SUPER BOWL XLVII PREDICTIONS

     Welcooooooome back, Sportz Freaks, to a very special Super Bowl edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. I'm not sure if everyone else feels the same way, but to me it seems as if we have waited months for this game to take place. While it has only been two weeks, it feels like there has been a tremendous amount of time that has elapsed since the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens won their respective conference championship games. Whether it seems like an eternity or not, the fact remains that tomorrow on the grandest stage of them all, the Harbaugh brothers (John and Jim) will go head to head for the ultimate prize in football.
     Aside from the length between games, if something else seems a bit off to you, I don't blame you one bit. In fact, this year's "big game" is quite different than we're used to in recent years. To be specific, this will be the first game since Super Bowl XXXVII, exactly ten tears ago, not feature a quarterback named Manning (Eli or Peyton), Roethlisberger or Brady. You might not realize how much those four men have dominated the sport in the past decade until you read that statistic. The Super Bowl has a different look this year, however, and perhaps we will see somewhat of a passing of the torch to young guns Colin Kaepernick and Joe Flacco.
     Before we get into specific matchups, let's first quickly discuss the two main storylines that are staring us in the face: Brother vs. Brother and the retirement of Ray Lewis. Which is more enticing? Well, that's really a matter of opinion, but this writer loves both of them and can't wait to see the effect they have on the big game. John and Jim Harbaugh each fell one win shy of reaching this point a year ago. Some were disappointed that a Har-bowl would not be taking place, and the chances it might ever happen seemed unlikely. But here we are, one year later, and the Ravens and Niners have each gotten where they'd hoped to be one year ago. Then there's Ray Lewis, surrounded by controversy, but beloved hero of the city of Baltimore. He brought the Ravens their first championship in Super Bowl XXXV, and can give them one more on Sunday if they beat the Niners. Love him or hate him, Ray Lewis is sure to be the focal point from start to finish in New Orleans.
     Offensively, the San Francisco 49ers have shown us something that could be the next big thing: the read option. A popular college set up, the option has worked wonders for lightning-quick Colin Kaepernick, as well as other speedsters Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Yet, Kaepernick seems to have found the most success with it. His keen ability to be able to fool defenses with fake hand-offs and roll-out scrambles is remarkable, and coach Jim Harbaugh is one win shy of looking like an absolute genius for having switched him for Alex Smith back in week 11.
     Speaking of quarterback surprises, how about Joe Flacco? The man has a big mouth, but boy has he backed it up this year. It wasn't too long ago that the fifth year man out of Delaware proclaimed to be in the group of 'elite' quarterbacks, ranking himself up with the likes of the Mannings, Roethlisbergers, and Brees' of the world. While laughable at the time, Flacco has turned this joke into a reality, and is a win away from perhaps cementing his status in that group of top-tier QB's.
     Where we may see the most impact is in the trenches, however. Ray Rice vs Frank Gore isn't a heavyweight fight, but if these guys both bring their A-game, they can definitely put on a show. Rice is undoubtedly quick and can make plays on the ground and through the air. The slightly less dynamic Gore is no pushover, however, as he gets more than his fair share of scores on the ground. So what it comes down to is which defensive line can hang with these guys (as well as the running quarterback, Kaepernick) the longest.
     This game also does not feature A-list wide receivers, but if you want explosiveness from the ball-catchers on Sunday, you are almost sure to get it. The 49ers will ship out Tight End Vernon Davis, last year's hero in a chaotic win over the Saints in the NFC Divisional playoffs, as well as breakout receiver Michael Crabtree. Both these men are capable of big plays at any moment, so keep your eyes on them. But let's not forget the other San Fran receiver, Randy Moss, who may also be suiting up for the last time of his career on Sunday. What a finish it would be for him to go out on top, and not only that, but he has been rather quiet all season. A mature Randy Moss with a Super Bowl ring? Methinks it might be possible!
     The Ravens have two fantastic wideouts on either end of the field, as well. Anquan Boldin, acquired two seasons ago by the Ravens from Arizona, has continued his stellar play from his days as a Cardinal and has had a fantastic post-season thus far. Opposite Boldin is the field-stretching Torrey Smith, who has seemingly made a living from catching 50+ yard bombs from Flacco. And of course, Ray Rice is always a reliable option out of the backfield. San Fran must be able to shut down these explosive weapons down if they are to have any shot of keeping up with Baltimore.
     Now that I've hyped this game up more than ESPN, the NFL Network and CBS combined, let's get to the predictions. First off, I think that this game has actually been relatively quiet in terms of the hype, so regard the above statement as a joke. In fact, I think this year's big game has been far under-hyped considering the level of talent both sides possess. My gut is telling me that the Harbaugh brothers are going to push each other's buttons early and try to throw each other off their game plan. I look for a couple of quick scores, but then expect it to settle down until the 4th. With the Ravens up 20-17 in the final quarter, I see Kaepernick leading San Fran down the field in the final five minutes, setting up the shaky David Akers for the tie. Despite the recent criticism, he connects and sends us to our first overtime in Super Bowl history. Why not? The Ravens saw double OT two weeks ago, and the Niners have been in extra time twice this year. With the score knotted in OT, Flacco gets the dirty birds into scoring territory for Justin Tucker, who gives the Ravens a 23-20 lead. On the ensuing drive, it's a third down sack by Ray Lewis that sets Kaepernick and the Niners up with a 4th and 17, and an incompletion on the following play gives the Ravens the victory. Hey, it could happen...

