After a thoroughly embarrassing Wild Card Weekend, its time for some redemption. (Or a chance at epic futility…either way you have to be on the edge of your seat, right?)
Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
I picked the Saints at the beginning of the season and I’m sticking with them. Yes, they played like crap the last 3 games of the season. Yes, the Cowboys whooped them in their own house on a national stage while they were going for perfection. But this team is too talented, has too many playmakers, and played too well the whole year to fall apart now. This game is much more about how the Saints play than the Cardinals and Kurt Warner. Sit back, get a frosty beverage and watch the points pile up. Pick: Saints
Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts
[adinserter block=”1″]Doesn’t it just feel like the Colts season ended with Curtis Painter fumbling versus the Jets? The look on Peyton Manning’s face, the overall mood of the team, and the total outrage and disappointment by the entire fan base really makes it seem like the Colts season was over. They’re the number one seed, have the current no-doubt MVP, and have several playmakers. So why am I picking the Ravens? Because I watched what they did to the Patriots last week. And I don’t think the Colts can simply turn it back on again. Could I be sitting in this seat on Sunday night saying, “Oh yeah. I picked against Peyton on a Saturday night game and that made me 0-6 for the playoffs?” Sure I could. The Ravens won’t surprise the Colts with their physical play, and if they do, then that’s the first sign that Jim Caldwell is Barry Switzer to Tony Dungy’s Jimmy Johnson. Manning will spend a lot of time on his back and Colts fans will have to hope their season doesn’t really end with another Curtis Painter fumble. Pick: Ravens
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
When an embattled head coach gets a gift season from an aging veteran, its usually a movie. When that veteran thinks the head coach is an idiot and openly squabbles with him in the press, its Brett Farve. Who believes everything is hunky-dorie in the Land of 1,000 Lakes? Based on the way this team played down the stretch, they are relying on the 40-year-old Farve to keep the magic happening. Isn’t that a bit much to ask? (Apparently not for the Cardinals, but I digress…)Especially when the Vikings have one of the top 3 running backs in football. The Cowboys are playing their best football all year and have loads of talent everywhere on the field. (But I can’t help shake the thought of a gut-wrenching, epic failure play being the story of the weekend for Tony Romo…again.) This is a close one that will go back and forth and be decided on the final possession. Pick: Cowboys
New York Jets at San Diego Chargers
[adinserter block=”2″]The Chargers have radios. They have the internet. (At least Shawne Merriman has Twitter. I know that.) They know that people are talking about the Jets coming in there and beating them. That the J-E-T-S have this lauded defense. That head coach Rex Ryan said they should be the favorites not to just win last week, but for the entire tournament. The Jets got a nice win over the weakest of the 12 teams in the playoffs. Congrats! But the Chargers are quite different. The Chargers are on a 11-game winning streak. The Chargers scored the most points in the AFC this year. And the Chargers play in one of he most beautiful places on Earth! How could they not be confident? Answer: they are coached by Norv Turner. But other than that, the Chargers are the better team. And the better team wins here. By a lot. Pick: Chargers
– “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause
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This week TheCoach has the Cardinals in a close battle… the reason being is because the Saints simply screwed themselves by benching starters in the last week of the season… They haven’t won a game in a month now with the BYE and haven’t won’t a meaningful game since the Patriots or looked good winning in the process. I don’t trust the way the Saints decided to finished off the season and even if they do win… no way they cover the touchdown spread…
Indy on the other hand can win this game, it once again will be closer than the touchdown spread predicts though. Baltimore is playing great smash-mouth football but I am concerned at the fact they are playing Peyton Manning who can single handily win a game as we have seen many times.
Minnesota played out the season and of course we all know what happened, they stomped the Giants 44-7 (who beat Dallas twice this season) but lets be realistic in the fact that Dallas is playing the best football since 1996 but Romo is finally playing football since ditching Jessica Simpson. Good move for his stats!
Last but not least, I know everyone is saying the Chargers are going to kill the Jets, but again, Vegas is giving to many points here (7.5). The Jets match up so well against the Chargers, Revis blanket whoever he wants, and they stop the run while running the ball against a Chargers team who other than week 17 when they played the Redskins, gave up 100+ on the ground to 6 straight opponents to finish off the season.
Also, to finish off since 2005, seven teams have won round one on the round and they are 7-0 against the spread in the 2nd round (take Baltimore and New York)
For a full in depth write up with TheCoach Prediction visit:
http://www.lionsdenu.com/category/sports/nfl-guid…
Best of luck to all this week…
Regards,
TheCoach