IT’s PLAYOFF TIME! And for those of you who have done this before, you remember that these picks get a bit different once the playoffs kick off.
Several differences:
-All correct picks in the Wild Card and Divisional rounds are worth 3 points, and 5 for upsets. Correct picks in Conference Championship round is worth 5 points, and 10 for upsets. Correct pick in the Super Bowl is worth 10, and 20 for upset. This is to get a maximum of 20 points for every round.
-You can gain credit for unlimited upsets, as opposed to just 2 for a given week during the regular season
-All picks MUST be in by the first playoff game of the weekend.
I think that’s all. Let me know if you have questions or concerns, but this is the way we’ve done it for many years now, so I’m assuming you’re all familiar with the process.
On to the picks!
GAME OF THE WEEK – SATURDAY at 8:15 PM EST – Baltimore Ravens (10-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5), PIT by 3 – It’s fun any time these two teams get together, but especially in the playoffs. The intensity for this one is going to be epic. The Steelers have reclaimed the AFC North this year on the strength of a powerful yet balanced offensive attack, but a huge part of that balance is likely going to be gone with Leveon Bell’s hyperextended knee. In normal circumstances I’d pick the Steelers to win this game, but the loss of Bell is huge. With him likely out (though no official word yet), I’d pick the Ravens to take this one on the road. But my pick may change if it turns out that Bell plays. UPSET! – Ravens 23, Steelers 20
SATURDAY at 4:35 PM EST – Arizona Cardinals (11-5) at Carolina Panthers (7-8-1), CAR by 5 – This is a playoff team starting Ryan Lindley on the road. The Panthers may not deserve to be in the postseason, but the Cardinals are sitting ducks. Carolina will set itself up for a date with the Seahawks with a victory here. Panthers 20, Cardinals 9
SUNDAY at 1:00 PM EST – Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) at Indianapolis Colts (10-6), IND by 4 – Another year, another one-and-done disappointment for the Bengals. The Colts have already demolished them once this year, and Andy Dalton is incapable of putting on a decent performance when the chips are down, especially in the postseason. I’d probably qualify this one as my lock of the week. Of course, I could be wrong, but there’s really no reason for me to believe in the Bengals in the playoffs at this point. Colts 41, Bengals 20
SUNDAY at 4:40 PM EST – Detroit Lions (11-5) at Dallas Cowboys (12-4), DAL by 7 – Some of the juice has been taken out of this matchup with the suspension of Suh… it’d have been great to see him matched up against that outstanding Dallas offensive line. But it should still be a lot of fun to watch this one. Dallas hasn’t been particularly excellent at home this season, but they’ve peaked throughout December and are playing their best football at the right time. In the end, the Lions don’t have the offense to keep up with Dallas and by missing Suh and Fairley, they don’t have the ability to stop the Cowboys from pounding the ball up the middle. Cowboys 30, Lions 16
