NFL Playoffs 2011: Wildcard Weekend

The 2011 NFL season is completed and it is on to the playoffs! Listed below are the seeds for the AFC and NFC along with my predictions for Wildcard Weekend.

AFC

1. New England(13-3)
2. Baltimore(12-4)
3. Houston(10-6)
4. Denver(8-8)
5. Pittsburgh(12-4)
6. Cincinnati(9-7)

NFC

1. Green Bay(15-1)
2. San Francisco(13-3)
3. New Orleans(13-3)
4. NY Giants(9-7)
5. Atlanta(10-6)
6. Detroit(10-6)

Wildcard Weekend

Saturday's Games

Cincinnati(9-7) @ Houston(10-6)

Andy Dalton has led the Bengals to the playoffs

The Bengals end up getting in to this year's postseason by teams losing out; the Jets, the Raiders and the Broncos. Cincy dropped their final game against Baltimore but it didn't matter as they got in with the Wildcard. They have to go on the road to play a banged up Houston Texans team that may not have Matt Schaub. So the Texans will have to rely on quarterback TJ Yates, whose first game this season was a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Texans are the AFC South Division winners but I see them coming into this game pretty weak. Though the Bengals end the regular season with a loss, I think rookie QB Andy Dalton can get it done on the road and lead Cincy past the first round.

Bengals 24-21

Detroit(10-6) @ New Orleans(13-3)

Drew Brees has had a great year, will it end with a Super Bowl?

The Saints are HOT right now. They won the NFC South and are on an 8 game winning streak, which includes a 31-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. Drew Brees is playing his best football as he and his offense sport the best passing team in the league. In the last three games, the Saints have scored over 40 points in each of those games. Then we have the Detroit Lions. A very fast and scary offense led by Matthew Stafford and accompanied by probably the best WR in the NFL, Calvin Johnson. They ended their regular season in a shoot out losing to the Packers but the Lions are not a team to take lightly. I don't expect the Saints to dominate the Lions like they did in Week 13, though it is entirely possible, but I expect both offenses to score. But in the end, the home team Saints with get the W and Drew Brees will continue their march toward a Super Bowl.

Saints 28-24

Sunday's Games

Pittsburgh(12-4) @ Denver(8-8)

Will "Tebow Time" be enough to beat the 12-4 Steelers?

How do we define the AFC West winners; The Denver Broncos? Lets see. They lost three straight at the end of the season. They won the division because the Raiders lost to the Chargers. They are an 8-8 team. They sport the top rushing attack in the NFL along with one of the worse passing attacks. And their quarterback is Tim Tebow whose magic seems to have run dry this season. The Broncos get to host the Steelers. The 12-4 Steelers. One of the best defenses in the AFC Steelers. Do the Broncos even have a prayer in this game? Honestly? The only way I can see them winning is by keeping the game with a few points and maybe “Tebow Time” can save them in the last 5 minutes of the game. But I doubt it. I expect it to be a very defensive game and low scoring, but Big Ben and the Steelers will be triumphant.

Steelers 17-7

Atlanta(10-6) @ NY Giants(9-7)

The Giants defense seems to be in the zone right now

Holy shit, the Giants look scary. That defense against the Cowboys was relentless and the Manning-Cruz combination is fierce. BUT, will the momentum last? The Atlanta Falcons are no push overs. Matt Ryan along with Michael Turner have a very balanced offense that can grind you out or score quickly. This could be the best game this weekend. It will be chess match to see which offense can make the opposing defense blink first. Eli Manning has been on fire and Victor Cruz is a ridiculously good wide receiver. Will the Falcons be able to contain them? I expect a great battle and the team that plays the best defense will win in the end. And I think it will be the Giants. Their defensive line is starting to peak and will be a massive chore and hassle to prevent them from getting the quarterback. Pierre-Paul, Tuck and Umenyora will be too much for the Falcons O-Line and will be the difference in this game.

Giants 21-17