NFL Wild Card Preview and Predictions

Adrian Peterson will try to carry the Minnesota Vikings to another win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. (Hannah Foslien)

Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) @ Houston Texans (12-4) - Saturday, 4:30 PM EST, NBC

These two teams enter this wild card matchup with very different momentum. The Texans have lost three of their last four. During that stretch of time, quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown only one touchdown and three interceptions. In the same span, running back Arian Foster has only surpassed the 100-yard mark once. The Texans defense has continued to play well, but that has not been enough to make up the difference.

The Bengals have won seven of their last eight. Probably the biggest reason why is that their defense has played superbly. The last time the Bengals gave up more than 20 points was back in Week 9. The passing game has played well, but quarterback Andy Dalton continues to be inconsistent  Running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has improved as the season has gone on. He rushed for over 100 yards in four games during the second half of the season.

Prediction: Texans 20 Bengals 17

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ Green Bay Packers (11-5) - Saturday, 8:00 PM EST, NBC

This is the third time this season and second time in less than a week that these NFC North rivals square off. This time it will be decided under the frigid conditions of Lambeau Field. The Vikings have relied on the resurgence of Adrian Peterson all season. His 2,097 rushing yards may have been just shy of the record, but were enough to carry his team to the playoffs. Quarterback Christian Ponder has been much maligned this season, but he did throw three touchdown passes in last week's win over the Packers. The Vikings defense has stepped up and played very well down the stretch against tough competition.

When many predicted before the season that the Packers would go to the Super Bowl, few thought their regular season would be as inconsistent as it was. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been the leader with continued dominant play, but the offensive line has struggled to protect him and to give him the time that he needs to operate. As a result, the run game has been virtually non-existent for much of the season. The Packers defense has had its ups and downs. They have been unable to shutdown Peterson, who has had a combined 409 yards in their previous two matchups this season. The Packers are not going to stop him, but if they can contain him, their odds of winning increase exponentially.

Prediction: Packers 28 Vikings 20

Indianapolis Colts (11-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (10-6) - Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This game should be an emotional one for both sides. The Colts had their head coach Chuck Pagano return from leukemia treatment to the sidelines to lead them to a big win at home over the Texans last week as they head into the playoffs with considerable momentum. They finished the season winning five of their last six games as well. Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has been a major difference maker for the Colts. During the regular season, he threw for 4,374 yards with 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Luck will need to limit his mistakes against a Ravens defense that always looks to force turnovers.

Ray Lewis is always the emotional leader of the Ravens, but the fact that he announced that this will be his final season will be an added motivation for his teammates. The Ravens began the season 9-2, but they dropped four of the last five games of the regular season to barely win the AFC North. Quarterback Joe Flacco had an up-and-down year, throwing for 3,817 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Getting running back Ray Rice involved in the passing and rushing game is crucial to the offense's success. The Ravens defense has not been nearly as strong this season. However, they are always a threat to create havoc and force turnovers.

Prediction: Ravens 31 Colts 27

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Washington Redskins (10-6) - Sunday, 4:30 PM EST, FOX

This is a rare playoff game in that it features two rookie quarterbacks squaring off. This game could very well come down to which one of them plays better. The Seahawks come into the playoffs on a five-game winning streak. Their rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson, has played very well during the streak with a ratio of 13 total touchdowns to only two interceptions. During the same stretch of time, running back Marshawn Lynch has rushed for an average of 107.8 rushing yards a game and seven total touchdowns. The Seahawks defense has been one of the best in the league and has given up more than 24 points only once this season.

The Redskins started the season with a 3-6 record, but won seven games in a row to win the NFC East. Their reward is a home playoff game which could be significant because they have won four straight and five of six at FedEx Field, while the Seahawks were only 3-5 on the road this season. Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III has been the leader and inspiration for the Redskins as he has battled through injuries to play well. He has gotten huge help from his top running back, Alfred Morris. Morris ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished the regular season with 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Prediction: Seahawks 20 Redskins 17

NFL Week 17 Preview and Predictions

The Redskins hope rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III can lead them to one more victory and into the playoffs. (Patrick McDermott)

5. Houston Texans (12-3) @ Indianapolis Colts (10-5) - 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The six AFC playoffs teams are set and these are two of them. The seeding is still to be determined, which is why this AFC South battle is significant on Sunday. Last week, the Texans had a chance to clinch home-field throughout the playoffs, but they lost to the Minnesota Vikings. Now, they must win against the Colts to guarantee themselves a first-round bye. The Colts got the win they needed last week over the Kansas City Chiefs to clinch their place in the playoffs. They also got head coach Chuck Pagano back this week from his battle with cancer. There will be a lot of pride on the line and momentum to be gained in this divisional battle.

