NFC Wild Card (what to expect and predictions)

The postseason is here.  Wildcard round.  Who is going to play spoiler to the rise of the newly dominant and favored Cowboys?  The New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Greenbay Packers, Or Seattle Seahawks?  2 teams get to advance, and 2 go home.  Let’s take a look!

Giants (5th seed) VS Packers (4th seed)

For me, this is one of the closest games in the wildcard picture.  The Giants, lead by QB Eli Manning, are looking for their 5 super bowl championship.  Manning has WR Odell Beckham JR to help improve the team’s chances of stretching the field.  They will need RB Rashad Jennings to make holes and keep the Packers defense honest on the pass rush.  The Giants defense has a monumental task in trying to slow down MVP candidate QB Aaron Rodgers.  A powerful defense lead by Oliver Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison, I believe they are up to the task.

The Packers have been on a hot streak heading into the playoffs, and look to build on that momentum.  Rodgers threw for 40 TD’s in the regular season, showing that he can still make plays when he needs to.  Coming in at 7th overall with the pass at 262 yards, they are in a position to do some damage.  With up and coming Ty Montgomery and Jordy Nelson on the field, they have plenty of ways of moving the ball.  CB Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins will have to find ways to keep Beckham from making big plays.

Prediction – Green bay 34 to Giants 24

Lions (6th seed) VS Seahawks (3rd seed)

The Lions have had a very inconsistent season.  QB Matthew Stafford at one time was thought of as a potential MVP candidate even.  Coming in almost dead last at 30th in rushing, only averaging 89 yards a game, they will need RB Zach Zenner to have a career game to keep the Seahawks from swallowing Stafford up.  Look for Stafford to have a lot of pressure and quick throws to WR Marvin Jones and Golden Tate.  Stafford has shown he can come in from behind and win in the last minutes of the game, so they will rely heavy on the defense to keep the game close.  They will have a hard time containing not only the run and passing game but they have to keep QB Russel Wilson from leaving the pocket.

The Seahawks have been ravaged by injury, most recently WR Tyler Lockett who broke late in December.  They are also without key defenders on the defense, such as Michael Bennett and Earl Thomas.  However they have shown they have the depth to cover, but the on-field leadership is clearly missed.  QB Wilson will finally shed his brace, and be at 100% for the first time in awhile.  This should be scary for the Lions, who have a fairly weak defense.  In addition to the danger of Wilson, they have RB Thomas Rawls who has looked good this season as well.  There are plenty of receivers for Wilson to throw to.  WR Doug Baldwin and TE Jimmy Graham are a couple of prime time targets for him.  The Legion of Boom will work to disrupt the Giants and try to take the ball away quite often.

Prediction – Seahawks 24 to Lions 21

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