SUPER BOWL XLVII PREDICTION 

Lewis on Top: Ravens beat Niners 23-20 in OT to capture Lombardi Trophy

Baltimore Ravens- 23   San Francisco 49ers- 20  (F-OT)

     That does it for the final Z Money's Sports Talk of the 2012-2013 NFL Season. Enjoy the game, everyone. And if you're a fan of either of these teams, good luck to you! Most of all, enjoy the snacks and commercials...and the game, of course! 

   
   
   

2013 NFL Championship Weekend Predictions

     Welcome back, sportz freaks. This is championship Sunday in the NFL, and so today we find out which two teams will compete for the Lombardi Trophy on February 3rd in New Orleans. In the AFC, we have ourselves a rematch of last year's semifinal round between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. On the other side, the San Francisco 49ers have returned to championship Sunday after losing to the Giants last season. They will head to Atlanta, who is coming off its first playoff win in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan era. Like last year, several of the potential Super Bowl showdowns could have very compelling story-lines.      

     Once again, New England-San Francisco is the most intriguing, and is the very match-up I predicted a year ago: a prediction which was only half-right. Should this come to fruition this year, we will see Tom Brady and our era's dynasty try to fend off the aura of the 49ers, the once-great team of the 80's. Should the Ravens pull the upset and take on the Niners, we would of course be given the Har-bowl we were sorely deprived of a year ago. Brothers John and Jim each had their teams a spot away from the big game, but both failed to make it to Miami. I won't exclude the Falcons in this list, either, since the potential of their existence in Super Bowl XLVII would promote a great story of a potentially retiring tight end who has waited his whole career for a championship. That of course, is Tony Gonzalez. Could we see him face off against another retiring legend in Ray Lewis? The possibilities are many in this championship weekend, and so let's get started with the predictions!

3ET, FOX

#2 San Francisco 49ers (12-4-1) @ #1 Atlanta Falcons (14-3)

     In our first game of the day, we will see two teams who at their worst...look pretty bad, but at their best they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The second-seeded 49ers are heading to Atlanta where they hope to get over the hump after losing at this stage ago. San Fran is still haunted by the memory of return man Kyle Williams' multi-fumble day at Candlestick Park which allowed the Giants to earn a trip to last year's big game. A year later, Jim Harbaugh's team sits here again, one win away from a trip to the Super Dome. 

     Atlanta has lost only three games all season, all in their own division. Last weekend, we saw the team we thought the Falcons were all along: an offensive juggernaut who could score points at will and have your defense's head spinning. Well, we saw it for three quarters, at least. Then, up 27-7 in the 3rd, the Falcons showed us their darker, less trust-worthy side. They allowed the Seahawks to climb all the way back and even take a momentary lead, and then had to drive the field and kick a game-winning field goal to hold off the incredible comeback victory. On one hand, it's great to see the Falcons finally get the monkey off their backs and get a playoff win. On the other, it is extremely difficult to feel confident in their ability to win a big game after seeing the way they almost let it slip last Sunday. 

