NFL Divisional Playoffs

[Ray Barnes]

This weekend's games promise to be exciting, especially with some nasty weather being thrown into the mix for good measure. Of the entire post season, I look forward to this weekend more than the others, in general.

New Orleans in Seattle - this looks like it's going to be wet and cold, conditions which should favor the Hawks. I do not expect another 34-7 rout like about a month ago, also after a bye week. This should be a much closer game, taking the Hawks by 5 points.

Indianapolis at New England - if Rob Gronkowski was healthy, I would say the Patriots would be heavily favored. It is supposed to be raining the whole day in Foxborough, I think the Colts will have issues with their short passing attack. Am taking the home team by a touchdown.

San Francisco at Carolina - these teams play a similar style, combined with highly mobile young quarterbacks. This could be decided by a field goal in overtime. The one strike against the Panthers is a lack of experience in this kind of game, which could cost them. Taking the 49ers for a minor upset.

San Diego at Denver - the upside of this contest is that one long established quarterback is guaranteed to the next round. After last year's debacle against the Ravens, I think the Broncos will play for their lives, especially against a team that just beat them. This could be a great game. Peyton Manning has not won recently, if ever, a major post season game in the cold. He's due. Broncos by a field goal.

[Ray Barnes]

A quick postscript on the 49ers/Panthers. In theory, based on the 10-9 road win for Carolina over SF during the season, one might expect them to be heavily favored at home. The 49ers have been a much better team since the return of Michael Crabtree, as especially evidenced last week. He might be the difference maker.

[Glenn E.]

I agree with most of your analysis. The one game where I'll differ is Denver - Peyton Manning needs this for his legacy, so I think the Broncos will blow it open. To me, the Chargers are this year's "attaboy" team. Good run, guys, but it's time to let the big boys play now.

[Eric Menchen]

I'm with Glenn on this one. And while I live in the Denver area and have been following the Broncos with some interest this season, I'm not really a fan and think this is based on just a little bias and more on observations during the season. The Broncos offense has gone cold a few times, but I don't think that will happen this weekend. Next weekend is a different story.

[Roy Hersh]

4 quick picks:

Seattle, (not wet here today or yesterday) and NO is ready for cold and it is not cold here now either. I think Seattle will ultimately win, but they best not take the Saints for granted, as they are a heck of a tough team.

Heart roots against NE Patsies, but head says they will win at home, and might be a blow out.

I think SF will wind up playing in NFC Championship game vs. Seattle. The 49'ers are tough and focused and have a better balanced team. Even on the road against a v. solid team, they should prevail.

Denver by 12. Don't see the donkeys having a hard time this time around. Noise will be amped up to the max.

[Ray Barnes]

If it so happens that New England wins the AFC, I expect they will be greeted in the most cordial and congenial fashion by the local fans at the Super Bowl.

[Ray Barnes]

By the way Roy, you might be pleased to know that a local sports radio network guru is calling for the Colts to upset the Patriots. If the game were being played at Lucas Oil Stadium, I think his prediction would have a very good chance of success. If they can do this in a monsoon tomorrow however, that would be pretty remarkable.

[Roy Hersh]

For my way of thinking, the least likely to be upset at home would be Denver.

[Ray Barnes]

Hard to say either way, since both teams have won in each other's back yard. Somebody at NFL.com is calling for the Saints over the Hawks, and the Colts over the Patriots.

As an aside, Charlotte NC native wrestling legend Ric Flair made a much publicized visit to the 49ers locker room prior to their game in Green Bay. Flair will not be attending the Panthers/49ers clash due to what is officially being described as death threats against him from irate Panther fans. Truth be told, he has a $33,000 court order outstanding from NC issued last July for unpaid support to his last ex-wife. Should he set foot in NC, he would be likely placed in custody until his judgment is paid. He is now residing, alternatively, in FL and GA.

[Roy Hersh]

The good (or bad actually) news for me, is that I have no horse left in this race and can be open minded as to who I believe should win. As my team's long time deepest rivalry is with Denver, I have all the reason in the world to HATE them more than any other team in the NFL. As my brother is a huge fan of that team, having switched a lifetime allegiance from the same team I root for ... and he's been a donkey's fan since the early 1980's when we both first moved to CO, it makes for interesting discussions over the years. Nonetheless, I can't think of any team that is more likely to be in the Super Bowl this year, no less possibly win it. This team was crap, the year before Manning took over as QB. And the year before that, b4 giving up their young and loved/worshipped and hated QB (Tebow) that wound up on the NY Jets (ineffectively the next season) ... I look back and think, where did all the talent come from, which has made this such an instant success the past couple of seasons. Maybe the other big thing was Denver getting rid of Dennis Allen. Is Mr. Tebow stil in the NFL today?

Then again, there is NO other major sport in which a team can go from goat to hero so quickly. The turn around of several losing teams the past season or two has shown some meteoric rises. This is not new in the NFL though and always a shock. There are many examples of this over the past two decades.

[Gary Banker]

Then again, there is NO other major sport in which a team can go from goat to hero so quickly. The turn around of several losing teams the past season or two has shown some meteoric rises. This is not new in the NFL though and always a shock. There are many examples of this over the past two decades.

2013 Boston Red Sox

[Ray Barnes]

To this day, and I realize that I am in the minority here, I find very troublesome the degree of vituperation that fans of specific teams have for opposing teams. While professional sports is by definition highly competitive, I still feel there ought to be reasonable limits of adversarialism.

[Ray Barnes]

PS - Although I am rooting for the Seahawks, it would not be at all disappointing to see the 49ers vs. the Saints next weekend. Their clash in January 2012 was the best game of that post-season, truly a great game.

[Roy Hersh]

Ray,

I respectfully find we totally disagree. Having heated rivalries between sports teams and fans in the world of FIFA football or NFL football, not to mention hockey, baseball, basketball etc. is what makes sports even more fun. So while your peaceful approach is probably something much more west coast oriented, I just don't see that as being the wave of the future.

[Ray Barnes]

Point taken. My own approach is, with reciprocal respect, not at all west coast oriented, since there are heated, zealous fans everywhere. Metro Vancouver has a large number of haters of the Bruins and Blackhawks; I am not among them, but not a fan either.

[Roy Hersh]

As a Canucks fan as well, I can certainly understand their feelings ... especially after their Finals series a couple of years ago. Boston is dirty on D and I have no respect for that. Play hard, play fair. Same reason I am happy as hell that A-Roid is out for the upcoming season and likely done in MLB.

[Ray Barnes]

I'm not a fan of cheaters either, any form of cheating. As for Alex Rodriguez, assuming he is guilty of the findings against him, he has hurt a lot of people.

So far the Hawks/Saints rematch is closer than the original - the Saints D means business today.

[Roy Hersh]

Well I like the Hawks up 13-0 at the moment while the first go round was 17-0 at this point. But I wouldn't say the the NO D is that tough at the moment. But it is way early. I'd say though that the Seattle D is looking far less porous through the early going in the 2nd qtr.

[Ray Barnes]

If the Hawks survive the 2nd and 3rd quarters, they should be in good shape with the wind at their back in the end. The Hawks D has not looked good against the run, something I was not expecting.

[Roy Hersh]

Do you see what Seattle is doing to the NO defense on the ground? Then again, what real sustained mo has the running game of NO kept alive?

Seattle up 16-0 at this point and pretty one sided on offense today so far.

I just don't know what you are seeing here my friend.