The playoffs are set! A wild Week 17 left Miami, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh out of the playoffs in the AFC, while Arizona was knocked out in the NFC.
The AFC Wild Card Weekend pits two great match-ups:
(5) Kansas City at (4) Indianapolis: This is a Week 16 rematch, as Indy beat KC 23-7. The Colts are AFC South champions, while KC slipped to the 5 seed. Expect the Chiefs to play physical football on defense, while Indianapolis needs to win the turnover battle.
Prediction: Kansas City 20, Indianapolis 17
(6) San Diego at (3) Cincinnati: Cincinnati was 8-0 at home this season, including wins over Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. The Chargers come into the playoffs with a 4-game winning streak. San Diego needs to contain Andy Dalton and defend AJ Green to win. Cincinnati has to slow down Philip Rivers. The Bengals won these teams’ regular season meeting in San Diego.
Prediction: Cincinnati 31, San Diego 24
NFC Wild Card Weekend match-ups:
(5) San Francisco at (4) Green Bay: The 49ers won the regular season meeting with the Packers at Candlestick, 34-28. Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers back and better than ever after the comeback win over Chicago. San Francisco dominates both lines of scrimmage consistently.
Prediction: San Francisco 35, Green Bay 21
(6) New Orleans at (3) Philadelphia: The Saints will have to play in uncomfortable weather at Lincoln Financial Field against an Eagles team coming off of a fantastic finish, culminating in Sunday’s win over Dallas. The Saints defense has to draw up a plan to stop Philly’s dynamic rushing attack if they want to win.
Prediction: Philadelphia 31, New Orleans 27
Colin's Kickoff Corner 