     San Francisco brings perhaps the league's best defensive unit into the Georgia Dome on Sunday, and a unit which did a pretty damn good job of shutting down Aaron Rodgers and Company a week ago. What is a bit more surprising, though, is how easily the 'Niners racked up the points on Green Bay. While not a defensive powerhouse, the Packers went into last week's game at Candlestick Park ranked 11th in overall defense...and then Colin Kaepernick ran wild on them. The Pack could not handle the read option what-so-ever, and it made for a rather convincing victory for the NFC West champions. If Kaepernick has even half of the success we saw last Week, the Falcon faithful could be in for a long afternoon. 

     The Falcons looked absolutely abysmal in the final quarter and a half of the Seattle game, but up until then had actually done a nice job of containing rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, as well as Marshawn Lynch. Atlanta is not known for its defense either, but from what we saw in the first half, they proved they can get stops when needed. Where they have to be questioned is in the second half of games. Did they just try to cruise last week? Was Russell Wilson's speed starting to tire them out? Whatever it was, the Falcons need to fix it this week or they're going home disappointed once again. 

     Everything that factors into this game is pointing directly at a 49ers victory. They have a much stronger defense, their offense looked almost unstoppable, and they are on a mission after losing at this point a year ago. The Falcons are shaky and hard to trust, and don't have a defense that really has me convinced they can stop the likes of Colin Kaepernick, as he seems to be even better than Russel Wilson-ing than Russel Wilson. My gut feeling is that they will pull this off and head to New Orleans. However, we know how incredibly wrong my gut can be, and so I'm going to swing for the fences and call for an upset. Falcons take a close one behind a hostile home crowd. 

Prediction: Surprising defensive effort propels Falcons to Super Bowl. Atlanta tops San Fran, 27-24.

6:30 ET, CBS

#4 Baltimore Ravens (12-6) @ #1 New England Patriots (13-4)

     Well, here we go again. This is like a song that just keeps playing on repeat. Ever since Brady returned from injury in 2009, the Ravens have sought to put him and the Pats in their place and finally breathe some fresh air into the AFC title picture. We all remember the tacky penalty called on Terrell Suggs that year: a roughing the passer foul called after Suggs made contact with Brady's legs. If you don't recall, here's a reminder:

     Ever since that moment, you can sense the animosity between these two clubs. The Ravens would even go on to crush New England in the playoffs that same year, but the Patriots got the last laugh a year ago as their victory over Baltimore sent them back to the Super Bowl for the fifth time in the last decade. The Ravens did get a victory over Brady and Co. earlier this season, but that will mean nothing if they are unable to do it again on Sunday, and fall short of the  big game once again. 

     The Ravens entered the 2012 playoff scene with a lot of unanswered questions. Were they legitimate contenders? Could they win big games? Is Joe Flacco the quarterback who can get the job done for them? Coming in as the four seed, and losing to the Bengals on the last week of the season, the Ravens were a bit tough to trust. Even a convincing victory at home over Andrew Luck and the Colts wasn't enough to cement their status as a contender. Then, a bit of magic happened last week in Denver. The Ravens, toughing it out and staying with the #1 Broncos the entire way, found a way to pull off a miraculous game-tying touchdown and go on to win it in overtime. This, of course, was aided by some shaky play in the Bronco secondary, but Flacco threw a great pass, and the rest is history. Will luck be on their side again in New England?

     The Patriots looked quite convincing in their win over the Texans last weekend. Houston stuck around for a bit, but New England stepped on their necks and finished off what had been a disappointing last month or so for the AFC South champions. New England has won ten of its last eleven games, and has scored an average of 33.5 points per game over that span. Their offense is clearly playing at a high level right now. But with tight end Rob Gronkowski's season-ending arm injury, can they still produce that type of consistency against a stingy Ravens defense? 
     Baltimore has been quite the opposite in terms of playing well in recent months. They are 3-4 over their last seven, although three of those losses came against teams who made the post-season, and one loss to the Steelers. The Ravens are an okay 5-4 on the road this season, which looks worse compared to a New England team who is 7-2 at home this season. That being said, two home losses is actually more than the Pats are used to in the Brady-Belichick era. Can they get one more victory in front of their home crowd to get back to the Super Bowl?
     In the last game's prediction, I went 100% against my gut feeling. While my heart says San Fran, my head won't let me pick them after going 1-3 last weekend in what I thought were picks from the heart. So now, my gut feeling is telling me that the Ravens will finally get the job done and oust New England in their own building. I just can't go against my instincts twice in the same day. While this and the Atlanta prediction might come up and bite me in the rear, I am picking a pair of dirty birds to face off in a monster showdown in two weeks. Gimme the Ravens. 

