John Berger
Reporter
With the past 17 weeks as a tune-up, the second season is here, the postseason. All the other games were fun, but this is serious. Win, and you advance. Lose, and you go home, your season is over. The NFL playoffs are for all the marbles, and the games start this weekend with the wildcard games.
Bengals at Texans-4:30-Saturday
This is a game between two teams who are kind of stumbling towards the playoffs. The Bengals have beaten mostly bad teams all year, and lost to most of the good teams they have played. The Texans have been hampered with injuries all year long. The Texans will come out with intensity in this one, as they’re playing in their first playoff game ever.
Prediction: 27-20 Texans
Lions at Saints-8:00-Saturday
I want this to be a close game, but I just don’t see it. The Saints are just playing too well. Drew Brees is arguably the best quarterback in the league, and the Lions defense just gave up 6 touchdowns to Matt Flynn. It just doesn’t look good for the Lions.
Prediction: 38-27 Saints
Steelers at Broncos-4:30-Sunday
This is a hard game to pick. On one hand you have the Steelers, a team that went 12-4 during the regular season. But they’re also missing running back Rashard Mendenhall and defensive back Ryan Clark. Meanwhile, the Broncos have backed their way into the playoffs, on the backs of a good defense and some improbable comebacks engineered by Tim Tebow. I just have a hard time seeing the Steelers losing in the first round.
Prediction: 17-7 Steelers
Falcons at Giants-1:00-Sunday
This is another tough game. The Giants have won their last two games over the Jets and the Cowboys. The Falcons were the #1 seed in the NFC last year, but they took a bit of a step back this year. Home field advantage and a streaking defense gives the Giants the nod in this one.
Prediction: 31-23 Giants
