Playoff Weekend

NFL season is over and the real fun begins, at least for the fans of 12 teams. Lets us look at what happened this weekend:

Cardinals@Panthers

One had a good record (11-5) and finished second, the other a lousy year (7-8-1) and finished first. Obviously the lousy year gets rewarded with a home game. Previous to the season I picked the Cards at 8-8 and Panthers at 9-7.

Cardinals tried to make it a game, they really did, but once again the offense proved to be as anemic as they have been last few games. The Arizona defense kept them in the game for almost three quarters. However, the better defense stepped up and held the Cardinals to 12 yards in the second half. Carolina wanted this game a lot more, and their defense is suddenly looking like last year’s version. Cam showed signs of maturity, after fumbling and throwing an INT, he settled down and led the team to two TDs and numerous key runs that helped moving the chains. The Panthers really shouldn’t be here, but since they got invited to the party, they will do all they can to make the best of it.  I had the Panthers winning

Ravens@Steelers

Great match-up between division rivals. One I picked to suck this year (8-8), because the defense was over the hill, and QB was done, but they won the division (11-5). The other I picked dead on (10-6). Steelers, like the rest of the division have had a great year, but its been an inconsistent one. Up and down usually equals one and done. The Ravens and Flacco continue their playoff dominance on the road. The Ravens are playing their best football right now, and that cannot be good news for New England and Tom Brady. Not having Bell really hurt the Steelers in both the passing and running game. Neither team actually ran well, as both defenses came to play. In the end the Ravens were simply better equipped to win and moved on. Steelers fans have nothing to regret, good season.  I had the Steelers winning

Bengals@Colts

One I had at 10-6 and finished at 10-5-1. The other I was dead on on., 11-5.

The Bengals are the easiest team to bet against in the playoffs, their last victory was during the Confederacy’s attack in Gettysburg. AJ Green was not there, but I doubt it would have changed things, this team is not built to win big games. They rewarded Dalton with a huge contract, and one has to wonder if this game manager is the answer. He has been surrounded by as much talent on offense as you can find, yet he stinks. The Colts were at home, and that in itself was good enough for the win. I think Andrew Luck is primed to win a few this post season, he has numerous weapons he can go to and the experience that he has lacked in the past. The match up in Denver will be a fun game to watch, especially since he is meeting his predecessor. Something tells me this Colts team is on the verge of good things, even if I am not a big fan of the HC. I had the Colts winning

Lions@Cowboys

I had the Lions at 8-8 and Dallas at 7-9, I clearly should stick to picking the AFC. Lions had a good season taking advantage of the rebuilding Vikings and crappy Bears, and as a result they are in the playoffs. Traveling to Dallas is not that hard, and Detroit turned it into a game, until the refs made sure they went back to the Dead City and prepare for next year. Actually, I don’t think that the no-call is what beat the Lions, the Cowboys did. I am kind of tired of reading journalist and fans always blaming one play as the reason for the final result. The game is played in 60 minutes or 3600 seconds, not 2 seconds. This year’s Cowboys are not what we are used to, they are a laboring team, not one that lives and dies by Romo’s homers As a result, they are not an easy team to beat, and Green Bay will learn that this week. I had the Cowboys winning

Upcoming

I bring my 3-1 record to this weekend, and I will let my chart below show you my picks