Prediction: Flacco near-perfect as Ravens finally get by Pats, 26-23. 

SUPER BOWL XLVII Prediction: 

#4 Baltimore Ravens vs. #1 Atlanta Falcons

     

2012 NFL Divisional Round Predictions

Welcome back, sportz freaks to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Last week in the Wildcard round, yours truly managed to go a perfect 4 for 4 on the predictions, as Houston, Green Bay, Baltimore and Seattle all emerged victorious. Those same four teams will play again this weekend against the four squads who had last week off. So without further a due, let's get to the predicting!

AFC: #4 Baltimore Ravens (11-6) @ #1 Denver Broncos (13-3)

     Our first contest takes place in the Mile High City on Saturday afternoon. The Ravens, led by a solid performance by soon-to-retire linebacker Ray Lewis, are looking to continue their path to a potential rematch with New England in the AFC Championship. Last Sunday, the purple birds looked the best they have in quite some time, knocking out the Colts in a convincing 24-9 victory. Ray Rice looked good despite a pair of fumbles, and the defense returned to its true form, harassing rookie quarterback Andrew Luck from start to finish.  
     The Broncos are getting set to play after a week off, but prior to that had won their last 11 in a row. They have been on an absolute tear, and included in that stretch was a sound beating of this weekend's opponent, 34-17 in week 15 at Baltimore. In that game, the weaknesses of the Raven defense were clearly highlighted and exploited, and the Broncos won with ease. Denver will look to match that success on Saturday. 
     The Ravens went just 4-4 on the road this season, although three of those clubs (Cincy, Houston, Washington) made the post-season. The Broncos are 13-3 on the year, and an impressive 7-1 at home. They have not lost at Invesco since week 3 against Houston. You know that Peyton Manning is still steaming from the loss to Brady and the Pats way back in week 5, the Broncos' last defeat. Manning would love nothing more than to get New England on his turf in Denver and take another crack at the defending AFC champs. On the other side, Ray Lewis is hoping to keep his career alive another week in hopes of reaching the NFL's promised land one last time. But I just think these two teams are headed in different directions right now, and for the Broncos it's up up up. I think Baltimore keeps this close early but Manning will open it up in the second half en route to a Bronco victory. 

Prediction: Broncos control clock, ground and Manning adds a pair of TD's as Denver wins 27-13. 

NFC: #3 Green Bay Packers (11-5) @ #2 San Francisco 49ers (11-4-1)

     A tie with the St. Louis Rams, or a touchdownception, whichever you prefer, are just influential enough to have this weekend's game be played at Candlestick Park. The 49ers found themselves deadlocked with St. Louis in week 10, and neither was able to seal a victory. This result allowed the 49ers to end the season with just four losses, while the Packers, despite winning the same number of games as San Fran, ended theirs with five defeats. Hence, we find ourselves along the bay on Saturday, rather than Lambeau Field. While it might not seem like much of a difference, the fact is the Niners are an impressive 6-1-1 at home this season, while the Pack are just 4-4 away from home. San Fran also has a head to head victory over Green Bay which occurred way back in Week 1 at Lambeau. 

     The 49ers have been an impressive club this season, but a bit bipolar: both in their quarterback selection and their overall performance. You might recall that the Niners kicked off the year with starting quarterback Alex Smith, a man who had been heavily criticized in years past before leading his  team to an NFC title appearance a year ago. After that performance, coach Jim Harbaugh finally, or so we thought, showed complete faith in his leading man. Then week 11 came, and an injury forced Smith to sit the bench. Enter Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, up until that point, had been used as a utility man: someone they could bring in to run an option or bootleg, which was a great use of his quickness. But in week 11 against the Bears, Kaepernick was a star and the Niners flattened Chicago 32-7. From there, the starting gig was handed over to Colin, and Smith remained a backup option. Call it crazy. Call it unfair. But regardless of what we call it, the 49ers are once again a Superbowl threat, and are just two wins from heading to New Orleans.