Prediction: Texans 27 Colts 17

4. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11) @ New York Giants (8-7) - 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The Eagles playoff hopes have been gone so long it could be considered ancient history. Losers of ten of their last eleven, there is little to be excited about with this football team. However, a chance to knock one of their rivals out of the playoffs might be just enough motivation to show up and play hard when they take on the Giants on Sunday. With back-to-back losses, the Giants are a long shot to defend their Super Bowl title. A porous defense and sputtering offense has put forth ugly performance the past two weeks. In order to make the playoffs, the Giants first and foremost have to take care of business here and get a win over the Eagles. Then, they have to hope for losses by the Cowboys, Bears and Vikings. As I said, they are a longshot.

Prediction: Giants 27 Eagles 13

3. Chicago Bears (9-6) @ Detroit Lions (4-11) - 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The Bears finally snapped a three-game losing streak with a 28-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals last week. Unfortunately for them, it may be too little, too late for their hopes of making the playoffs. The need a win over the Lions and a loss by the Vikings in order to secure a postseason berth. The Bears defense will need to play well if they hope to slow down Calvin Johnson and the Lions offense. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will also need to play well and limit his mistakes. The Lions have lost seven in row and have been out of the playoff picture for awhile. They will still be plenty motivated to have a shot at knocking a rival out of the playoffs.

Prediction: Bears 20 Lions 17

2. Green Bay Packers (11-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-6) - 4:25 PM EST, FOX
The Packers have won nine out of their last ten, but they still need one more win to guarantee themselves a first-round bye in the playoffs. Last week, quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and ran for another, running back Ryan Grant rushed for two more and the Green Bay defense dominated in a 55-7 rout of the Tennessee Titans. The Packers will look to use a similar formula when they face the Vikings on Sunday. While all of the focus has been on Adrian Peterson's chance to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, the Vikings have quietly positioned themselves for the team's first playoff berth since 2009. The Vikings defense played very well in their surprising upset of the Houston Texans last week. They held the Texans to 187 total yards and only six points. The Vikings defense will need to play just as well if they hope to slow down Rodgers and the Packers' dynamic offense.

Prediction: Packers 24 Vikings 16

1. Dallas Cowboys (8-7) @ Washington Redskins (9-6) - 8:20 PM EST, NBC
The winner of this game is the NFC East champion and earns the automatic berth into the playoffs. Since their Week 12 loss to the Redskins, the Cowboys have played four games decided by five points or less and the last two have gone to overtime. Quarterback Tony Romo played very well last week against the New Orleans Saints. He threw for 416 yards, four touchdowns and most importantly, no interceptions. Romo's top receiver, Dez Bryant, played well in that game as well. He had nine receptions for 224 yards and two scores. The Redskins have won six in a row, but need one more divisional win to become the NFC East champions. Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III returned from injury to lift his team past the Eagles last week to set up this week's showdown with the Cowboys. Running back Alfred Morris has played well lately as well. He has scored at least one touchdown in four out of his last five games. Morris has rushed for an average of 108.8 yards per game during that stretch. The Redskins will try and use a balanced attack to breakdown the Cowboys defense.

Prediction: Redskins 31 Cowboys 28

Colts Make Playoffs One Season After Going 2-14

Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has helped lead the Colts turnaround from 2-14 to a playoff berth. (AP Photo)

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts went a league worst 2-14 and were compensated with the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. With highly acclaimed Andrew Luck in the draft, they made the difficult decision to cut ties with the face of the franchise, veteran quarterback Peyton Manning. Expectations were high for the young quarterback, but no one knew for sure how much the Colts could accomplish with all of the changes that took place during a turbulent offseason.

Having to fill the shoes of a legend like Peyton Manning is not an easy task to say the least. However, I am sure that Luck and this season's Colts exceeded whatever expectations people had for them this season. They have even managed to accomplish everything without their head coach on the sidelines for the majority of the season. Coach Chuck Pagano has been undergoing treatment for leukemia.

