. Yet, the Giants quarterback isn’t half bad either. Eli Manning could finally shine in the league spotlight without any talk of his brother Peyton. Manning has come up big in tight situations, and his receiver Victor Cruz is going to be a superstar.
The Falcons have the clear advantage in the run game with Micheal Turner (1340 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns), and can widdle the clock down to a point where Eli can’t lead a last second drive. The Call: Falcons 23-17
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow has the ball with only two minutes left in the game. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can only watch from the sidelines. The Broncos are only down by a touchdown and have all the momentum and the fans are on their feet. Tebow shows his magic and he leads the Broncos down to the 15 yard line of Pittsburgh. Only :10 seconds left and Tebow calls his number in the huddle. “I got this guys,” he tells them. The ball is hiked and Tebow fakes a handoff to McGahee. He fakes right and cuts left. Gets by the defensive line and breaks a tackle from All-Pro James Harrison. Tebow then gets a great head fake on Jame Farrior. Tebow’s at the ten yards line. Gets a block from his receiver Eric Decker, at the five, could he do this? It will be the biggest upset in Denver sports history! Then, CRACK, Tebow is laid out by Steelers Troy Polamalu at the two yard line. No time left on the clock. Game Over. “Tebow Time” done.
I’m sorry Broncos fans. The Call: Steelers 13-6.
Did I just pick 3 of the 4 road teams to win this weekend? Well, it appears I did. Uh-oh, run.