     Green Bay stumbled at the finish line of the regular season with a loss at Minnesota, but quickly redeemed themselves in a rubber match last weekend at Lambeau, winning in decisive fashion: 24-10 (it had been 24-3 until a garbage time td). What is most intimidating about this club right now is that they finally seem to be getting healthy, and this is a team that, when it is fully healthy, is loaded with weapons. The defense is packed with stars like Clay Matthews, Sam Shields and Charles Woodson, and the offense consists of a boatload of targets for quarterback Aaron Rodgers such as Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb. Saturday night, however, they'll face a much tougher defensive unit than the one they saw these past two weeks. But one has to question just how ready this defense is ready for Rodgers and company. Prior to defeating Arizona in week 17, San Fran's unit gave up a whopping 76 points to New England and Seattle, combined. Now, those are two great offensive teams, but then again, so is Green Bay. Something's gotta give, but when the smoke clears I see Rodgers avenging the week 1 loss as San Fran falls short again. 

Prediction: Kaepernick's 2 picks, Rodgers' 2 tds lead to San Fran downfall. Pack wins 26-14. 

NFC: #5 Seattle Seahawks (12-5) @ #1 Atlanta Falcons (13-3)

     Not sure if NFC playoff game...or Angry Birds. In all seriousness, this should be a very interesting contest which features perhaps the most potent offense in the NFL against quite pssibly the stingiest defensive unit. The Seahawks, winners of their last six, are coming off an impressive road victory at Washington last Sunday, a game in which they trailed 14-0 early. Pete Carroll's squad showed great resilience, however, scoring the final 24 points en route to a ten point victory.  The Falcons are the NFC's top seed, but that designation does not come with a bit of skepticism. The dirty birds of Atlanta have been questioned every step of the way, based both on this year's performances, as well as postseasons past. Under head coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons are 0-3 all-time in the playoffs. In order to shake that off and finally get over the hump, they're going to have to get by a Seattle team which can score on either side of the ball.

     Atlanta went 2-2 over its final four contests, although they had been in command of the NFC for much of the season until that point. The Falcons are also 2-0 against teams that made the playoffs this year, but haven't beaten such an opponent since week 5 at Washington. One thing that you can say about Atlanta is that all three of their losses have come within the division, which are almost always forgivable. They also have an early-season victory over their AFC #1 seeded counterparts, the Denver Broncos. If home field stands throughout the playoffs, these two could be headed for a rematch of Superbowl XXXIII. 

     The Seahawks have undoubtedly been the NFL's hottest team over the past two months. They've won six straight, including a blowout win over the #2 seeded 49ers, and at Washington last week, a game that removed a lot of doubts about Seattle in terms of playing games on the East coast. That changes a bit this weekend, however, as this game is slated in the 1:00 spot. Counting that win at Washington, Seattle is a whopping 5-1 against postseason teams this year, with its lone loss coming to San Francisco way back in week 7. They have an, albeit controversial, victory over Green Bay, San Francisco, and New England. They can get the job done both offensively and defensively, and have been quite a dual threat with rookie sensation Russell Wilson, who has suddenly emerged among the Luck's and Griffin's of the world. 

     If the Falcons have anything positive to note, it's that the Seahawk defense was exposed a bit early in the Washington game, and perhaps Matt Ryan can find a way to exploit a few of the weaknesses we saw. That being said, Seattle shut the Skins out for the remainder of the game, and returned to true form. Granted, RGIII was limping around for most of that span, but a shutout is a shutout. I enjoyed watching the high-powered offensive attack for Atlanta all year, and I would love to see them finally exorcise those post-season ghosts in a big win at the Georgia Dome. Unfortunately, I think they're running into the wrong team at the wrong time, and I see Seattle limiting that offense and meeting up with Green Bay next weekend in a toucherception rematch. 

Prediction: Seahawks' D shuts down Falcons, Atlanta playoff woes continue. Seattle wins 30-17. 

AFC: #3 Houston Texans (13-4) @ #2 New England Patriots (12-4)

     Well, if nothing else, it can't be any worse than the last time these two teams met, can it? The Texans, coming off a less-than-stellar showing against Cincinnati last Saturday, will now head into hostile territory as they take on Tom Brady and the Pats in a rematch of their week 14 showdown. That game was won decisively by New England, 42-14, a victory which most likely was the deciding factor between the #2 seed and a bye week, and the #3 seed and a date with the Bengals. While Houston was struggling to get by last weekend, the Patriots were resting, and more importantly, preparing for their next opponent. One thing you never want to give Bill Belichick is extra time to prepare. 