The Colts entered Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs with much on the line. Luck took care of the first step late in the second quarter when he broke Cam Newton's single-season rookie passing record with a 23-yard pass to fellow rookie T.Y. Hilton. Luck has now thrown for 4,183 yards this season, but my guess is he didn't even realize it because he was focused on what he does best, winning football games.

The Colts needed him to do exactly that late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Luck took care of business. He drove down the field and completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne with 4:08 remaining in the game. The touchdown lifted the Colts to the win, 20-13. In doing so, Luck extended his own rookie record for fourth-quarter or overtime comebacks to seven.

The win improved the Colts record to 10-5 and clinched their spot in the playoffs. They join the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win at least 10 games after losing 14 or more the previous season. The Colts have won four out of their last five games and currently hold the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Colts get to celebrate with Coach Pagano, who is expected to return to coaching on Monday. They will prepare to play an angry Houston Texans team in the regular season finale. The Texans had a chance to lock up home-field advantage in the playoffs, but lost today to the Minnesota Vikings. Instead of resting next week, they will be playing  to try and secure a first-round bye. The Colts will be playing under no such pressure. They are just happy to be winning once again and to be back in the playoffs.

NFL Week 11 Preview and Predictions

Due to an injury to Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Leftwich will get the start against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. (Gregory Shamus)

5. San Diego Chargers (4-5) @ Denver Broncos (6-3) - 4:25 PM EST, CBS

The Chargers sit two games back of the Broncos for the AFC West division lead. A win on the road in Denver would be a significant step in the right direction. If they are going to have a chance of winning, quarterback Philip Rivers must make smart decisions and limit his turnovers. His 12 interceptions so far this season have cost the Chargers at the end of some games. The offensive line must give Rivers an opportunity to work effectively and efficiently  Their task won't be easy as the Broncos lead the league in sacks with 31 through their first nine games. Speaking of the Broncos, they are playing some of their best football of the season so far. They have won four straight games and scored at least 31 points in each of them. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw nine touchdown passes over the span.

Prediction: Broncos 31 Chargers 20

4. Indianapolis Colts (6-3) @ New England Patriots (6-3) - 4:25 PM EST, CBS

After a one-year break from relevance, the Colts and Patriots meet at Gillette Stadium with much on the line again. The Patriots are in a familiar position. Veteran quarterback Tom Brady has his team in the AFC East driver's seat once again. On the other hand, the Colts are one of the surprise stories of the season so far. Coming off an abysmal season, rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has led his team to four straight victories and into the thick of the AFC playoff picture. Both quarterbacks are playing at a high level lately, so they will likely try to balance their offense with a strong running game to help control the clock. The team that does that more effectively may turn out to be the winner.

Prediction: Patriots 27 Colts 24

3. Green Bay Packers (6-3) @ Detroit Lions (4-5) - 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Lions have won three out of their last five games, but they remain in last place in the NFC North. If they are going to make the playoffs, they know that every game from here on out is extremely important, especially divisional games. The Packers come into this game off of a bye and as winners of four straight. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown 15 touchdown passes over the winning streak. The Lions counter with Matthew Stafford as their man behind center. Stafford is finally starting to find the endzone, after struggling for much of the first half of the season. He has thrown three touchdown passes in each of his last two indoor games. He will look to keep it going at home against a middling Packers pass defense.

Prediction: Packers 24 Lions 20

2. Chicago Bears (7-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-2-1) - 8:30 PM EST (Monday), ESPN/WatchESPN

The Bears and 49ers are the two top teams in the NFC right now, but both could be without their starting quarterbacks due to concussions when they meet on Monday night. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has already been ruled out, so Jason Campbell will get the start. If 49ers quarterback Alex Smith isn't able to go either, Colin Kaepernick will be behind center. The injuries could be more of an emphasis on the respective run games. Matt Forte had stepped up as the Bears feature back to play well lately, but will need to rebound from a rough game against the Houston Texans last week. Frank Gore continues to be the engine that keeps the 49ers offense going strong. He has 753 rushing yards and five touchdowns so far this season. The teams have two of the best defenses in the league, so expect a low scoring battle that will be decided late.

