With one half of my analysis already complete, it's time to look at the NFC side of the playoff tree. One matchup is a divisional rivalry while the other is a playoff matchup that seems to show up pretty often as of late.
#6 - Minnesota Vikings @ #3 - Green Bay Packers
Saturday, January 5th, 8:00pm EST
While the Packers are two years removed from their last Super Bowl, Aaron Rodgers has become the quiet talk of the league for best quarterback. He's led the team to a 9-2 record down the stretch, and is one of the best players in football. The only problem is that he hasn't won a home playoff game, despite winning 3 on the road. He's ultimately the one that has to play well if the Packers have any hope of winning. The Green Bay defense has not been kind over the past two seasons, especially last year when they got humiliated by the Giants at home in the divisional round of the Playoffs. It also doesn't help that the Packers have allowed 400+ rushing yards to Adrian Peterson this year, who is facing them again on Saturday. But the Packers have the home field advantage here and the Vikings quarterback is ultimately a suit, someone who really shouldn't be in the League anyway. Despite the Packers not taking him seriously on Sunday, rest assured they will see him as a threat this Saturday.
The Vikings are led by Adrian Peterson, who 12 months ago broke the two major bones in his leg, and was expected to miss this entire season due to that injury. But he's come back in stride to lead the NFL in rushing yards, and got his team to the playoffs almost all by himself. Why you ask? Like I mentioned before, Christian Ponder, the Vikings QB, is pretty bad. He's unreliable, mistake prone and plays poorly under pressure. The Vikings defense is good, but they ultimately flounder on the road, particularly in cold weather. It's not impossible for the Vikings to win this Saturday, as they've played the Packers well for the past 4-5 seasons. But in order to win this time around, they'll have to get a perfect game out of their defense, an average game out of Ponder and a great game out of Peterson in order to do it.
Prediction: Green Bay - 20, Minnesota - 10
#5 - Seattle Seahawks @ #4 - Washington Redskins
Sunday, January 6th, 4:30pm EST
The Washington Redskins are the team everyone loves to pile on when the chips are down. In no large part thanks to their owner, his offseason moves, and the way the team has found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, the Washington Redskins for the last decade have embodied Washington sports teams like no other. They couldn't catch a break, even if they tried. But this year, they got two. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris. While RG3 was drafted #2 in the NFL draft after the Redskins traded two draft picks for him, the Redskins drafted Morris out of Florida Atlantic in the sixth round. The results for Washington, while starting out slow and Redskins-esque, has flourished over the the past seven weeks, where the team hasn't lost. The Redskins have closed games out when they should have. They made plays on both sides of the ball when it was necessary and they caught breaks. But in the back of everyone's minds is 'can they keep this up?' Even in my mind, where the worst is always at the top, I can't help but think good things right now.
The Seattle Seahawks are the talk of the NFL, at least if you listen to the news. Russel Wilson is a media darling, and their defense is stout. Having scored 40+ points in 3 consecutive weeks, including a game over division rival San Francisco, the Seahawks are a buzz like no other. It partially started due to the replacement referees' help during Week 3 against the Packers, but since then they have some legitimate wins. But those wins, particularly over New England and San Francisco were at home, where they were undefeated. On the road, Seattle is 3-5, a place where they have struggled for a long time. Considering their jekyl and hyde type play for home and away games, I question whether or not Seattle will play well going from Seattle to Washington, with a rookie QB, against a team that many are overlooking, despite having the longest winning streak in the league. While Seattle and Washington have played in the playoffs the last two times the Redskins have made it, those games were in Seattle, and they were close. Even though there's different personnel now, certain teams know how to play each other for years, and I think this one is no different.
Prediction: Washington - 23, Seattle - 13
That's it for my predictions this week. Have a good wild card weekend!
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