     With the win at home last weekend, the Texans improved to just 4-4 against teams that made the post-season. They have wins over Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Baltimore and Denver, all of which are credible victories. Where the problem comes is when the spotlight is on the Texans. In two key matchups where Houston had a chance to really prove its worth, the Texns fell flat, losing 42-24 and 42-14 against Green Bay and New England, respectively. In these games, the supposed stingy Texan defense was confused all day and their powerful rushing attack was limited. If the Texans hope to have any shot of winning, they need to get runningback Arian Foster going early and often. 

      There isn't much to say about their opposition that hasn't already been said. You've seen this team a hundred times before. You know their deal. It's January, in New England, with Tom Brady under center and Bill Belichick calling the shots. Tight End Rob Gronkowski is finaly starting to get healthy, and Wes Welker is the same threat he's always been. I'd love to go into more detail than that, but facts are facts. It might come back to haunt me, but this game just seems like a no-brainer. The Texans have not looked good at all as of late, and the Patriots are, well, the Patriots. I think we get a better game than we saw just over a month ago, but give me Brady and the Pats when it's all said and done. 

Prediction: Brady throws for three more TD's against Houston as the Pats move on. New England gets the victory, 33-20. 

Well that'll do it for this week's predictions. Let's hope these games live up to their expectations, as we could really be in for some amazing football over the next 48 hours. Enjoy the games, sportz freaks!

     

2012 Wildcard Weekend Predictions

   

     Welcome back, sportz freaks, to another edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk! As is tradition, I take a year off and then come back just in time to make my predictions for the NFL playoffs. Now if only I could get someone to pay me to do this... This is my absolute favorite time of the sports year (with NHL playoffs and March Madness close behind). Nothing quite like the NFL playoffs to get you pumped up for the weekend. I am particularly excited this year, as all twelve teams in the postseason have earned at least ten wins, making this the most legitimate playoff bracket we've seen in quite some time. The slate for these next two days has three very intriguing matchups, and one contest which I will hope to remain awake during. If your team is still in the hunt as of right now, kudos and good luck to you. If you're like me (again) and have no personal interest in the outcomes of the games, then sit back and enjoy! And now, sportz freaks, my predictions for the 2012 NFL Wildcard playoffs!

AFC: #6 Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) @ #3 Houston Texans (12-4)

     If this matchup looks familiar to you, that's because the same exact game (seeding, included) took place just last year. And, if you're uninterested in this first game, then honestly I can't say that I blame you. Now , this is not to say that we don't have a pair of pretty good football teams colliding, because we do. In fact, both teams are improved from the squads we saw in last year's showdown. 

     However, this game features a Houston team which is just in a terrible rut right now, and currently provide me with no real reason to consider them as anything more than one and done this year. A few weeks back, the Texans looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. They were 11-1 and in full control of the AFC. Flash forward to now, and it's Denver and New England who have off, and the Texans who are forced to play the extra game. Granted, Houston has had to face a desperate Minnesota and surging Indianapolis team in the last two weeks, but this is a team that has shown us all year that it cannot win the big game (ask Green Bay, New England). 

     On the other side, the Bengals are playing quite well. They've won their last three in a row and seven out of their last eight. What has to be even more intimidating for the Texans is the fact that Cincy is 6-2 on the road this year, and haven't lost a road game since October 14th. The Bengals have impressed me mightily in the past few weeks, going into hostile Pittsburgh in a huge game for both squads, and edging out the win. They also took care of business at home against the division champs Baltimore to close out the season at 10-6 last weekend. This is a young team that's hungry and also looking for revenge for last year's early exit in Houston. 

     What I think this game is going to come down to is which team makes less mistakes. Houston started off the year strong defensively, but has been pushed around as of late. Cincinnati, on the other hand, has been solid defensively all year and is playing very well over the last month. However, I think both defenses will come to play, that's not the issue. Where I'm a bit concerned is the play of Bengals' quarterback Andy Dalton. He's young and only in his second year, and has shown much improvement. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to refine his game, however. He makes a lot of mistakes, as was evidenced in the Pittsburgh game a few weeks back, and needed his defense to bail him out. The Texans have the weapons defensively to force mistakes, and Dalton is going to have to be perfect to get by, as the Texans do not turn the ball over very much. I think at home with a raucous crowd, Houston will have just enough to edge the Bengals for the second year in a row, but don't expect much more from this team after that. 