Prediction: 49ers 13 Bears 9

1. Baltimore Ravens (7-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) - 8:20 PM EST (Sunday), NBC

The Steelers have won four straight games to pull within a game of the Ravens' AFC North lead. If they are going to pull into a tie for the lead with win on Sunday night, they are going to have to do something they haven't done since stud quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined the league in 2004. They have to beat the Ravens without him. Big Ben is banged up with a sprained should and an even more serious dislocated rib. The Steelers have gone 0-4 against the Ravens in games without him. Veteran Byron Leftwich will be making his first start since 2009 and will be seeking his first win since 2006.

The Steelers expect to have running back Rashard Mendenhall back to help with their running game. They will look to run the football with Mendenhall, Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer as much as possible in hopes of controlling the clock and keeping the Ravens offense off the field. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is coming off of a win over the Oakland Raiders in which he threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Flacco will face a much more difficult task in this game against the Steelers top ranked pass defense. As a result, the Ravens may look to get their always dangerous running back Ray Rice more involved in the game from the very start.

Prediction: Steelers 20 Ravens 17

Hometown Boy Harnish This Year's Mr. Irrelevant

One of the most unique storylines of the NFL Draft every year is finding out who Mr. Irrelevant will be. For those of you who don't know who Mr. Irrelevant is, he is the last player selected in the draft overall. The winning player gets to enjoy Irrelevant Week at Disneyland and gets to be in the parade and other festivities. Paul Salada, who founded Irrelevant week in 1976, got to make the announcement of this year's lucky man. What made this year's selection especially interesting is that the pick belonged to the Indianapolis Colts, the same team who had the very first overall pick of the draft. This has only happened twice before, when the Philadelphia Eagles did it in 1949 and the Houston Texans had it happen in 2002.

The Colts thought through this decision and decided to choose someone they thought would have been gone by this point. The player they chose was Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish. Harnish had an excellent career playing for the Huskies. He finished with 8,944 passing yards, a 61.9 completion percentage, 68 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions. He also ran for 2,238 yards and 24 touchdowns. His 11,927 yards of total offense ranks third in MAC history. Harnish set 30 school records an Northern Illinois, was a two-time all-MAC selection, chosen the conference's MVP this season, and led the Huskies to the league title. Having played at Norwell High School in northeastern Indiana, Harnish couldn't have been happier to be selected by his favorite team, the Colts.

Harnish isn't the only happy one because the Colts needed quarterback depth badly. Of course, they got Andrew Luck with the number one overall selection in the draft, but they only had two quarterbacks on their roster prior to the draft. One was career backup Drew Stanton, who was acquired in an offseason trade from the New York Jets. The other was Trevor Vittatoe, a virtually unknown second year quarterback out of UTEP. Harnish should get his chance to prove he deserves to be on the roster come Week 1. With the Colts content with a need filled, Harnish happy to get selected, Colts owner Jim Irsay decided to make at least one more person happy. On his Twitter, he offered to give $5,000 to the person who correctly predicted who Colts would make Mr. Irrelevant. Irsay announced that Billy Cardwell from Kokomo, IN was the winner. It appears as though today is a good day to be an irrelevant Hoosier. Just ask Harnish and Cardwell.

St. Louis Cardinals Help Inspire Rams to Upset Win

The St. Louis Rams were 0-6 entering Sunday. Rising star Sam Bradford was out of the lineup with an injury, so for the second week in a row they had to turn to A.J. Feeley at quarterback.

Feeley hadn't one a game since 2004 and playing with a team like the Rams, his odds seemed mighty slim. After all, his team was going up against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

During the pregame ceremony, the St. Louis Cardinals were recognized, and they showed off their trophy. I am sure this and a chance to watch Brees work his magic were the reasons many fans attended the game.

Feeley played a decent game, but then Steven Jackson decided to reveal some of his old self. Jackson rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns. It was his first 100 yard rushing day in three years.

Brees and the Saints were coming off a annihilation of the Indianapolis Colts last week, by the score of 62-7. However, the Rams defense stepped up their play and sacked Brees six times. The Saints didn't even score an offensive touchdown until their was ten minutes remaining in the game!

How did the Saints manage to go from scoring 62 points one week to scoring none on offense for 7/8 of their next game? I am not sure, but they better figure it out soon because next week they face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who already beat the Saints once this year, by shutting down Brees and picking him off three times. As for the Rams, they should enjoy this win and focus on getting Sam Bradford healthy once again.