NFL Divisional Weekend Predictions

Predictable wild-card weekend. Every road teams wins except... the Seattle Seahawks?! Can't complain, though. Even with that, I still managed to go 3-1. I prefer to post these predictions as late as possible so I can have every single fact & detail before kickoff but let's be honest here... I'm celebrating my birthday this weekend & the level of intoxication I figure to be a part of will surely prevent me from making any rational decisions (and I'm not just talking football-wise, either). So here's a lil early preview to whet your appetites before the big games.

(Home team in CAPS)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS over Baltimore Ravens
What's this... I picked a home team?! WTF! This one should be punishing, as well as delightful! Ray Lewis, T-Sizzle, Big Ben, Hines Ward... the cast of characters in this one is endless. These AFC North rivals split their two previous match-ups this year, each winning on the road. Since this game appears to be so even, I looked at their overall and home/road splits to see if I could take anything from there. This only left me more confused. Both teams went 12-4 with the Ravens going 5-3 on the road & the Steelers going 5-3 at home. So much for any advantage there.

To say these teams are battle-tested is an understatement. Joe Flacco has an impressive four road playoff wins already in his young career & in most cases, that experience gives him the upper hand. However, Big Ben has a lil something we like to call super bowl rings. Two of them, actually. Both teams are notorious for having tough defenses but while Pittsburgh stayed elite, Baltimore took a step (albeit a small step) back this year. They only ranked 21st in opposing passing yards. Hell, even Ryan Fitzpatrick lit them up through the air in week 7. I don't like the Baltimore secondary's chances against Ward & especially speedster Mike Wallace. Gimme Pitt in a squeaker.

Green Bay Packers over ATLANTA FALCONS
I told you last week that if the Pack beat the Eagles that I'd ride them to the Super Bowl & that's exactly what I intend to do. This seems like it'll be their toughest test before they get there & it's a shame this game isn't the NFC Championship game instead. If there's something that makes me hesitant about this decision, it's that Atlanta was 7-1 at home this year. But that's not all, folks. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is a staggering 20-2 at the Georgia Dome in his career. 20-2! And let me tell you something, he's not the only one that loves some dome! Yes, I was referring to myself. These teams met in week 12 in the aforementioned dome & the Falcons won by 3 on a last-second FG by Matt Bryant.

So why the Packers? Truthfully, it's a gut feeling. If you need some supporting evidence, though, just take a glance at their last three games. Victories over the Giants, Bears & Eagles. All must-win games, all tough opponents. Their biggest weakness heading into last week's showdown seemed to be their running game. That is until James Starks became a man. While Atlanta is solid against the run (10th in opposing rushing yards), they can be beat through the air. We already know the weapons GB has at it's disposal. It's just not the big names either, as Greg Jennings & Donald Driver weren't on the receiving end of any of Rodgers' three TD's last week. They just seem to be peaking at the right time.

CHICAGO BEARS over Seattle Seahawks
Not only does Seattle have to be feeling great after their trashing of the defending champs last week but they also draw the weakest of the NFC teams left. The Bears were 5-3 at home this year but one of those losses came against the Seahwaks in week 6. That also equaled half of Seattle's wins on the road this year, as they went a putrid 2-6 away from home. Now seems like a good time to mention that even with last week's win vs. the Saints, the Seahawks are STILL not .500.

I took a look at these teams closely to try to find anything that they do great (at least on a consistent level). You know what I found? ONE thing. And unfortunatly for Marshawn Lynch, it's the Chicago run defense. They ranked 2nd in the NFL this year, allowing an anemic 90 yards a game, meaning it's gonna be up to Matt Hasselback to continue the magic he had last week if Seattle has a chance. Not saying I have supreme faith in Jay Cutler as he's more than capable of throwing more touchdowns to the opposition than his own teammates. But I just can't see Matty doing it two weeks in a row, especially since he's on the road.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS over New York Jets
You know what a rivalry is? It's when someone on one team says fuck the guy on the other team, and that's exactly what Antonio Cromartie said about Tom Brady this week. Rex Ryan added to the verbal barrage with his own tough talk. Anybody care to remind me what the score was the last time the Jets went to Foxboro? Oh yeah, it was 45-3. The Jets did hand the Pats one of their two losses this year but that was all the way back in week 2. I'm sure the Jets are still having nightmares about the week 13 massacre. They weren't alone in that regard. The Pats beat everyone that stepped in their domain, going a perfect 8-0 at home this year.

It's hard to see a glaring weakness in a 14-2 team but if there is one for New England, it's their young secondary. True, they played better as the season went on but they were still the 3rd worst unit in terms of passing yards allowed. Fortunatly for them, they're not playing a great passing offense. Mark Sanchez is adequate, at best. In the Indy game, he looked awful until that last drive where he finally looked like an NFL QB. To beat New England in Foxboro, you have to be nearly flawless because they don't turn the ball over. Brady has thrown an NFL-record 335 passes without an interception. Sanchez is bound to cough the ball up at some point & when he does, Brady's going to make him pay.

And that's all I got. With the way things have gone this season, if I finish the weekend over .500, I'll consider it a huge accomplishment. 7-1 would be nice, too.