Prediction: Foster scores twice, defense stands tall as Texans edge Bengals 20-17. 

NFC: #6 Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ #3 Green Bay Packers (11-5)

     Our next contest features a pair of teams who met just one week ago in Minnesota, a game in which the Vikings fought their way into the postseason. Now they get a second shot at their arch rivals, and this time can knock the Pack right out of it. This time around, however, it'll  be on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, where the Packers are 7-1 and have not lost since week 1 to the 49ers. 

     Minnesota is definitely a surprise this year, coming off a dreadful 3-13 performance just a season ago, winning its last four in a row to go to 10-6, just enough to enter the playoffs as the 6th seed in the NFC. The majority of that success can be attributed to the surreal return to form of running back Adrian Peterson. The man tore his ACL at the end of last year and has not only come back and played well, he seems to be even more unstoppable than ever before. Last week, AP marched over 200 yards and fell just shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record en route to helping the Vikes squeak by Aaron Rodgers and company. If he continues on the path he's been on all year when the Vikings head to Green Bay, the Packers could be in a world of trouble. 

     Before last week's loss, the Packers had won four in a row as well, and nine of its previous ten. The only loss in that span came in week 12 when Green Bay was routed by the (former) Super Bowl Champion New  York Giants, 38-10. Since then, Green Bay has seemingly been on a mission and their impressive run was thwarted only by a  Minnesota team fighting for its postseason life. Before that, the Pack thumped Tennessee 55-7 in a highly impressive performance on both sides of the ball. The Pack are healthy now, and that could mean bad things for Minnesota. 

     I think Mike McCarthy is going to be focused solely on stopping Peterson, and with Clay Matthews back in full form, he just might be able to do that. If the Pack can contain AP, it doesn't bode well for the Vikings, as they don't have much in the way of a play-maker outside of Peterson. They lost their top guy in that department (Percy Harvin) to a season-ending injury. If they can't run the ball, the pressure shifts to second-year QB Christian Ponder, who has played well as of late, but looked awful in week 13 at Lambeau, where he threw for only 119 yards and two picks in a 23-14 loss to Green Bay. Add that to a healthy Packers' squad who is hungry and looking for a showdown in San Fran, and I think Green Bay has more than enough motivation to avenge last week's loss and move on to the divisional round. 

Prediction: Rodgers runs wild, tosses 3 TD's as Packers down Vikings 31-14. 

AFC: #5 Indianapolis Colts (11-5) @ #4 Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

     Story-line wise, this game is absolutely jam-packed. Where do I begin? Well, let's start by pointing out the most obvious, which is that Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis could be playing in his last NFL game, as he announced the other day that he will be retiring once the season ends. That will cap a remarkable seventeen year career in which Lewis earned both a Lombardi trophy, as well as a SuperBowl MVP. He is playing on Sunday for the first time since getting hurt in week 6 against Dallas, and is looking to end his run in the NFL with another championship. 

     The Colts have quite a story on their hands, as well. Not even mentioning that this team won just two games last season and have scorched that en route to an 11-5 record this year (with a rookie Quarterback), the Colts have done so in a transitional year after releasing Peyton Manning, and an emotional one after head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with Leukemia back in October. Pagano is well on his way to recovery, and will be back on the sidelines in Baltimore this weekend. 

     Then, there's always my favorite aspect of a Colts-Ravens game, which is the old Colts-picking-up-their-stuff-and-moving-down-to-Indianapolis story. For those of you unfamiliar with this angle, the Colts, a team formerly of the Baltimore area, infamously left the city in 1972 and relocated the franchise to Indianapolis. It wasn't until 1997 when the Ravens were formed that Baltimore was able to regain a team. The city has been bitter about this incident ever since, and it always adds fuel to the fire when these two clubs meet. 

     All of the drama aside, we have a white-hot Indianapolis Colts team who has won five of its last six and nine of its last eleven games. They've been led by an outstanding rookie campaign from Quarterback Andrew Luck of Stanford and perhaps a little bit of regular "luck" as well. Fate seems to be on their side right now, and it's extremely tough to argue against the Colts at this point. 

