WIld Card Weekend Predictions Pt. 2

Wild Card Round Playoffs Predictions  (Part 2)

*THESE ARE NOT PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS! Just simply my own as a semi-serious analyst. Contact me on Twitter @jcs436 or email jcs436@nau.edu for feedback or even your own opinion!

Playoffs are finally here! Praise be unto the football gods. So, I’m going to just jump in immediately in how I am going to do this. If you want to see the strengths and weaknesses of every playoff team, I recommend going here for that information : http://www.nfl.com/
For this, I won’t just examine how well each team did over the season. This is the post-season where everyone is 0-0. Instead, I am going to look at the matchups of the teams and go in-depth about how each team can win and how each team can lose, and then I will give my final opinion. So it will be similar to how I did my Super Bowl 50 prediction, which I did get right by the way!

On to the playoffs!

Sanders went 2-0 yesterday for pt.1 of Wild Card weekend putting him at 159-97-2.

Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers

A case for the Dolphins:

The Dolphins MUST be able to run the football. Ajayi must have another huge day like he did against Pittsburgh earlier in the year. Ajayi has been a reason that this offense has clicked and a reason that the Dolphins went on to a 6 game win streak. I have been a nay-sayer many times for the Dolphins but Adam Gase has turned this team around and made his players better as a whole. Along with running the football, the secondary on defense must not give in to Antonio Brown and by give in, I mean keep him under 100 yards and you can call that a victory. If the Dolphins can do this, Matt Moore has showed enough to prove that he can guide the Dolphins to upset the Steelers with mistake free quarterback play. After all, if Tim Tebow can do it, why can’t Matt Moore?

A case for the Steelers:

The dynamic three (Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell) must GO OFF against the Dolphins. If they do that, the Dolphins have practically no chance at winning. When the Pittsburgh offense is firing on all cylinders, they are unstoppable and have proved that against many defenses with their best showing being against Baltimore on Christmas Day.  As for the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers aren’t the greatest but this defense has found it’s identity and matured throughout the season. The secondary is bend but don’t break and the Steelers have an excellent pass rush to put pressure onto the quarterback. The Steelers also have a frontline that can contain running games just enough to get their offense back on the field. As long as the secondary and defensive line don’t give in, the Steelers can wrap up the Dolphins before the 4^th quarter starts

Final Judgment:

A lot goes into the Steelers favor especially because the Dolphins won’t be starting Tannehill. However, I don’t think this game will be easy at all for the Steelers. The Dolphins should be able to put up a fight. If they don’t this game could be over before it really gets going. Even with the fight that the Dolphins can give, the Big Three in Pittsburgh are clutch enough to take down even the teams that threaten them. Going with Pittsburgh on this one.

Dolphins 24  Steelers 28

New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers

A case for the Giants:

The defense is monstrous and has been the clear reason for the Giants stepping up and being 11-5. While not a completely impenetrable wall, the big D in New York certainly gives opposing offenses headaches and makes them work for each score. This can be greatly beneficial against the Packers offense who have been steamrolling opponents for the past 6 weeks now. If the Giants can hold off the Packers offense, all the Giants need is for Eli Manning to just remain calm and do his job with his job being to get the ball to Beckham, Cruz, or Shephard. In addition, Ben McAdoo must get Green Bay to respect their running game which can relieve pressure off of Manning as well. With all of this combined, the Giants can win in Green Bay again in New York style.

But if one thing falls through…

A case for the Packers:

The Packers are a punishing team as of late. If you make one mistake, the Packers take advantage. Whether it’s a bad throw, an offside penalty, or just simply blown coverage, the Packers don’t let you make mistakes and get away with it. While the Packers aren’t a violent team, the way they play is backstreet football and that’s something the Giants defense can’t prepare for. If Rodgers and Co. can continue to dominate defenses in the backstreet style that they do, it’s hard to argue that the Packers can lose. The Packers on defense have one job. Contain Odell Beckham. If they can limit Beckham, then they limit what the Giants can do at offense. However, the secondary is probably the weakest part of Green Bay’s team thus why it’s no guarantee that the Packers do win and why it’s very possible for the Giants to beat them.

Final Judgment:

The Giants are a fantastic sleeper pick that many are thinking can surprise everyone in the playoffs. I could absolutely buy this headline if they weren’t playing the Packers. Yes, the Giants are undefeated in Lambeau Field but that streak ends tonight. The reason the Giants beat Green Bay in 2007 and 2011 in freezing cold weather, is because Eli Manning was still in his prime and one of the hottest QBs going into the playoffs in each of those years. Now? Aaron Rodgers is in his prime and one of the hottest QBs going into the playoffs while Eli Manning is not hot and has continued to throw mind-boggling interceptions this season. The strength of the Giants lies in their defense and Aaron Rodgers and Co. single-handedly nullify that strength. Barring an MVP performance by Manning, the Giants will be one and done in their first time back in the playoffs since 2011 when they won the Super Bowl.

Giants 23  Packers 31