NFL PLAYOFFS ROUND 1 (WILD CARD WEEKEND)

STRAIGHT PICK-EM

SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#5.CLEVELAND BROWNS (11-6) AT #4.HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7)

The Browns and Texans did meet not too long ago in Houston in week 16. it was a Cleveland win. CJ Stroud did not play in that game and Texans scored 22 points. The Browns have one of the best defensive units in the league. On the road, the Browns defensive allows more points. Joe Flacco is back in the playoffs at the age of 38. Flacco coming in has thrown 4 straight 300 yard games as he picked apart this Texans defense for 36 points in their own backyard. Flacco is 10-5 as a starter including the Superbowl he won with the Ravens. Stroud is definitely going to be rookie of the year from his play on the field in his first year in the NFL. Stroud, with his play making abilities, can do things off the fly & could be the X-factor in this game. My concern is Houston being able to get pressure on Flacco. Stroud will be taking on a fierce pass rush by the Browns and playing in his first playoff game ever is Myle Garrett who is a Texas native. Watch him have a big game. When Stroud takes 4 sacks or more in a single game, the Texans are 1-4 in those contests. Stroud seems to struggle with defensive schemes Cleveland has on quarterbacks playing more man-to-man. I see this being a close game. In the end, Browns get out Houston barely.

OUR PICK BROWNS

AFC

#6.MIAMI DOLPHINS (11-6) AT #3. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-6)

The classic warmer weather team is coming to the colder weather team’s house during winter. No palm trees in Kansas City. Tyreek Hill is making his first homecoming in another uniform. I hope he packed his long johns. The Chiefs and Dolphins met in week 9 in Germany, which was a 21-14 final that went Kansas City’s way. The Dolphins are 4-4 on the road this season. The Chiefs offense has struggled and are not the same unit that could run up the score board on you. The Dolphins would win in a shoot out. The Chiefs defense is the X-factor in this as they stopped Hill in Germany. If it was not for the Chiefs defense, Kansas City may be at home. This may be the coldest game at kick off to happen all-time. It will be 40 below 0 at kickoff with gusty chilling winds that could take the life out of you. The Dolphins come in banged up on their defense, especially their edge rushers. The Dolphins were missing some of their play makers last week. I can’t see a warm weather team like Miami going into Arrowhead, one of the toughest places to win on a sunny day, and winning. Last 20 years, Miami has a record of 8-19 in games when temperatures are below 40 degrees. The Dolphins have lost their last ten games when temperatures are below 40. My final thought is the Dolphins also have a tough time beating winning teams this season. Mahomes will get the job done with him using his legs and the Chiefs running game in general will be enough.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

SUNDAY GAMES

AFC

#7.PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) AT #2. BUFFALO BILLS (11-6)

The Steelers and the Bills have been two of the hotter teams coming into the post-season play. Buffalo will welcome the Steelers with lots of snow expected in the forecast. Can back up quarterback Mason Rudolph deliver? As being the reason why the Steelers are where they are filling in the last three games. Bills were 6-6 and things did not look good for them several weeks ago with a difficult schedule in front of them. The Bills have rallied back and were able to seize the number two spot in the playoffs beating the Dolphins on the very last game of the season. The Steeler defense will be without their super star defensive end, TJ Watt, who was the heat of the Pittsburgh defense. In bad weather, the Steelers will have to rely heavily on the running game. For the Bills, they have shown during their winning streak they can run the ball and Josh Allen gives the team another threat with his legs. Allen is 3-1 versus the Steelers career-wise. The Steelers defense with Watt on the field has not been what they were earlier this season. The Bills defense has been rock solid & even dealing with injuries all year, they have found ways to halt opposing offenses in their tracks. I don’t see this game going like the Bills in the snow last year versus the Bengals. The home field advantage will get this Bills team fire and they will be able to deliver the knock out blow to this Steelers team.

OUR PICK: BILLS 

NFC

#7.GREEN BAY PACKERS(9-8) AT #2.DALLAS COWBOYS (12-5)

The Green Bay Packers come into the NFC post-season winning three games in a row. The Cowboys finished the season strong despite hitting a bumpy road in their schedule. The Cowboys head coach may have some revenge on his mind facing his old team he coached for the second time. The Packers won that first match up as the Cowboys blew a late lead last season. McCarthy could get his revenge game. The Cowboys have played almost perfectly at home this season. Love has been on a tear throwing touchdown passes and having multiple games, he has not thrown a interception. All the pressure is on the Cowboys as they face the youngest team in the NFL. The Packers got into post-season beating the Bears in their final game to get the final wild card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys should be exploiting a bad Packers secondary which is the key for the Cowboys victory. The Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb combination will be very hard for the Packers to stop. The Cowboys defense will find the right pressure on Love to throw his game out of whack and force a few unwanted turnovers. I like the Cowboys in this one in a close game most of the way as Dallas puts this away in the 4th quarter.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

NFC

#6.LA RAMS (10-7) AT #3.DETROIT LIONS #(12-5)

The Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford, will be playing his first game in Detroit since he was traded to LA. That means the quarterback that the Rams did not want anymore, Jared Goff, will face his old team for the first time. Who has a bigger bone to pick out of the two quarterbacks? Stafford in his 12 years in Detroit, the Lions never hosted a playoff game. The Lions, after that trade, dug themselves out of the bottom of the barrel of bad teams in the NFL. The Rams come in this one the hotter team as Stafford is on fire and will not want to lose. Meanwhile the Lions have struggled late this season despite winning the NFC North and getting a home playoff game for the first time since the 1990’s. Dan Campbell has done well with this Detroit team, but on the other side the Rams have one of best head coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay. The Rams playoff experience is a big factor in this one. The Lions defense has not played well in the second half and is a concerning problem which Stafford can exploit and ruin this historical moment for the Lions. Goff has a chip on his shoulder which will make this one interesting. The Rams prevail at the end.

OUR PICK: RAMS

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NFC

#5.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-8)

This game can go either way is my feeling. The Eagles the last few weeks look awful. Can they turn on the playoff switch? The Buccaneers in their last game versus a bad Panthers team scored three field goals and they won it 9-0. The Buccaneers did not look good the week before playing the Saints. This is kind of two teams backing into the playoffs. The Eagles were 10-1 at one point looking like one of the top seeds in the NFC until the rug was pulled under them. The Buccaneers had a hot streak going until the Saints burst their bubble. The Eagles represented the NFC in last year’s Superbowl. Many thought whomever won the NFC South would come in & have no problem with their division winner. Now this match up is a head scratcher. I like the Buccaneers veteran defense because they have played well. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans are a deadly combination to contain. I can see the Eagles playing that Rocky card underdog mentality and finding a way to turn the tables and flip the script. Buccaneers have been too up and down. The Eagles team has a tale of two halves going. I like Hurts playing out his mind over Mayfield as Eagles look to play the part of their old selves. At least for one week and show the football world they are still flying after the first round of the playoffs is in the books.

OUR PICK: EAGLES