     The Ravens, on the other hand, have, for lack of a better term, stumbled into the playoffs. They earned a post-season berth weeks ago, but have lost four of their last five since. To their credit, those contests came against three teams currently in the playoffs (Cincy, Washington and Denver), as well as the Giants and Steelers, who are obviously no pushovers. That being said, Baltimore has looked pretty awful in the past month, and has got to get something going if they hope to give Ray Lewis one more shot at glory. 

     Sunday features three rookie quaarterbacks, one of which definitely has to win. The other is Andrew Luck. Can he make it two for two on the day? I think that the Ravens D will come out to play at home, but they need to effectively use Ray Rice in their offensive scheme. When used properly, the Ravens are unstoppable. Unfortunately, that has not been the case this season and the Ravens have struggled as a result. I would love to see Andrew luck and the Colts take this one and head to Denver where Manning can take a shot at his former club. There is one factor here that I believe will prevent that from happening however, and that is in the defense. We know the Ravens' D is good, no need to go on about them. The Colts, however, are dreadful on the defensive side of the ball. To date, they have given up an average of 24 points a game, and when the Ravens are clicking they can surely boast that type of offensive performance. I'm not sure that a rookie, as good as he is, can go into a hostile Baltimore environment against an emotional Ravens squad and allow his team to score enough points to match that. I think this'll be a dandy, but in the end I believe experience will win out and the Ravens will live to see another day. 

Prediction: Twice as Rice: Ray Rice hits pay-dirt twice, Defense stout as Ravens oust Colts 27-17. 

NFC: #5 Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ #4 Washington Redskins (10-6)

     Finally, we come to the second NFC Wildcard game between the Seahawks and the Redskins. This is undoubtedly the most difficult game, personally, to predict. We have two unbelievably hot teams going head-to-head.

    The host Redskins were 3-6 on November 4th, having just come off an ugly 21-13 loss to Carolina. Washington went on their bye afterward, and haven't looked back since. They have gone 7-0 since the bye en route to a 10-6 record and an East division championship after a thrilling victory over the Cowboys last Sunday Night. 

     The Seahawks have been just as, if not more impressive over the last two months, as they have won their last five, and seven out of eight, including an absolute drubbing of the 49ers a few weeks ago. Over that span, the Seahawks have been remarkable on defense, allowing just under 14 points a game. But these birds are fierce on both sides, as they have lit up opposing defenses for an average of 34 points a game over their past eight. If not for a Rams-Niners tie, the Seahawks would be division champs and taking the week off. Instead, they head to Washington with a possible rubber match with San Fran looming, should Minnesota also win. 

     What makes this game incredibly difficult to predict is the fact that, at least offensively, these teams are remarkably similar. Each has a rookie quarterback who can not only throw, but are dangerous on the ground as well. Each has a powerful featured running back who can more than carry their fair share of the load in the ground game. Each has a deep threat play-making receiver who can shift the momentum of the game at any point. This is sure to be one heck of a game. 

      At first glance, the Seahawks are the easy choice. They have a better record and have looked down right unstoppable in the last five weeks. What scares me about this club, however, is their never-ending struggle to play well on the road. This season, Seattle went an abysmal 3-5 away from CenturyLink Field, and those three wins came against Carolina, Chicago and Buffalo, none of whom made the post-season. 

     Conversely, the Redskins are just 5-3 at home this season, and aside from a win over Baltimore in week 14, have not played a playoff team since October 14th. They have been on quite a run, but the legitimacy of their victories has to be questioned a bit. And although the Skins can definitely put up points (they're averaging 30 ppg during the 7-game win streak), their defense has not stopped much, as they have given up an average of 20 points a game. Add that to the fact that rookie QB Russell Wilson has been virtually matchup-proof and this makes for a very ugly scenario for the East Division champs. I think the 4:30 start also works in Seattle's favor, as it takes away some of the difficulty of playing on the east coast, and as a result I think the Hawks take this one and head to Atlanta next weekend. 

Prediction: Solid day from RGIII not enough to stop surging Seahawks. Seattle wins 34-20. 

Well, that does it for this week's edition of Z Money's Sportz Talk. Enjoy the games, everyone!