Oakland Raiders/Houston Texans: Sad when it goes down like this. Oakland looked like a Super Bowl contender and Derek Carr finally had the breakout season for which Raiders fans had been maniacally hungering. Brock Osweiler, on the other hand, direly struggled after signing a four-year 72 million dollar deal with Houston, and is only playing this Saturday because former backup Tom Savage is injured. Connor Cook could show up and play better than he did last weekend in the second half versus Denver, but the Texans also have a mighty defence and could defiantly prevent him from establishing a stable rhythm. He really has nothing to lose and everything to gain while Osweiler is playing for his career, against a Raiders team that he failed to defeat last year as a Bronco (I was kind of happy the Broncos didn't give him 14 million [more cash for the defence and offensive line!]). Oakland's pass rush is feared and Osweiler's weaknesses well-known. But he did defeat Tom Brady and the Patriots last season and was capable of quick lightning strikes. The Raiders should be resting, waiting to play next weekend, and Houston's lucky they made the playoffs. I'm no Raiders fan, but I don't want to see them lose like this (obviously I want to see them play Kansas City if that's possible). Picking Oakland. Remembering Frank Reich.
Detroit Lions/Seattle Seahawks: I hope I get to see some of this one. Detroit's mad fourth quarter antics this season were most impressive and I've heard quarterback Matt Stafford reached 30,000 yards in record time. How he could set such a record while never having won a playoff game is baffling and late in the year when facing Dallas then Green Bay the Lions did come up short. Oh man. Detroit hasn't won a playoff game since 1991 and is on the road facing a Seahawks team that knows how to win in the postseason. Recently anyways. They still are the Seattle Seahawks and this Saturday they'll prove if they've overcome decades of torment or fallen like St. Louis/Los Angeles and New Orleans. How could the Saints not supply Drew Brees with a defence for so many years? He should have been to the Super Bowl three times by now. Can Stafford deliver an heroic playoff performance of epic proportions to justify his 30,000 yard record in herculean fashion inspiring legends thereby, or will Seattle's poise prevent him from achieving another 2016/17 comeback win? For some reason I'm thinking it's Seattle that trails late and launches the comeback however. Hoping the Lions pick up the win. Picking Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.
Miami Dolphins/Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben Roethlisberger must be methodically craving a deep playoff run. After achieving Olympian heights early in his career, he's continued to compete regularly in the playoffs but hasn't made third round for 6 years. He's good enough to warrant such statements! Mind-bogglingly, from the other side of the spectrum, the Miami Dolphins, a predictable postseason presence in my youth, haven't won a playoff game since 2000, and have only played in January twice since then. Has it really been that long since Miami was good? Did New England just dauntingly crush the wherewithal of the entire post-Marino Miami Dolphins era? It's nice to see them back in, even if frustratingly close Broncos losses to Tennessee and Kansas City were the cause, but I'm thinking they still need to get better to actually win a tough playoff road game against a team coached by the likes of Mike Tomlin. They did keep winning all season long and finished 10 and 6 after starting 1 and 4, their second victory achieved against Pittsburgh, Big Ben playing with a hurt knee. Could things finally be turning around for the Dolphins or is this year just a fluke where everything fell into place? Suppose this Sunday will provide direct undeniable preliminary evidence. Hoping the game's close. Picking the Steelers.
New York Giants/Green Bay Packers: Must be kind of spooky playing Eli Manning's New York Giants in the playoffs. The Pack knows what awaits should they take them too lightly, having suffered a humbling defeat against them in 2011, at home, after having finished their post-Super-Bowl-victory-season 15 and 1. They lost that game 37-20 and I remember watching it and it wasn't pretty. If you were cheering for Green Bay. If Eli can pick up some more big playoff wins he may retire as one of the greatest postseason quarterbacks ever, already having defied astronomical odds in his 2 exceptional Super Bowl runs. New York had a great defence this year but still lost to the Pack in week 5, 23-16. Green Bay finished the season with 6 wins, a solid turnaround after an inexplicable midseason 4 game slide. Will Eli's legend be too much for Green Bay to overcome or too overwhelming for him to live up to? Statements like this probably don't matter seeing how professional athletes make their own legends each and every game. Still picking Green Bay. Go Packers Go.
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