NFL Playoffs 2017 - Wild Card Round

Blah Blah Blah Intro Intro Intro....

On to the picks:

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans

What a snoozer.  One team benched it's $72 million dollar quarterback and the other one is starting a rookie quarterback who's never started an NFL game in his career.  The Vegas over/under for points scored in this game is a whopping 37 combined.  If you're not familiar with Vegas lines, that's one of the lowest for a playoff game we've seen this decade.  And you can bet that's not because both teams are going to have a historic "Defensive Battle".  Houston's defensive front in my eyes is enough to stop the Raiders running game and I think they know if they can do that, the Raiders are toast.  I think they do exactly that.

Texans 20 - 13

Detroit Lions @ Seattle Seahawks

When watching Sunday's Packers Lions game, I spent a good amount of time contemplating if it was better to win or lose that game.  Seattle is never an easy place to play, but I wouldn't want to be going up against the Giants right now with their defense playing so well and Eli Manning at the helm.  The Seahawks offense has been stagnant again and while there's plenty of blame to go around, much of it falls on their patchwork offensive line.  Their highest paid offensive linemen is making less than $1 million this year in base salary.  That's not a position that you can afford to under pay even with an elusive quarterback like Wilson.  As bad as the Seahawks woes are, the Lions still have it worse.  In fact, their the only team in the NFC playoffs this season who I do not believe may have a legitimate shot to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  In Stafford's last 4 weeks he's thrown 5 interceptions (which really should have been 6), compared to 3 touchdowns (which really should have been 2).  Stafford continues to miss people in the passing game and if he and the lions want to improve, he needs to be able to put together a full season.

Seahawks 24 - 17

Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers

By this time, I bet the Steelers players are sick of watching tape from their previous matchup with the Dolphins this year.  They were run over, thrown on, and demolished in every sense of the word.  Of course, that was with Tannehill in command who at least checks to the correct plays more often than not.  The Dolphins have surprised a lot of people up to this point, but their run comes to an end here.  This Steelers team is too high powered on offense with Ben, Bell, and Brown all playing their 1st playoff game together.  It's too bad for them, because I would've picked this team over the Raiders or Texans had they been lucky enough to play them.

Steelers 31 - 21

New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers

By far the hardest game to pick this weekend.  The Giants have all the pieces to return to the Super Bowl this season, with an OK offense and an above average defense.  The problem is the Packers stand in the way who are just a different team at home.  They've won 6 in a row and seem to have all of their offense clicking just at the right time.  This game is going to come down to one thing: Eli Manning.  If Manning plays well, the Giants win and if he has 2 turnovers or more, the Giants lose.  Unfortunately for the Giants, ball security isn't exactly Eli's specialty.

Packers 28 - 27