Wild Card Weekend Picks!

Wild Card Weekend in the NFL is here, and these are some of the best weekends in all of football. I always enjoy Wild Card Weekend because it can be very unpredictable, and it is just a great way to get the postseason going in the NFL. Two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. Fun times for a NFL fan, and you better enjoy it because the games start the dwindle and the season is coming to an end. Relish these playoff weekends....

Last Week's (Week 17) Record: 7-8-1
Overall Final Regular Season Record: 119-123-13
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)


AFC Wild Card Game
(5) Buffalo at (4) Houston
A Case for the Bills: The Bills finished 10-6, their best record since 1999. They have a really good coach in Sean McDermott, who has completely transformed their culture. They made the playoffs two years ago and fell short, so they have that experience to go back on. QB Josh Allen can win a game on his own, and put this team on his back. They were close to taking the AFC East from the Patriots this year.Also, they are due for a playoff win. They haven't won a playoff game since 1995. This franchise is due to break that drought.  

A Case for the Texans: Everyone is picking the Bills, which plays right into the Texans hands. Houston got buried in this exact spot last year when they lost at home to the Colts in the Wild Card round. Can that happen to the Texans again two years in a row? I think Deshaun Watson learned from that experience and he can take the game over for Houston and win this game by himself. Plus, J.J. Watt is coming back off of IR for this game, and I have a feeling that will really energize the defense and the home crowd. By the end of the week, I feel like all the momentum is going to be on the Bills side, so that makes the Texans very dangerous


Prediction: HOUSTON (-2) over Buffalo: I know that the Texans were an expansion team in 2002, and the Houston Oilers became the Tennessee Titans, but the last time the Bills played a Houston team in the playoffs was the famous 1992 Wild Card game in Buffalo that saw the Bills come back from a 35-3 deficit and win the game 41-38 in one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Now, these two hook up on Saturday afternoon to start the playoffs. I think everyone will be picking the Bills, so that is why I'm going with the Texans at home. Houston advances and goes to Baltimore next week.
Final Score: Texans-23 Bills-13

AFC Wild Card Game
(6) Tennessee at (3) New England
A Case for the Titans: If you look at "hot" teams coming into the playoffs, then the Titans certainly fit that bill. After falling to 2-4, head coach Mike Vrabel benched Marcus Mariota and went with Ryan Tannehill. The moved has paid off. The Texans went 7-3 from that point and secured a wild card berth at 9-7. Tannehill has been on fire with this offense, and you could see him catching fire in a game and having the moment of his career. Also, Derrick Henry was the best running back in the league this year. He led the league in rushing and TDs, and he can literally take this game over and dominate all night. This Titans team has nothing to lose, and I'm sure Vrabel will send that message to this team all week.

A Case for the Patriots: The Patriots blew an opportunity to have a bye in round one by losing at home to the Dolphins last week, and now they have to play a game during the Wild Card Weekend. I would think and expect the Patriots to be on their game this week. We know the offense is struggling in the passing game, and the defense isn't the same as it was in the beginning of the season, but Bill Belichick is going to get this team ready and focused to play their best game of the season this week. There is no doubt that he will have them locked in and ready to go. Let's be honest: Belichick vs. Vrabel in the coaching matchup should be a no-brainer. The Patriots are vulnerable, but anytime the public has doubted them, they have proved everyone wrong. 

Prediction: NEW ENGLAND (-4) over Tennessee: This game will be interesting on so many levels. The Titans can give the Patriots a legitimate scare in this game, and the Pats have so much pressure on them to win this game-especially after last week's debacle. Is this the end for the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era? I have a hard time seeing that happen this week. The Pats will win and head to Arrowhead for a date with the Chiefs.
Final Score: Patriots-24 Titans-17

NFC Wild Card Game
(6) Minnesota at (3) New Orleans
A Case for the Vikings: Although they lost their last two games to finish 10-6, and looked terrible against the Packers at home in Week 16, the Vikings were one of the best teams in the NFC all year long. EVERYONE will be picking against them this week, and they can use that as motivation this week. The recipe is there for them: Run the ball with Dalvin Cook, let Kirk Cousins make a few big plays, and have their defense hold up enough against the Saints offense to pull off the upset. Cousins is also due for his "big moment" game of his career, and this would be the perfect setup for that. The Vikes can be dangerous here.

A Case for the Saints: The Saints finished 13-3 and looked like one of the three best teams in the league down the stretch. When you have Sean Payton as your head coach, and Drew Brees as your quarterback, then you have a shot to go to the Super Bowl. Plus, they are playoff tested, and have made deep runs the last two years. They are at home, and you know that crowd will be fired up and loud as usual. I think they are going to use the motivation of the last two years and the playoff disappointment of what happened to them in 2017 and 2018, and that will drive them on this playoff run.

Prediction: Minnesota (+8) over NEW ORLEANS: The Vikings upsetting the Saints this week would be the biggest upset of the weekend. The Saints will win this game, but I think they will sweat for awhile. I think the Vikings will keep this game close. This is a rematch of the NFC Divisional Playoff from two years ago when the Vikings won on that miracle touchdown catch by Stephon Diggs on the last play of the game. The Saints get their revenge this weekend and will head to Green Bay to take on the Packers.
Final Score: Saints-31 Vikings-24

NFC Wild Card Game
(5) Seattle (4) Philadelphia
A Case for the Seahawks: The Seahawks come in at 11-5, and were inches away from beating the 49ers on Sunday night and winning the NFC West and hosting a playoff game. Let's not forget about that as they head into the playoffs. As long as they have Russell Wilson, they have a shot to go deep in the playoffs. I think they will be very confident in this game at Philly on Sunday-like a big chip on their shoulder. They already went into Philly this season and won, so they can certainly do it again. I like their chances because all of a sudden a lot of people are doubting them.

A Case for the Eagles: At 5-7, the Eagles season looked like it was going to end in disappointment, but they righted the ship and won their last four games to win the NFC East at 9-7. Carson Wentz put the team on his back the last month to guide them to the playoffs, and you can see him doing that again in this game. I know the Eagles are banged up and injured in a lot of areas, but they will use that as their rallying cry. They used the "Underdogs" title on the way to their Super Bowl in 2017, so they can fall back on that once again. Don't forget that this team has played in a lot of playoff games over the last two years, so they are battle tested.


Prediction: Seattle (-2) over PHILLY: By the time this game kicks off on Sunday afternoon, a lot of people will have talked themselves into the Eagles as a home underdog. I just don't see it. I know that the Seahawks have lost their last two games, but I still think that they are the better team and will figure it out in time for Sunday. The Eagles were valiant in getting to the playoffs with all their injuries, but their time will run out this week, and the Seahawks will be sending them home and heading to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.
Final Score: Seahawks-26 Eagles-20