FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD: (183-89)

Our record in the NFL regular season does not mean anything and is thrown out the window when it comes to the post-season. Now we dive into the first round of the playoffs and we dissect each match up the best we can. We have predictions for each match up. We hope the Kansas City Chiefs get ousted and do not make the Superbowl. That is my first goal. Which many of you have the same opinion. We do not want to see that meathead Travis Kelce rejoicing with multiple Taylor Swift showings in a Superbowl win. The Chiefs and Lions have that first round bye. Next week we hope we have a prediction to axe the Chiefs out of the tournament. My second goal is to try to make the right prediction on each match up in front of me. These match ups are intense because many of these games can go either way. These are my wild card picks. All games are straight Pick-Em and nothing to do with the spread. Hope we knock each match up out of the park.

NFL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND STRAIGHT PICK-EM

SATURDAY GAMES

AFC

#5.LA CHARGERS (11-6) AT #4.HOUSTON TEXANS (10-7)

NO PLAYOFF HISTORY

It seems like the Houston Texans have locked down the first game of the post-season that is always scheduled on Saturday afternoon. Jim Harbaugh looks to become the second head coach in NFL history to win a playoff game in his first season with two different teams.

C.J Stroud is (1-1) in post-season with both games coming last season. Justin Herbert is (0-1) all time in post-season. He started that game where the Chargers blew a 27 point half time lead to the Jaguars.

The Texans were the experts’ sexy pick going into the regular season with the belief that they would go deep into the post-season. The Chargers lost many players in the off-season and it looked more like a rebuilding year for them. Jim Harbaugh has a lucky horseshoe up his rear because he can turn around a franchise quickly and he did. Many did not expect the Chargers to make it to post-season. Justin Herbert has thrown the least amount of interceptions. He goes against the defense that have the most interceptions this past season. Chargers have been rolling while the Texans have been stumbling most of the second half of regular season. CJ Stroud is struggling with two of his top receivers done for the season in Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs. The Chargers offense can eat up the clock with a well-balanced attack by Harbaugh. The Chargers pass rush will cause Stroud some problems. From the eye test, the Texans have not been good while the Chargers have played solid football for several weeks now. The Texans are just off to me. They are going through the motions and are not the same team that beat the Browns in the first round of post-season last year. I like Herbert taking care of the football and milking away the clock to a mistake-free game by LA.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

AFC

#6.PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7) AT #3.BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Steelers (3-1) Ravens

These two division rivals, the Steelers and Ravens, will meet for the 3rd time this season. They split the regular season series (1-1).

Russell Wilson is (9-7) all-time in the post-season. All of those games for Wilson came wearing a Seahawks uniform. Then Lamar Jackson who is (2-4) all time in post-season. Jackson went (1-1) in post-season last year.

Lamar Jackson slayed the Steelers dragon in the last meeting when these two teams faced off. The Ravens gave the Steelers a good solid beat down. The Steelers have struggled down the stretch as they are on a 4 game losing streak. For Jackson, the Steelers are the only team all-time in the division he has a losing record to, as he is only (3-5) all-time. The Steelers will be looking to insert their back up QB in certain situations and see if Justin Fields can provide an offensive spark. The Steelers offense need a jump start because the Wilson battery has run dry. The Steelers defense played well versus a top offense in the league last week holding Joe Burrow’s Bengals to 19. The Steelers only scored 17. The Ravens have put up a ton of points and their defense has gotten better. The Ravens defense is nowhere near what they were last season in post-season. One of the top units in the league. Mike Tomlin Steelers have lost their last 5 playoffs games as they’ve been one and done. I see it happening again. The Steelers will use Derrick Henry and Jackson’s legs to eventually wear out a Steelers defense that will show up and play well. The question is: Where’s the Beef in the Steelers offense? Fields is not the answer.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

SUNDAY GAMES

AFC

#7.DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) AT #2.BUFFALO BILLS (13-4)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: BILLS (1-0) BRONCOS

Last Sunday the Broncos needed to win to get in. They did it at home versus the Chiefs and blew them out (38-0). The Chiefs rested 10 of their starters. The Bills rested many of their starters in a loss to the Patriots in New England.

The rookie quarterback for the Broncos, Bo Nix, will make his first career playoff start. The Bills’ Josh Allen has started 10 playoff games where he is (5-5) all-time.

The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL this season. The Bills have one of the best offenses in the league. Can Bo Nix thrive on the road in a very hard place to win in Buffalo? The Broncos will have to take advantage of the Bills’ 3rd down defense which is the worst in this post-season tournament. Last year Sean Payton came into Buffalo with Russell Wilson and beat the Bills in a regular season game. The Bills are a different animal than that team. You can not pin down one guy on this Bills offense. The Bills offense line is solid and Allen can make plays on the run which can cripple even the best of the best defenses in the league. Bills are (8-0) at home this season. They are (4-1) under Allen in the wild card round. The Bills will be healthier on defense, which they will need. I think the Broncos will play well. The Bills have done well against rookie QB’s. The Broncos have struggled winning games against teams with a winning record. The Bills Mafia behind you in this one will not help this Broncos team. Bills prevail in the second half and put the Broncos away late third quarter.

OUR PICK: BILLS

NFC

#7.GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-6) AT #2.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (14-3)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Eagles (2-1) Packers

The Packers lost to the Eagles during the regular season. Jalen Hurts will be back for this game as he missed the last few games from a concussion. The Packers have a concern with Jordan Love’s elbow which he hurt playing the Bears in the final game of the season.

