Weekly picks from Paste BN Sports' NFL staff
After 256 regular-season games, the NFL playoffs are finally here.
Wild-card Saturday features a double dose of rematches: The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings play the rubber game in their third meeting of the past six weeks while the Cincinnati Bengals seek payback after getting blown out in last year's playoff showdown at Houston.
Sunday offers a battle of rookies quarterbacks when the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson and Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III face off for the first time. Before that, Baltimore fans might watch Ray Lewis for the final time as the Ravens host Charm City's old team, the Indianapolis Colts.
Here's how we see the weekend playing out (plus our latest Super Bowl XLVII predictions):
Jarrett Bell | Jim Corbett | Nate Davis | Mike Garafalo | Lindsay H. Jones | Robert Klemko | Pete O'Brien | Simon Samano | |
2012 regular season | 168-87-1 (.658) | 166-89-1 (.650) | 174-81-1 (.682) | 142-97-1 (.594) | 64-32 (.667) | 164-91-1 (.643) | 168-87-1 (.658) | 175-80-1 (.686) |
Week 17 | 13-3 | 13-3 | 12-4 | 9-7 | 11-5 | 14-2 | 12-4 | 14-2 |
Cincinnati at Houston | Bengals | Bengals | Texans | Texans | Bengals | Bengals | Texans | Texans |
Bengal to watch | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | A.J. Green | Geno Atkins | Geno Atkins | Geno Atkins | Chris Crocker | Jermaine Gresham | Jermaine Gresham |
Texan to watch | Johnathan Joseph | Arian Foster | Johnathan Joseph | Johnathan Joseph | Johnathan Joseph | Connor Barwin | Brooks Reed | Johnathan Joseph |
Score | 24-22 | 20-17 | 23-17 | 20-17 | 21-20 | 28-17 | 24-20 | 24-20 |
Minnesota at Green Bay | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers |
Viking to watch | Jared Allen | Christian Ponder | Everson Griffen | Matt Kalil | Christian Ponder | Jerome Felton | Jared Allen | Jarius Wright |
Packer to watch | James Jones | Charles Woodson | Charles Woodson | B.J. Raji | Charles Woodson | Casey Hayward | Randall Cobb | B.J. Raji |
Score | 24-20 | 24-16 | 31-17 | 30-13 | 34-17 | 35-28 | 34-24 | 33-21 |
Indianapolis atBaltimore | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Colts |
Colt to watch | Reggie Wayne | Reggie Wayne | T.Y. Hilton | Vontae Davis | T.Y. Hilton | Donnie Avery | T.Y. Hilton | T.Y. Hilton |
Raven to watch | Ray Lewis | Ray Rice | Jacoby Jones | Anquan Boldin | Ray Lewis | Dannell Ellerbe | Torrey Smith | Ed Reed |
Score | 24-13 | 17-14 | 20-13 | 27-16 | 24-21 | 24-21 | 27-23 | 23-21 |
Seattleat Washington | Seahawks | Redskins | Seahawks | Redskins | Seahawks | Seahawks | Seahawks | Redskins |
Seahawk to watch | Chris Clemons | Sidney Rice | Bruce Irvin | Golden Tate | Brandon Browner | Brandon Browner | Bobby Wagner | Brandon Browner |
Redskin to watch | Pierre Garcon | Alfred Morris | Ryan Kerrigan | Ryan Kerrigan | Alfred Morris | London Fletcher | DeAngelo Hall | Pierre Garcon |
Score | 20-17 | 21-20 | 31-27 | 17-13 | 35-31 | 42-28 | 20-13 | 24-17 |
Pre-playoff Super Bowl Picks | Jarrett Bell | Jim Corbett | Nate Davis | Mike Garafolo | Lindsay H. Jones | Robert Klemko | Pete O'Brien | Simon Samano |
AFCchampion | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos |
NFCchampion | Falcons | 49ers | Packers | Falcons | Packers | 49ers | Packers | 49ers |
SuperBowlXLVII champion | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | 49ers | Broncos | 49ers |
Midseason Super Bowl Picks | Jarrett Bell | Jim Corbett | Nate Davis | Mike Garafolo | Lindsay H. Jones | Robert Klemko | Pete O'Brien | Simon Samano |
AFCchampion | Steelers | Broncos | Texans | Broncos | Patriots | Texans | Patriots | Texans |
NFCchampion | Falcons | Falcons | 49ers | Bears | 49ers | 49ers | Packers | 49ers |
SuperBowlXLVII champion | Steelers | Falcons | 49ers | Broncos | 49ers | 49ers | Patriots | 49ers |
Preseason Super Bowl Picks | Jarrett Bell | Jim Corbett | Nate Davis | Mike Garafolo | Lindsay H. Jones | Robert Klemko | Pete O'Brien | Simon Samano |
AFCchampion | Ravens | Ravens | Texans | Broncos | -- | Texans | Patriots | Texans |
NFCchampion | Packers | Packers | 49ers | Bears | -- | 49ers | Packers | 49ers |
SuperBowlXLVII champion | Packers | Packers | 49ers | Broncos | -- | 49ers | Patriots | 49ers |
Therecord book | Jarrett Bell | Jim Corbett | Nate Davis | Mike Garafolo | Lindsay H. Jones | Robert Klemko | Pete O'Brien | Simon Samano |
2012 regular season | 168-87-1 (.658) | 166-89-1 (.650) | 174-81-1 (.682) | 142-97-1 (.594) | 64-32 (.667) | 164-91-1 (.643) | 168-87-1 (.658) | 175-80-1 (.686) |
2011 regular season | 169-87 (.660) | 170-86 (.664) | 171-85 (.668) | -- | -- | 163-93 (.637) | 169-87 (.660) | -- |
2010 regular season | 156-100 (.609) | 160-96 (.625) | 168-88 (.656) | -- | -- | -- | 162-94 (.633) | -- |
2009 regular season | 169-87 (.660) | 163-93 (.637) | 173-83 (.676) | -- | -- | -- | 176-80 (.688) | -- |
2008 regular season | 161-94-1 (.631) | 161-94-1 (.631) | 170-85-1 (.666) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
2007 regular season | 163-93 (.637) | -- | 174-82 (.680) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
2006 regular season | 143-113 (.559) | -- | 158-98 (.617) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
2005 regular season | 156-100 (.609) | -- | 172-84 (.672) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Note:Picks are made straight up,not against the spread. | ||||||||
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