NFL Divisional Playoff Picks: Husband Versus Wife

On paper, this matchup looks like a mismatch. 

In one corner, you have a man who has allowed himself to be consumed with sports since he was a young boy. The husband catches as many NFL games as his second tier cable package will allow. He can tell you how a Tampa-Two defense is different than a regular Cover-Two. 

In the other corner, the wife thinks that when a team uses a Cover-Two, that means they are only covering two people. She’s not big on the strategic intricacies of the game.

As they say, though, that’s why they play the game.

I’m not feeling very confident on this. There’s some history you should know about. 

If there is one team that my wife is passionate about, it’s LSU football. She and I met at that great university and are both graduates. 

Here’s a story about the only time my wife hit me.

Five years ago, we were attending the Florida-LSU game and standing in the LSU student section. Yes, we were standing. 

It was the only game LSU lost that magical season.  Just as the Gators went up two scores late in the fourth quarter, my wife (then girlfriend) ferociously threw down her LSU baseball cap in disgust.

As I bent down to pick it up for her, she punched me—right in the shoulder.  The cap became bad luck to her.

At that moment, I knew I picked the right woman.

Just a little advice for you unmarried guys: Do not laugh when your significant other physically assaults you. In that situation, your laughter is not contagious.  She will not laugh with you.  She will only stare at you so intensely that she will burn a hole in your soul.

As poor college students during that same season, we could not afford but to watch the road games on TV. We decided to make small wagers on each road game to make things a little more interesting. 

Since we would both be picking LSU to win all of its road games, I decided that we would predict the scores of each game and whoever was closest would receive a home cooked meal from the other.

I figured I had four meals coming my way. Sure, my wife knew enough about the basics of football to get through a game without asking me more than a question or two here or there, but I knew more about football than she even cared to know.

She beat me 3-1. 

Now, here we are just over five years later. We’re going head to head in the divisional playoffs. 

Baltimore at Tennessee

Baltimore dominated Miami last week.  The defense forced five turnovers.  Joe Flacco became the first rookie quarterback to win his first playoff game on the road.

Tennessee earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a style similar to Baltimore’s. They play defense tough and they use multiple running backs to establish one of the better rushing attacks in the NFL.

I like how the Ravens play football, especially with Ed Reed covering sideline to sideline.  I don’t think, though, that they can win back to back physical road games, especially with a shortened week.

In reality, Tennessee has had two weeks extra to rest.  They rested most of their starters in Week 17 against the Colts and had a bye last week. 

The Titans should see the return of Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Wife’s pick:

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?