Rebecca?s NFL Playoff Picks

Wednesday January 4, 2012

Welcome to the sixth year of my totally amateur NFL playoff picks!

For those new to my annual picks, I preface them every year with the caveat that I enjoy NFL football, especially the Patriots, but I am in no way an expert. But, in the end, no one really knows who is going to win the game, right? That?s why they play them.

So with no further ado, here are my picks for the Wild Card Weekend games of Jan. 7-8. Look here at advocateweekly.com every week through the Super Bowl for my selections.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m., NBC: I haven?t seen much of either of these teams this year, so I am going to go with the home team -- not only because playing at home seems to help most teams but also because this is the first time the Texans have made the playoffs. I?m not a big fan of anything Texas, but I?ll give my nod to Houston in this game. HOUSTON 21-17.

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints, 8 p.m., NBC: There?s no contest here. Drew Brees, he of the new single-season passing record, plays in another world, perhaps only joined there by Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in the second half of the game. The Saints will blow the Lions out. NEW ORLEANS 42-24.

Sunday, Jan. 8

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants, 1 p.m., Fox: Ah, the Giants. I used to off-handedly

root for this team, mostly because they didn?t play the Patriots a lot and I married into a Giants family, so no harm done. But then 2007 happened. And it changed everything. Now I delight in rooting against the Giants almost as much as I enjoy rooting against the Jets. So I will be rooting against them, if only out of sheer spite. The team has been inconsistent, despite being led by the only Manning left standing this year. Plus, I kind of like that Matt Ryan guy on the Falcons (although he?s no Tom Brady, of course). So what the heck. ATLANTA 21-20.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m., CBS: This is the game I am looking most forward to. The Steelers are ... well, the Steelers, and the team always is a threat. But then there?s the Broncos, the team that made quarterback Tim Tebow a national sensation. This is a super tough call. I would like to pick Denver at home riding on the popularity wave of Tebow, if not his arm or feet, but Pittsburgh is just a better team. Still, many people believe Denver now has God on its side. So, does the Terrible Towel have a chance against that? PITTSBURGH 24-14.

Source: http://www.advocateweekly.com/ci_19672577?source=rss_viewed

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