Man, I’m so glad to have the NFL Playoffs happening right now, though my favorite team (Oakland Raiders) are not still in it, which is a whole different story in it’s own right, but there are 4 games scheduled this weekend and I’m going to give my insight on each one.
The first game Saturday, 1:30 pm PT between the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers. This match up is intriguing for many reasons. For the Saints, they won a Super Bowl a few seasons back, and have been to the playoffs each of the last couple of seasons, but they want another Super Bowl. The 49ers are in the playoffs for the first time in 9 seasons and are hosting this playoff game at Home. Unlike the Saints, the 49ers haven’t been here in a while and will be destined to prove that they are a team to be reckoned with for years to come. When contemplating this game, the main match up apparent is the Saints high-powered video game offense verses the Niners stingy smash mouth defense. This battle will be the main determining factor in the outcome of this contest. The most important player for this contest will be Patrick Willis, the all pro linebacker for the 49ers. He will play a huge part because if the Niners defense can force turnovers and keep the saints from scoring touchdowns, they will have a chance to KSA (Kick Some Ass). My prediction is that the 49ers win 27-20.
Next comes the late game on Saturday at 5:00, featuring the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots. This match up is full of intrigue and surprises. For many football realists including myself the Denver broncos weren’t suppose to be here. They weren’t suppose to beat the Steelers last week, let alone be hosting a playoff game, and so on. But that’s how crazy of a season it has been. The Patriots are typical visitors to the playoffs, but haven’t won a Super Bowl since 2005. I think a key player in this match up will be Vince Wilfork of the Patriots. I believe he will have a big game, especially in being able to clog up the middle of the line of scrimmage. It may seem like a miracle seeing Tim Tebow advance, but I’m a realist and I see the Patriots winning 34-14.
The 3rd contest starting at 10:00 am PT between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. This showdown has a lot of similarities in team display in the sense that both Houston and Baltimore like to run the ball and play good defense. Their passing games are comparable as well. Congratulations to the Houston Texans for making the playoffs for the 1st time in their franchise history and winning their first division year. On the flip side you have the Baltimore Ravens who have been annual playoff guests for the last couple of seasons. This Baltimore franchise is steeped with history and has a proud tradition. The most important person in this battle will be Ed Reed, All Pro safety for the Ravens who makes his living by baiting quarterbacks into making poor decisions. This game will be fun to watch but in the end I see the Ravens prevailing 28-13.
And finally the fourth game of the weekend, starting at 1:30 pm PT featuring the New York Giants and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. When analyzing this match up I see a lot of similarities between the teams. They both can run and pass the ball well, both can get to the quarterback, but the main difference is that the Packers are better at forcing turnovers, which will be a huge factor in this game. Both teams have a lot of playoff experience so both know what it takes to go the distance. The most important person in this game will be Charles Woodson, the All Pro Defensive Back for the Packers who is great at forcing turnovers and making big plays at key moments of a game. Though the giants are playing better and better and come into this game playing “lights out,” I can’t see them going into Lambeau and beating the Packers even though they’ve done it before, I believe the Packers win 35-24.