Predictions for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL playoffs are here, and the slate of games on Wild Card Weekend is nothing short of awesome.

There are three rematches from the regular season, with Kansas City at Indianapolis, San Diego at Cincinnati and San Francisco at Green Bay. Plus, New Orleans plays at Philadelphia in what's sure to be an entertaining affair.

It's worth noting that the last three Super Bowl champions have come out of the Wild Card Round, lending added importance to this weekend's results.

Here are my predictions for NFL Wild Card Weekend.

*All stats, unless otherwise stated, come from NFL.com

Kansas City Will Beat Indianapolis, 24-17

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Saturday's wild-card game between the Chiefs and Colts in Indianapolis is a rematch of Week 16, when the two teams battled in Kansas City. In that contest, the Colts surprisingly handled the Chiefs, 23-7, part of their three-game win streak to close out the season. Not surprisingly, their recent run of success has the Colts feeling very good about themselves heading into Saturday.

Indianapolis linebacker Robert Mathis, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks, said this week, "I think if you check the last six Super Bowl winners, they got hot at the right time. That's what it's all about, getting hot at the right time," per Michael Marot of the Associated Press via the Miami Herald. 

Conversely, the Chiefs skidded into the playoffs after having lost five of their final seven games following a 9-0 start. 

When reviewing the facts, it appears as if the Colts are in a fantastic position to win and advance, especially considering they're playing at home.

But that isn't going to happen. The Chiefs are going to rise to the occasion and claim victory on the road.

Despite the poor finish, Kansas City was the better team for much of the season, and possesses the ultimate weapon in running back Jamaal Charles. In the Week 16 loss to Indianapolis, Charles ran the ball 13 times for 106 yards, an average of 8.2 yards per carry, and finished the season averaging a ludicrous five yards per carry. When you couple that with the fact that the Colts possess the league's 26th ranked run defense, you get a recipe for a huge game from Charles.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is tremendous, but he can't do it by himself. His wide receiving corps is average at best without the injured Reggie Wayne, and it's hard to imagine running back Donald Brown gouging the Chiefs defense for eight yards per carry like he did in Week 16.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith won't make the crucial mistake, and coach Andy Reid will force-feed Charles the ball. Plus, the Chiefs will finally have their full complement of pass-rushers in tow, making life difficult for Luck.

When it's all said and done, the Chiefs will win and advance to the divisional round, where they'll travel to Denver for a third matchup this season against the Broncos.

Tamba Hali and Justin Houston Will Terrorize Andrew Luck

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The Kansas City Chiefs' defense sparkled during their phenomenal 9-0 run to begin the season, led by pass-rushing linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. But the dislocated elbow suffered by Houston in Week 12 was a killer, as the unit only managed 10 total sacks from that point forward.

Without Houston in the lineup, teams were able to focus on stopping Hali, and that sapped his effectiveness, as Hali only recorded two sacks in the four games that Houston missed. 

But Houston is set to return on Saturday, which is fantastic news for the Chiefs and their defensive coordinator, Bob Sutton, who will likely be able to dial up a pass rush just with his two stud linebackers.

Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star this week, "(Hali and Houston) are great pass rushers so (teams) can’t just come in and...double one person. Somebody has to have a one-on-one…when one of those guys are down, it’s not the same."

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was hit a preposterous number of times this season—107 for third-most in the league—and the prospect of Hali and Houston being in the lineup probably didn't help him sleep well this week.

While Hali is battling a knee that has kept him out of practice, he's expected to play, per ESPN's Adam Teicher, and with his running-mate back, he'll be able to get in Luck's face, and so will Houston.

Both men will end up sacking Luck, and one will force a critical fumble that will be recovered by Kansas City, helping the team to its first postseason victory since 1993.

Philadelphia Will Beat New Orleans, 30-20

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The Philadelphia Eagles finished the season winning seven of their final eight games to claim the NFC East title and enter the postseason on a hot streak. Quarterback Nick Foles had an epic season, tossing 27 touchdown passes against only two interceptions, and running back LeSean McCoy won the rushing title. In all, it was a wildly successful first season for coach Chip Kelly.

Their opponent this Saturday night, the New Orleans Saints, qualified for the postseason with a Week 17 win over Tampa Bay. That victory completed a perfect, 8-0 home mark for the Saints. But unfortunately for them, their Wild Card matchup with the Eagles will take place outdoors in Philadelphia.

And that's very bad news for coach Sean Payton and the Saints.

The Saints went 3-5 on the road this year, and have never won a road playoff game in team history (0-5), per Pro Football Reference. Their star quarterback, Drew Brees, threw 27 touchdowns passes and three interceptions in the friendly confines of the Superdome, but only 12 touchdown passes and nine interceptions on the road. There's little doubt that the Saints are a far different team away from New Orleans.

While the Eagles only went 4-4 at home, they won their last four to enter the postseason feeling good about their play at Lincoln Financial Field. The crowd will surely be raucous, and the game-time temperature is supposed to be around 20 degrees. That definitely favors the Eagles.

Philadelphia will win a high-scoring affair to set up a divisional round matchup at Carolina, and bounce the Saints from the postseason.

LeSean McCoy Will Score Three Touchdowns

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Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy had nothing short of a spectacular season. He won the rushing title with 1,607 yards and went over 2,000 all purpose-yards, scoring a combined 11 touchdowns in the process. 

And he's likely been salivating all week at the prospect of facing the Saints run defense this Saturday night. 

The Saints allow 4.6 yards per carry on the ground, a number that likely has Saints coach Sean Payton feeling nonplussed. Regarding McCoy, Payton told the Times-Picayune's Terrance Harris:

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"He's an extremely explosive back, his ability to bounce, cut and then put his foot into the ground and get north and south is unique. You don't have the yardage totals and the career numbers that he has had without a certain unique skill set. But he's explosive. You really have to get numbers to the ball, you have to populate the ball because he's tough in space."

