The NFL playoffs are upon us with the first kickoff of Wild Card Weekend just hours away. Before you sit down to watch the exciting matchups that will take place over the next two days, take a look at which teams the BLS Panel think will advance to next weekend.
Saturday Games
1. Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – 4:30 PM ET
The Match-Up: When these two teams met in the regular season, the Texans edged out a win by only one point, so expect this game to be close once again. Big passing plays could be scare in this matchup between teams led by rookie quarterbacks Andy Dalton and T.J. Yates. Therefore, both teams will turn to the run more often, which favors the Texans offensively and defensively. Offensively, the Texans, led by running back Arian Foster, are second in the league in rushing yards per game with an average of 153 yards per game. On the defensive side, the team has improved greatly all around and is especially strong against the run. Furthermore, while both quarterbacks are banged-up, there are more questions surrounding the health of Andy Dalton. Finally, Houston is in its first playoff game in franchise history, so expect Reliant Stadium to be rocking.
Chris- Houston Texans with run defense and the home field advantage.
Bob- Houston Texans grind out a win against a banged-up, unproven Andy Dalton.
2. Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – 8:00 PM ET
The Match-Up: The Detroit Lions have been a surprise team this season fighting hard (sometimes too hard) on defensive and airing the ball out on offensive. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown for 41 touchdowns and wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been on the receiving end of 16 of them. With all that being said, I think the team is not good enough yet to take down the New Orleans Saints. The Saints can put pressure on the quarterback Matthew Stafford and can double team Calvin Johnson. Quite simply, Drew Brees, who has had a record-breaking season, knows how to win in the playoffs. Even without wide receiver Lance Moore, the Saints will be able to put up points and send the Lions home early.
Chris- New Orleans Saints win, led by a veteran quarterback and coaching staff.
Bob- New Orleans Saints win in a close, high scoring affair.
Sunday Games
1. Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants 1:00 PM ET
The Match-Up: This is an interesting matchup, as neither team has been consistent all season. Eli Manning and Matt Ryan have similar numbers, each throwing for 29 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards on the season. The Giants won a mediocre division in the last game of the season while the Falcons haven’t beaten a playoff-caliber team since October 23rd. The one clear advantage the Falcons have is the ability to run the football with running back Michael Turner. However, the defensive line for the Giants has been strong and will be able to get pressure on Matt Ryan while containing the run. Eli Manning and the Giants have shown the ability to hang with top-tier teams such as the Packers and Patriots. Therefore, while the game could go either way, I think the Giants may have put it together just in time to advance past this weekend.
Chris- New York Giants seem to have put it together at the right time.
Bob- New York Giants are more playoff proven and have the defensive line to win.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos – 4:30 PM ET
Tim Tebow has proven many people wrong over this season, but against a top-tier defense, I do not think he is a good enough quarterback to make up for the lack of offensive weapons around him. The Steelers are banged up and with Rashard Mendenhall out for the remainder of the playoffs and Ben Roethlisberger playing with a sprained right ankle, the Broncos may be able to contain the Steelers’ offense. While this is promising for the Broncos, the problem is that the Broncos do not score a lot either. Therefore, the Steelers will not need to score many points to win the game. So while the legend of Tim Tebow has the potential to grow if the Broncos can take down the Steelers, I just don’t see it happening.
Chris- Pittsburgh Steelers are too good defensively and can score enough points.
Bob- Pittsburgh Steelers, even without Mendenhall in the lineup, and Denver won’t score more than 10 points.
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