Saints 33, Seahawks 14
These two met in November and Drew Brees carved up the Seahawks for 382 yards and four touchdowns. This will be a tougher atmosphere, playing outside on the road in front of a wild crowd. The Saints never have won a road playoff game. That's unreal. This looks like a real chance to end that string. They clearly are the better team. The problem is they have a lot of injuries. Brees hasn't looked comfortable the past two weeks without some key players. The defense, however, has been good recently. Seattle should have Matt Hasselbeck back at quarterback. Is that a good thing? He wasn't very good this season. The Seattle offensive line really has struggled, which can be a big problem against Gregg Williams and his attacking defense. This one has all the feel of a blowout. Seattle fans should hope for wind and rain or else they might have to endure a day of pain.
Colts 27, Jets 21
Does it get any better than watching Peyton Manning and his at-the-line theatrics against a blitz-happy team like the Jets? Rex Ryan will throw a ton of looks at Manning, trying to him off-balance. The problem is Manning is usually a step ahead of the other guy. The Jets have struggled to rush from the outside, which could be a key here. They have good corners, so look for the Colts to attack them inside against the linebackers and safeties. The Colts also will try to get Joseph Addai and the running game going. If the Colts can get ahead, that's when they have a big edge. They can turn their pass rushers loose. That's why it's imperative that the Jets run the ball to keep the pressure off Mark Sanchez. If he's asked to do too much against that Indianapolis speed front, it could be trouble for the Jets. Ryan has talked a big game all week, but I think Manning is on a mission now. He will make enough plays to win this one and advance.
Ravens 24, Chiefs 20
The Chiefs are a young team with a lot of players in their first postseason game. The Ravens have a lot of veterans who have been there before. Baltimore has also gone the Wild Card route and had success in the past, so that shouldn't be a problem. The Ravens ran the ball better late in the regular season, so expect to see a lot of Ray Rice. The Chiefs led the NFL in rushing, so this one will be decided by the defense that shuts down the run and puts it on the other team's quarterback. I like the Ravens' defense better. It's tough to run on them. Matt Cassel will be forced to make throws down the field to beat the Ravens. I'm not sure he does. Baltimore moves on.
Packers 30, Eagles 28
Mike Vick and the top-scoring offense in the NFC against the Packers and their top-scoring defense. Something has to give. The biggest issue is how well Vick handles the blitz. He didn't do a good job of that late in the season, so you know Dom Capers will come after him. Capers has some elaborate schemes that might pose problems for Vick. He also has two cover corners in Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson who can match up with the Eagles speed outside. On the other side of the ball, Green Bay has a nice passing game with Aaron Rodgers and a good group of receivers. The Packers don't run the ball well, which could be an issue. The Eagles have a good pass rush, led by Trent Cole. If the Packers don't run the ball, they could have problems on third down. Rodgers will get his shots and hit some of them. So that will mean Vick has to keep up. I think Capers slows him down and the Packers take it in an upset.
