Last night I went 1-1. The dream I had about the Chiefs winning was nothing but a dream as they lost an 8th straight playoff game. Who am I to question the magic of Andrew Luck and as a Andrew Luck fan I should have seen that comeback coming even if it was unthinkable! Credit where it is due to come back from 38-10 was amazing so well done to the Colts. As for the Saints well they showed grit and determination to leave Lincoln Financial Field with a 26-24 victory which wasn't far from my 34-27 prediction.
Nevertheless New Orleans won to spare my blushes from getting a doughnut from those two predictions and now I will share my thoughts will you all regarding today's final two wildcard round games. Let the excitement of the playoffs continue!
San Diego Chargers vs Cincinnati Bengals
The San Diego Chargers crept in to the playoffs last week with an overtime victory over the Chiefs in a game full of drama. Now Phillip Rivers and co go on the road to take on a Bengals team that finished the regular season 8-0 at home. Getting hot just before the playoffs has been a recipe for success in recent memory and with San Diego winning 4 straight coming in to this you can expect this to be a close one and a possible shootout too!
This game sees two quarterbacks who thew for over 30 touchdowns in the regular season go head to head with each other. Rivers threw 32 touchdowns to 11 picks whereas Andy Dalton threw one more touchdown with 33 on the year but also had 9 more interceptions with 20. To put this game down to the QB's is simplistic but as we know in the win or game home games it is the quarterback's who are either the hero or the villain depending on the outcome of the result.
Personally I think this is the toughest game to call of the week especially when you consider that both offenses have so many options. San Diego have Phillip Rivers throwing to rookie revelation Keenan Allen who hauled in 8 touchdown passes for over a 1000 yards! They have tight end Antonio Gates who still remains a threat especially in the redzone along with running back Ryan Matthews, the dynamic Danny Woodhead and the explosive Eddie Royal.
The Bengals have Andy Dalton throwing to monster wide receiver AJ Green who finished the year with 11 touchdown catches and Marvin Jones who is so underrated; his 10 touchdown catches and for 712 yards can't be overlooked. The Law Firm and Giovani Bernard at running back pose problems for the Chargers too but there is more pressure on the backs of Cincinnati today because the Chargers are ranked 6th in points allowed per game which shows their defenses strengths in key situations like the redzone.
The last time these two teams met the Bengals defeated San Diego 17-10 so you can expect today's game to be close but a lot more intense when you consider what is at stake. Andy Dalton is the least hit QB in the league but we know how he can crumble under pressure and with the Bengals looking for their first playoff victory in 14 years along with this great home record they have you get the impression that they could crumble again in this matchup. The Chargers have nothing to lose; personally I feel they deserve to be in the playoffs but the fact that they got here is down to hard work, determination and a bit of luck which is what you need at times to succeed in sport.
Earlier in the week I was riding with San Diego and then my head told me that the logical choice was the Bengals but when you consider the unexpected nature of the playoffs and what Phillip Rivers has been doing this year I think that the Chargers will pull out to what some will see as a shock result. I am going to base my decision down to this two things; The Chargers are hot and momentum is key in the playoffs so when you put that with the fact that in my opinion Mike McCoy is a better head coach than Marvin Lewis I feel that in a high pressure situation McCoy guides his San Diego team to beat the favoured Bengals to take his team to Mile High next week to face the Broncos.
Prediction: Chargers 27-24 Bengals
San Francisco 49ers vs Green Bay Packers
One of the NFL's oldest and most exciting rivalries is renewed tonight but the San Francisco 49ers go up against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a cold weather game which is set to give this matchup an old school feel.
The Packers got in to the playoffs last weekend with a late victory over the Chicago Bears thanks to some heroics from returning quarterback Aaron Rodgers. On paper you'd have had the Niners to defeat the Bears or the Detroit Lions from the NFC North but going up against the Packers complicates things. Despite the grit and determination of the men in green and yellow San Francisco are not exactly pushovers; they are a hard working football team and are winners which comes from head coach Jim Harbaugh who is a natural born leader who strives for success.
The Niners have a monster defense with the likes of NaVorro Bowman, Justin Smith, Ahmad Brooks and Aldon Smith who will be looking to put some personal woes behind him with playoff success for the franchise. Patrick Willis is also a big time player for this defensive unit but although you'd think that the Niners need to be prepared for Aaron Rodgers personally I feel that the Niners will win this game if they manage to stop the run. Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy has been one of the teams high points ranking third in the league in touchdowns with 11 and 8th in yardage with 1,178.
If Lacy can be stopped this puts more pressure on Rodgers in the passing game; his 66 yards along with James Starks' 88 yards helped the Packers stay in the game against Chicago last week and both will have to be at it again if they are to succeed in tonight's encounter. The Green Bay receiving core can get back to business though after Rodgers' return so the likes of Nelson, Jones, Boykin and Randall Cobb to all chip in and help the cause.
Famous road victories are part and parcel of the playoffs and I feel like San Francisco have a huge opportunity to win tonight setting them up against Carolina next week. Colin Kaepernick has had two huge games against the Packers in his two career meetings against them which include last seasons playoff victory and a impressive performance in the opening week of this year when he completed 27/39 passes for 412 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 49ers are getting healthy at the right time with one of Kaepernick's favourite targets Michael Crabtree returning to action recently; along with him they have one of the best tight ends in the league with Vernon Davis as well as the likes of Anquan Boldin who lit the playoffs up last season for the Ravens. When you put their passing game with an established running game led by Frank Gore as well as Kaepernick's ability to use his legs himself and extend plays you've got to say that San Francisco edges this one and leaves Lambeau Field victorious.
Prediction: 49ers 31-27 Packers
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