Weekend Predictions

Well, it is that time of year again. Better than Christmas but less understood by my wife. The fantastical NFL playoffs! {da-da-da-da-da-daaaaah}. And is it time for this prognosticator to let you know where to put your hard earned cash with your friends and why.

In italics are the Vegas odds and bolded at the end of each analysis my predicted final score. Good luck. Bet small.

Indianapolis at Baltimore -4:

Sure as the sun will rise in the east and Madden will fawn over crybaby Brett Favre, the Indianapolis Colts will take a page out of a first time whore's playbook and choke on the big one. They almost were able to do it last week against the dreaded Kansas City Chiefs who learned that it is hard to run the football and pat yourself on the back at the same time. Baltimore's defense is tenacious and it will shut down Joseph Addai and the Colts' running game. That puts us right where we are every year at this time. The Colts relying on the arm of Peyton Manning. And although an awesome arm, it does not seem to be a clutch arm. Not in the post season. They will have their chances to win (they always do) but they won't (they never do.

Indianapolis 21 Baltimore 31

Philadelphia at New Orleans -5:

This could be the hardest game to call yet it will not be the closest. Someone will get trounced and I am unsure who. New Orleans is playing in a very excited Superdome at the end of an amazing season. Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in the midst of a career year. Reggie Bush is a rookie phenom with moves that would make Michael Jackson cry like he just found out the kid was 18. They are explosive and deadly. Philly on the otherhand is a slow and steady churner. Garcia makes few mistakes and Westbrook is the best rounded player in the NFL. Donte Stallworth is back at his "home" stadium to show his (ex)fans what they have lost. I would have picked Philly until last week. With the loss of Lito Sheppard to a dislocated elbow I don't see how Brees can be stopped.

Philadelphia 10 New Orleans 34

Seattle at Chicago -9:

It is said that there are two kind of people in this world. Those that think everything is divided into two (black and white, good and bad, etc.) and those that don't. In Chicago, we too have a bipolar problem, Good Rex and Bad Rex. Which will show up? Grossman has the most games in the NFL this year with a QB rating over 140 (7) and the most under 40 (5). Which one will show up in Soldier Field on Sunday? It doesn't matter. Seatlel is a beaten up weak team with no secondary and a QB and RB that are far less than 100%. The Bears defense just got back a secondary that has been sorely missing for a few weeks now. The Bears defense could win this one alone. But they will not have to. I predict a good Rex this week. A Rex so good that the papers will scream how a Superbowl bid is all but done. It will make the future hurt just a litle more. But not this weekend. This weekend the Bears win.

Seattle 10 Chicago 21

New England at San Diego -4 1/2:

The game of the week. Roll the dice and call me Nathan Detroit. this one needs some thought. LaDanian Tomlinson is the most prolific runner of the year. Tom Brady belongs in Yellowstone he is so reliable. Both defenses have stregths and weaknesses and both offenses have some question marks. I think I need to go with experience. A hunch but Brady likes these kind of games and I do not know about Phillip Rivers. A rookie cannot keep up. If it gets away from the running the Chargers are sunk. But will it?

New England 24 Dan Diego 17