Packer-less Playoff Prognostication » Brats & Beer

January 6, 2006
posted under: NFL playoffs

Despite the fact that Green Bay won’t be playing in the post-season this year, the NFL has decided to proceed with the playoffs anyway. Seems like a boneheaded decision to me, but at least there’s still a few more weeks of football to watch.

The Wildcard round gets under way Saturday with the Washington Redskins traveling to Tampa Bay. I’ve never liked those Tampa Bay Buccaneers, not one bit, so I’ll be rooting for the Redskins in this one. Washington stumbled a bit in the middle of the season, losing three of four during a stretch in November that included a 35-36 loss to the Bucs, but I think Joe Gibbs has those Skins playing to win now. That night it’ll be Jacksonville playing at New England in the AFC portion of the program. I have to admit, with the Colts running away with the AFC and my depression over the Packers, I was under the impression that the Jaguars were having another lackluster season, but here they are at 12-4 playing in January. This one’s going to be rough and tumble showdown pitting the Jags’ seventh-ranked defense against the Pats’ second-ranked passing attack. I know Tom Brady will get on me for not showing NE enough love, but I think his 9-0 streak in the playoffs is coming to an end this weekend.

On Sunday, the action gets started with Carolina playing the New York Football Giants. The Panthers are a tough team with a pretty good defense, but the Giants are 7-1 at home and have Tiki Barber to run the ball. Look for the G-Men to squeak out a win at the Meadowlands. That afternoon the Steelers travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals. Pittsburgh tagged us good without Big Ben and they come into the playoffs with the third-best defense and riding a four game winning streak. Gag order or not, I expect we won’t be hearing much from Chad Johnson for the rest of the season.