NFL DIVISIONAL ROUND GAME PICKS
PREVIOUS WEEKS RECORD: 3-1
Seattle @ Atlanta (-5)
If Seattle had Earl Thomas, I would likely pick the Seahawks to pull off the upset here. However, this Seattle Defense has not been the same without the pro bowl safety. Atlanta is tremendous at spreading the ball around, with Matt Ryan setting a record by throwing touchdowns to THIRTEEN (13! Yes you read that correct) different players this season. I still expect Julio Jones to make some plays in this game, but even if he can’t break through Richard Sherman, I expect Matt Ryan and the Falcons will be more than content to continue relying on other playmakers and spreading the ball around. Atlanta wins this one.
Atlanta 27 Seattle 20
Houston @ New England (-15.5)
Please.
New England 38 Houston 14
Pittsburgh @ Kansas City (-1)
This game is a very tough call. Pittsburgh rolled over Miami last week in the wild card weekend, while Kansas City had a fantastic stretch to end the regular season, winning five of their last six games, earning a bye. The Chiefs have a tremendous secondary that includes Marcus Peters and Eric Berry, to go along with a front seven consisting of Dontari Poe, Chris Jones, Dee Ford, and Justin Houston. On offense, they have playmakers like Tyreke Hill and Travis Kelce, to go along with Quarterback Alex Smith who has thrown just one interception in his postseason career (11 Touchdowns to 1 Interception). The Steelers defense has continued to improve behind young studs Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree, along with old-timer James Harrison, but still have some question marks. Many of those question marks are covered up by the Steelers big three on offense, including Le’veon Bell, Antonio Brown, and of course Ben Roetlisberger that just made a tremendous impression in their first playoff game together. Bell should be in the MVP conversation, Brown may be the best wide out in football, and Big Ben has two super bowl rings to his name. Facing an elite quarterback like Big Ben won’t be anything new to the Chiefs however, as the Chiefs have had to play quarterbacks such as Matt Ryan, Derek Carr (Twice), Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and Andrew Luck. You know what all these star quarterbacks will have in common with Big Ben come Monday morning? They all will have lost to the Chiefs this year.
Kansas City 27 Pittsburgh 24
Green Bay @ Dallas (-5)
Dallas is loaded. They are led by two rookie stars in Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott who have been nothing short of fantastic this season. Their defense will see Morris Claiborne return for the divisional showdown, and star linebacker Sean Lee managed to stay healthy this season which is an obvious boost as he has missed a lot of time throughout his career. Their offensive line is a wagon, and they will certainly be able to run the ball I believe, even if Green Bay puts eight in the box. Dak can make plays, especially against an eight-man box, and Dez Bryant, a superstar wide receiver in this league in recent years, has become somewhat of an afterthought when talking about this Dallas team. Dez is due for a big game, and I could see him roosting this Green Bay secondary, especially if he isn’t receiving double coverage due to the stacked boxes and schemes the Packers run to attempt to slow down Elliott. It also was confirmed that Packers star wide receiver Jordy Nelson will NOT play in this weekend’s game due to the fractured ribs he suffered last week. Despite all of this however, the Packers still got Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is playing on another level right now, and he just absolutely dismantled a Giants team many (including myself), picked to upset the Packers, and much of the damage came after Nelson was knocked out of the game. Dallas has a superior roster, but they don’t have Aaron Rodgers, who I believe when it is all said and done will be in the same class as Joe Montana and Tom Brady when discussing who is the Greatest Quarterback of All Time. Its time for Rodgers to earn a signature win and put the Packers on his back. He's due. Give me Rodgers and the Packers.
Green Bay 31 Dallas 30
