Wild Card Playoffs Picks

Since Gabe missed Week 17, we didn't bother to count it into the regular season record and just gave him the regular season crown. We'll put an asterisk on it though. Truth be told, Gabe didn't even have to mail in his picks from across the water because, while The Big Adobo had an excuse for vacating the final week of the season, Dave had no answer for his no-show.

Here's our take on the playoffs' opening weekend:

LAST WEEK

Dave: 5-9
Gabe: n/a

REGULAR SEASON(through Week 16)

Gabe: 120-112-11
Dave: 113-121-11

Lions (+10.5) at Saints

Dave: Lions - Howie Long said it best on "The Dan Patrick Show"....this has Baylor-Washington written all over it. Double digits is asking a lot considering this Lions team just went punch-for-punch with a slightly better Packers team in Lambeau(granted, with no Aaron Rodgers). The Saints are going to win this game but they aren't going to dominate and arrogant spreads like these are what gives underdogs like Detroit momentum to make Super Bowl runs. New Orleans doesn't have an answer for Calvin Johnson but New Orleans spreads the ball out too much and too quickly for Detroit's solid pass rush to get their hands on Drew Brees. I think this is a shootout til the end because neither team can run the ball consistently enough to eat up clock. Saints by 6.


Gabe: Saints


Bengals (+3.5) at Texans


Dave: Bengals - You wonder what this Texans team would be like if they had a healthy Matt Schaub and Mario Williams. Unfortunately, they don't and the Bengals are good enough against the run to neutralize Houston's last remaining weapon: Arian Foster. It's hard betting on a rookie QB and a rookie WR on a team that chronically underachieves in the playoffs to go on the road and notch a win but Houston is way too beat up to put up a fight here. Bengals by 4.


Gabe: Bengals


Steelers (-8) at Broncos


Dave: Broncos - I think Denver loses here but keep in mind that Pittsburgh hasn't covered a spread with Roethlisberger at QB since Ben hurt his ankle against Cleveland a month ago. With Mendenhall out, they need Issac Redman to be this year's James Starks. Could it happen? Sure. But the Steelers are going to have to eventually establish the passing game if they are going to beat the Broncos by more than a touchdown. I think we see struggles by both offenses and a defensive touchdown is the difference here. Steelers by 7.


Gabe: Broncos - Denver loses but all of the Pittsburgh injuries keep this one close.


Falcons (+3) at Giants


Dave: Falcons - The Giants' D-line spent the week talking shit about the Falcons' offensive line. Karma usually isn't favorable towards teams that provide bulletin board material, particularly in big games such as this. The Falcons have the balance on offense that the Giants don't and Michael Turner is the perfect kind of big body bruiser to play in the wintery chills of the Meadowlands. New York is the scariest team in these playoffs but I think all the fuss about Green Bay and New Orleans and San Francisco has allowed us to forget that Atlanta's pretty damn good too. I'm going for the upset here. Falcons by 10.


Gabe: Giants - I truly think my Giants go one and done in this years playoffs, but they are going to get this one. If they can corral Michael Turner (not an easy task by any stretch) and put the Falcons in passing situations then the Giants' pass rush will wreack havoc on Matty Ice. Giants by a touchdown.