Jordan Love is (1-1) as a starter in post-season. Jalen Hurts had the Eagles in the Superbowl a few seasons ago and has a (2-3) playoff record as a starter.

Can Jordan Love have a short memory mentally and not relive the injury he suffered when the Packers played this same Eagles team in Brazil? Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns in that game versus the Packers. Barkley has three straight games versus the Packers where he has tallied at least 100 or more scrimmage yards in those contests. The Packers are still one of the youngest teams in the NFL. So, can they pull out an upset in this one? Josh Jacobs has been unstoppable in recent weeks and did not play the full game versus the Bears. He did not leave the game with an injury. I have some concern over Love’s elbow injury. I think the Eagles defense can contain Jacobs from not having a huge game. The Packers have not done well record-wise against teams with winning records this season. They have given these teams battles but have fallen short. This is a game where you think the Packers can pull off the upset. I feel Jalen Hurts will respond with a nice game and use Barkley to do most of the heavy lifting. Love makes mistakes and he will throw 1 or 2 interceptions that the Eagles will cash in on. Then eventually Philadelphia will prevail at home which is a tough place to win.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

NFC

#6.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (12-5) AT #3.TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (10-7)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Buccaneers (2-1) Redskins

Jayden Daniels should be a lock for rookie of the year for the Commanders. The Buccaneers beat the Commanders and ruined the debut of Daniels’ first start in the NFL in the first week of the season.

This will be the first ever playoff start for the rookie Jayden Daniels who guided the Commanders to post-season in his very first season in the NFL. For Baker Mayfield, this will be his 5th start in the post-season. He is (2-2) all-time in post-season. Mayfield beat the Eagles last season & then lost to the Lions in the divisional game.

This game has the signs to be an old fashioned shoot out between the Commanders and the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers offense ranks number (4) in the NFL scoring 29.5 (PPG) points per game. The Commanders ranked number 5 in points per game in the NFL with 28.5 PPG. Who has the better defense? The Buccaneers defense since the bye in week 11 have allowed only 17 PPG. The Buccaneers defense are (6-1) down the stretch of the season. They have allowed only 3.3 in the second half of that stretch. Meanwhile the Commanders defense is better versus the pass than the run. The Commanders rank number 30 against the run this season in the NFL. This should be good for Buck Irving who is probably licking his chops because when he reached the 80 mark in yards on the ground, the Buccaneers are (6-0) in that 7 game stretch to end the season. The Commanders have had some magical comebacks in the last few weeks. Besides the Hail Mary play by Daniels versus the Bears, he had a nice drive to put the Eagles on ice a few weeks back. It may be who has the ball last is the team that wins this score fest. The Buccaneers still have many holdovers from that Tom Brady led team a few years back. The Commanders lack the post-season experience as the Buccaneers have did this and done that. I like Mayfield to stay red hot. I think Daniels makes a great impression in his first ever start in the NFL. The Commanders fall short. Perhaps like a field goal short.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

MONDAY NIGHT

NFC

#5.MINNESOTA VIKINGS (14-3) AT #4.LA RAMS (10-7)

PLAYOFF HISTORY: RAMS 5-2 VIKINGS

This game will be played at Arizona, home of the Cardinals, who are on the couch watching the post-season. They moved the game due to the LA wildfires that are creating havoc on the west coast.

Matthew Stafford has won a Superbowl and is (4-4) all-time in post-season play. Then you have Sam Darnold who has never started a playoff game in his NFL career. Darnold has played in one playoff game as a 49er in a mop up role.

The Vikings were brought back down to Earth last week on Sunday night versus the Lions. It snapped an impressive winning streak of 9 games and at the same time, the loss dropped them to the number 5 seed. If they would have won, they would have a first round bye with the number 1 seed. The Rams have had a roller coaster season for them up and down, they are very streaky and could be very dangerous in the post-season. The Vikings this season won 14 games which is the most ever by a wild card team in NFL history. The Vikings lost to the Rams in regular season. The Vikings defense could not contain the Rams receiver Puka Nacua who had a big game. Brian Flores, the defensive coach, has elevated this Viking defense to another level which should throw everything at the Rams including the kitchen sink. Both the Rams and the Vikings defenses have to blitz these quarterbacks to throw their game off. The Lions did that to Sam Darnold last week and he missed some easy throws. This match up has some stud receivers as we need to mention Cooper Kupp, the other Rams weapon of mass destruction. Then the Vikings may have the best receiver in the NFC in Justin Jefferson. Both teams have a solid running game behind them. This could be a shoot out, but it would not surprise me if the score ends up like 20-17 either. In close games, the Vikings know how to seal the deal. The Rams baffle me because they can score 40-something points versus the Bills and then be held to 13 against the Cardinals. Both teams have young bright minds as head coaches. Sean McVay seems to be on a different level than most leaders in the game. You have to chalk up experience to Stafford. Did the deal that Darnold signed with the devil expire last week in Detroit? If the Vikings are going to win this, they need Darnold to have a good game. The Rams are too unpredictable down the stretch with that offensive output each contest was lower than a limbo stick. The Rams have a weakness at the corner back position. I think the Vikings can exploit that. The best record of a wild card team before this was the Tennessee Titans at 13-3 and they went to the Superbowl in 1999. Unfortunately they played the St. Louis Rams in that one and lost. I like the Vikings defense to turn things around. This game is on a neutral field in Arizona which should benefit the Vikings. Viking are my road warrior of the weekend.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS