NFC / AFC Championship Games Match-Ups and Predictions

6 Green Bay Packers @ 2 Chicago Bears

Kick Off Time: Sunday 3:00pm

This is a match up of two of the more historic teams in NFL history. The NFC North rivals split the two meetings they had in the regular season. The Bears won the first game in Week 3 of the NFL season 20-17 while the Packers beat the Bears earning a playoff spot in Week 17, 10-3. Bears QB Jay Cutler played very well against the Seahawks in his first career playoff game and they will need a balanced attack against the Packers defense. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 11 touchdowns since he's came back from the concussion he suffered against the Lions. Chicago's defensive front four must absolutely force pressure on Rodgers in order to win the game. Green Bay's defensive focus should be stopping Bears RB Matt Forte and not worrying about what Jay Cutler is doing because Cutler will give the Packers some opportunities to pick off some passes. This game is really a toss up and the difference could be special teams with the Bears having Devin Hester returning kickoffs and punts. Bears win at home 14-10.

6 NewYork Jets @ 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

Kick Off Time: Sunday 6:30pm

The Jets won the regular season match up at Heinz Field 22-17 on Week 15 of the NFL season. The big difference in this game between then and now is #43 (Troy Polamalu) is playing in this game. When Polamalu isn't in the lineup, the Steelers allow about 90 rushing yards per game where when he is in, they only allow about 60 yards per game. This game's outcome will depend on which defense plays better and who forces more turnovers. The Steelers offensive line is awful and as long as the Jets defense can put some hits on QB Ben Roethlisberger, they might be able to force some bad throws. The Jets go into the game with the psychological edge because they just beat the two best quarterbacks in the league in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Big Ben is actually very mobile though compared to those two.  Also, they already beat the Steelers and although no one on the Jets has said anything; it's personal with Jets coach Rex Ryan and linebacker Bart Scott. Both of them were apart of the Baltimore Ravens when the Steelers beat the Ravens in the 2008 AFC Championship game. The Steelers offense needs to find and exploit mismatches with Jets linebackers covering their wide receivers during the game. Jets QB Mark Sanchez needs to play smart, yet aggressive. It will be up to him if they want to win throwing to WR Braylon Edwards, TE Dustin Keller and former Steeler WR Santonio Holmes. The Steelers defense will most likely shut down Jets RB's LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. Jets win in an upset 24-21.

NFL Divisional Playoff Match-Ups and Predictions

5 Baltimore Ravens @ 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

Kick Off Time: Saturday 4:30pm

These bitter rivals absolutely hate eachother. These teams split the 2 games that they played during the regular season. The Ravens took the first one 17-14 at Heinz Field against a Steelers team that didn't have QB Ben Roethlisberger. The Steelers won the next meeting 13-10. Ravens RB Ray Rice needs to have a big game. Same goes with QB Joe Flacco and it seems like Ray Lewis and the defense are on a mission. When its all settled on the field though, expect the Steelers to have more points than the Ravens. These two teams are mirror images of eachother so I'll go with the Steelers 16-13.

6 Green Bay Packers @ 1 Atlanta Falcons

Kick Off Time: Saturday 8:00pm

The Falcons won the regular season matchup 20-17. Falcons QB Matt Ryan is 20-2 at home and is ready to take his game to the next level. The Packers found a running game last week and Aaron Rodgers just might shred Atlanta's secondary which allowed 344 passing yards in their win against Green Bay. The X factor will be TE Tony Gonzalez for the Falcons as he always seems to find the endzone. Both teams defenses are solid with Green Bay's defense being really good the last 3 weeks. Packers win 24-16.

4 Seattle Seahawks @ 2 Chicago Bears

Kick Off Time: Sunday 1:00pm

The Seahawks are coming off of one of the biggest upsets in playoff history against the Super Bowl defending Saints. Seattle has a proven veteran QB in Matt Hasselbeck who has seen it all. The Bears have a QB in Jay Cutler who either looks like a Pro Bowl quarterback or he looks like a rookie throwing passes to the other team. Seattle actually won earlier this season at Chicago 23-20. Chicago's defense should be able to actually tackle Seahawk RB Marshawn Lynch and shut him down forcing Hasselbeck to throw almost every down. The Bears need to start fast to take pressure off of Cutler which I think they will and eventually win 31-21.

6 New York Jets @ 1 New England Patriots

Kick Off Time: Sunday 4:30pm

The Jets were embarrassed 45-3 against the Patriots on Monday Night Football. At the same time though, they are only 1 of 2 teams to beat the Patriots. The other being the Cleveland Browns. Patriots QB Tom Brady seems to never lose at home and he probably won't this time either. It'll be interesting to see if Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan blitzes Brady or keeps the same strategy he used on Colts QB Peyton Manning of not blitzing very often. The Jets offense is very inconsistent and faces a good Patriots defense. Pats win 24-13.

2011 NFL Mock Draft

1. Carolina Panthers - Andrew Luck QB, Stanford

2. Denver Broncos - Da'Quan Bowers DE, Clemson

3. Buffalo Bills - Nick Fairley DT/DE, Auburn

4. Cincinnati Bengals - A.J. Green WR, Georgia

5. Arizona Cardinals - Ryan Mallett QB, Arkansas

6. Cleveland Browns - Patrick Peterson CB, LSU

7. San Francisco 49ers - Cam Newton QB, Auburn

8. Tennessee Titans - Stephen Paea DT, Oregon State

9. Dallas Cowboys - Prince Amukamara CB, Nebraska

10. Washington Redskins - Julio Jones WR, Alabama

11. Houston Texans - Von Miller DE/OLB, Texas A&M

12. Minnesota Vikings - Blaine Gabbert QB, Missouri

13. Detroit Lions - Bruce Carter OLB, North Carolina

14. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon WR, Oklahoma State

15. Miami Dolphins - Jake Locker QB, Washington

16. Jacksonville Jaguars - Robert Quinn DE, North Carolina

17. New England Patriots - Marcel Dareus DE/DT, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers - Ryan Kerrigan DE/OLB, Purdue

19. New York Giants - Akeem Ayers OLB, UCLA

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Adrian Clayborn DE, Iowa

*21. Seattle Seahawks - Derrick Sherrod OT, Mississippi State

*22. Kansas City Chiefs - Jonathon Baldwin WR, Pittsburgh

*23. Indianapolis Colts - Gabe Carimi OT, Wisconsin

*24. Philadelphia Eagles - Mike Pouncey OG, Florida

*25. Green Bay Packers - Mark Ingram RB, Alabama

*26. New Orleans Saints - J.J. Watt DE/DT, Wisconsin

*27. New York Jets - Cameron Heyward DE/DT, Ohio State

*28. Baltimore Ravens - Aaron Williams CB, Texas

*29. Chicago Bears - Drake Nevis DT, LSU

*30. Pittsburgh Steelers - Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State

*31. Atlanta Falcons - Anthony Castonzo OT, Boston College

*32. New England Patriots - Janoris Jenkins CB, Florida

* - Draft picks not set until playoff results

NFL Wildcard Match-Ups and Predictions

5 New Orleans Saints @ 4 Seattle Seahawks

Kick Off Time: Saturday 4:30pm

Throw the records out the window. It's finally playoff time. The Seahawks are at home where Qwest Field is one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL but Drew Brees and the Saints should have no trouble slashing a very inconsistent Seahawk defense. The crowd keeps the Seahawks in it for awhile but the Saints win 34-20.

6 New York Jets @ 3 Indianapolis Colts

Kick Off Time: Saturday 8:00pm

The Jets haven't been that great in the last half of the season while the Colts are riding a four game winning streak. It's up to the Jets defense to win this game and force Peyton Manning into bad throws. That's their only chance. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene also need to get going to keep Manning off the field as long as possible. I think Manning tries too hard in this game and the Jets win 27-21

5 Baltimore Ravens @ 4 Kansas City Chiefs

Kick Off Time: Sunday 1:00pm

Kansas City is 7-1 at home this year and haven't been to the playoffs in awhile so they're defiantely eager to prove themselves against an elite team in the Ravens. For the Chiefs to win, they need a huge game from Jamaal Charles who is averaging a ridiculous 6.4 yards per carry with 1,467 yards on the season. The Ravens defense is just too good for that to happen while their offense will do well against a young Chiefs defense. Ravens win 38-17.

6 Green Bay Packers @ 3 Philadelphia Eagles

Kick Off Time: Sunday 4:30pm

The most anticipated playoff game of the week has two of the most exciting passing games in the league featuring two of the best quarterbacks in the league with Philadelphia's Michael Vick and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay won the Week 1 matchup 27-20 at Philly. This time though, Vick will have the whole game to throw to DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Green Bay has absolutely no running game where the Eagles still have LeSean McCoy at running back just in case the Packers' very good seconday shuts down the passing game of the Eagles. Vick must know where Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson are at all times, otherwise he's in for a long day. Still, Eagles win 17-13.