The guru is back to bless you bastards w/ some more football wisdom! If you recall, last year when I started my blog, I predicted the outcome of the NFL playoffs and boy did I do it successfully! We start w/ wild card weekend, typically the hardest week to predict because the teams involved all have glaring weaknesses. I'll start w/ the games that begin shortly & I'll be back tomorrow to recap the rest.
Last year, I went 3-1 in these games. I'm aiming for nothing less than perfection.
(Home team in CAPS)
Bengals over TEXANS
You have to admire the Texans. Notoriously known for choking season after season despite having a talented roster, they took full advantage of the Colts' Peyton-less collapse by winning their division convincingly. However, they're entering the playoffs exactly the way you do NOT want to be in there. They are already minus their starting QB (Matt Schaub), back-up QB (Matt Leinart) & best defensive player (Mario Williams). Their 3rd-string QB, rookie TJ Yates, has filled in admirably but he's dinged up, too. And since I mentioned the pathetic Colts before, now is a good time to add that one of the two Colts wins came in week 16 against Houston. Yikes.
Cincy, on the other hand, overachieved like a mah'fucka. Nobody expected much from them after losing lockdown corner Jonathan Joseph (to Houston, of all places) & handing over the offense to rookie QB Andy Dalton. However, Dalton lived up to his 'Red Rifle' nickname by forming great chemistry w/ fellow rookie AJ Green. The Bengals also benefitted from playing in the AFC North that featured fellow playoff juggernauts Pittsburgh & Baltimore. While they lost all four games against those teams, the war scars will pay off this weekend against a struggling Houston team.
NEW ORLEANS over Detroit
Well, this should be fun. While Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers & Tom Brady have stolen the headlines QB-wise, Matthew Stafford quietly put together a 5,000 yard season. As surprising as it is, the more important thing is that Stafford, who had been limited in his previous two seasons due to injuries, played the entire season. Having Stafford at the helm takes full advantage of Calvin Johnson's skill set as he established himself as the most dangerous WR in the league. Detroit should have no problem putting up points on New Orleans' sub-par pass defense.
The problem is, can Detroit stop New Orleans aerial assault? The answer, simply, is no. Nobody has had any luck w/ that, especially recently as Brees established an NFL record for passing yards in a season. The weapons at the Saints' disposal are ridiculous. Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles & Lance Moore present mismatches all over the field. Eventually, the Saints are going to have to win a game that isn't a shoot-out. This week won't be that week.
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