NFL Wild Card Weekend

Saturday
Saints @ Seattle(+10)
So, I actually watched the Seahawks-Rams game last weekend, and I was pretty impressed with the Seahawks; they certainly looked much better than any team with a losing record had any right to look. I also watched a lot of the Saints-Bucs game, and wasn’t particularly impressed with the Saints. Now, both of these impressions probably also had a lot to do with the competition, but at the same time, the Saints don’t really have it completely together and the Seahawks are much better at home than on the road. I think New Orleans is the better team and will win this game, but that’s rather more points than I’m willing to give, so I will actually take the Seahawks. Yikes, that feels weird to type.

Jets @ Indianapolis(-2)
I’m really on the fence with this game. I love picking against Manning in the first round of the playoffs, because while everybody drools over his regular season numbers, he’s gone one-and-done six times in his career. On the other hand, someone really needs to smack Rex Ryan and tell him to shut his pie hole. And in the middle of this season, I most certainly would have taken the Jets. However, I like the Colts here because, of all the things you wouldn’t expect, the Colts have been playing the run tough and have been committed to running the ball themselves lately. Good coaching, really, in that they were struggling earlier and they really did change their approach. The other side here is that the Jets have not looked all that great of late, in particular when running the ball. If they have trouble running, which I think they will, I don’t trust Sanchez to go out and win it. Plus, Manning has kind of owned the Ryan defenses of late. I am really glad it’s only two points, though, as I don’t see the Colts blowing the doors off. I kind of feel like the Colts win by a FG, so two is just perfect. As much as it pains me to do it, I’m taking Indy.

Sunday
Ravens @ Kansas City(+3)
Baltimore has really struggled late in the season with putting teams away, and Flacco just doesn’t seem to be getting it done of late. However, how crappy have the Chefs looked? That loss to Oakland was a thing of great ugliness. I just don’t see KC pulling this one out, and think it’s kind of remarkable the spread is only three. Ravens.

Packers @ Philadelphia(-2.5)
I’m going to take Green Bay in this game because Vick is banged up, which is really bad for them, and because the Packers’ defense has been playing lights out lately. I like them to really keep Vick bottled up and frustrate him into some bad throws, which he’s been doing more lately. While Rodgers isn’t having the season he had last year, he’s solid. I expect another low-scoring game here, and again, I’m happy that it’s less than a field goal because I could easily see the Packers winning this game 10-7 or some such. Actually I’m slightly worried that it’ll be 9-7 and I’ll lose by half a point, but I’m going to hope that the Iggles blitz just a little too often and Rodgers finds someone open deep for a cheap TD so that Green Bay covers.