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There's little chance that the Saints defense will be able to stop McCoy, who has dominated all season long.

McCoy will go over 100 yards on the ground and add another 40 through the air and score three total touchdowns as the Eagles beat the Saints and advance to the divisional round.

Cincinnati Will Beat San Diego, 30-13

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In Week 13, the Cincinnati Bengals traveled to San Diego and knocked off the Chargers, 17-10. The win helped carry the Bengals towards their first AFC North title since 2009, while the Chargers fell to 5-7 with the defeat and looked to be out of playoff contention.

But San Diego finished the season on a four-game winning streak to finish 9-7 and claim the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC, setting up a rematch with the Bengals, this time in Cincinnati.

Don't expect the result to be any different this time, though. The Bengals will win once again, and this time in more emphatic fashion.

There's no denying the fabulous season authored by Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who threw 32 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. He experienced a career renaissance under the tutelage of coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

But the Bengals defense has been nothing short of phenomenal at Paul Brown Stadium. This season, the unit has contributed to home victories against star quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and Joe Flacco, to go along with the aforementioned road triumph over Rivers and the Chargers.

The Bengals went 8-0 at home this season, and scored 34 points or more in six of those eight contests. That's bad news for the Chargers.

This is a critical game for the Bengals, who haven't won a playoff game since 1990, when the elder George Bush was in office. The team made the postseason in both 2011 and 2012, only to fall on the road in Houston both times. It's vital for coach Marvin Lewis' team to secure a win this year, and Lewis knows it, telling the media this week, per ProFootballTalk.com:

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“I thought we prepared very well a year ago. I thought we prepared very well the year before that. I’ve thought we’ve had good weeks of preparation and we’ve just got to go put it out there. We’ve just got to go play. We’re not going to get any of you to shut up about it until we win. That’s the way it is and I told them that this morning, flatly, OK? That’s the way it is. That’s the way it is.”

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It's time for the Bengals to break through. They're too good at home, and are the superior team. They'll beat the Chargers in blowout fashion, setting up a divisional round trip to New England to take on Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Andy Dalton Will Outplay Philip Rivers

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has been an extremely polarizing figure through his first three seasons in the NFL.

On one hand, he's led the team to playoff appearances in all three campaigns, compiling a 30-18 record and not missing a start in the process. He set team records this season for passing yards (4,296) and touchdown passes (33) as the Bengals won the AFC North.

But on the other hand, he's shrunk when it matters most, having played poorly in the team's two postseason losses at Houston. In those games, Dalton threw zero touchdown passes and four interceptions, and didn't look the part of a legitimate NFL quarterback. In fact, if Dalton hadn't overthrown a wide-open, streaking A.J. Green in last season's postseason game at Reliant Stadium, Green would still be running and the Bengals would have moved onto the divisional round.

Dalton's penchant for throwing interceptions in bunches is worrisome. There were five games this season in which he threw at least two interceptions, including four in Week 17's win over Baltimore. If he plays hot potato with the football, the Bengals could face their third straight one-and-done postseason appearance.

That won't happen. Dalton will play well, and the Bengals will win.

In fact, Dalton will outplay his San Diego counterpart, Philip Rivers, whom many (correctly) consider to be the superior player.

As detailed in the last slide, the Bengals defense is masterful, and has shut down a number of elite quarterbacks at home already. It's possible that Rivers could go off, but isn't likely.

But Dalton should have little difficulty shredding the league's 29th ranked pass defense. He didn't sparkle in the team's Week 13 win in San Diego, but that was on the road. Now is the time for Dalton to step up and get the job done.

The Chargers will have no answer for receiver A.J. Green, whom Dalton will connect with early and often. Dalton will throw for three touchdown passes, with at least two coming to Green, as the Bengals win their first playoff game since 1990.

San Francisco Will Beat Green Bay, 28-17

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Sunday's NFC wild-card matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field is the most intriguing of the weekend.

The 49ers finished 12-4, and in most years would have claimed a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. But thanks to the Seahawks finishing 13-3, they find themselves playing on the road to open up the postseason. Despite being the visiting team, Vegas has installed the 49ers, the defending NFC champions, as three-point favorite, as they enter the playoffs on a six-game winning streak.

While the 49ers qualified for the playoffs in Week 16, it took the Packers until the end of Week 17 to clinch the NFC North with a heart-stopping victory in Chicago. That game marked the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who missed seven games with a broken collarbone. It's incredible that the Packers were able to make the playoffs despite being without Rodgers for nearly half the season.

Since Jim Harbaugh became head coach of the 49ers in 2011, they haven't lost against Green Bay, compiling a 3-0 record. That includes the 45-31 blowout victory in the divisional round of last year's playoffs.

Yes, that game was in San Francisco, and yes, this game is in Green Bay, where the temperatures are supposed to be below freezing. But these aren't your daddy's 49ers, who won games with finesse. This is a rough-and-tumble unit built for cold-weather football.

The 49ers specialize in running the football, and the Packers cannot stop the run. Green Bay allowed 125 yards per game on the ground this season (more on this in the next slide), which has to be music to 49ers running back Frank Gore's ears.

Rodgers is a better quarterback than Colin Kaepernick, his San Francisco counterpart, but the 49ers possess the far superior defense and are a better all-around team.

The Packers won their Super Bowl in Week 17 by beating the Bears. The 49ers can only win their Super Bowl this February at MetLife Stadium.

The 49ers will beat the Packers by double-digits at Lambeau Field, and travel to Seattle for a titanic matchup in the divisional round against the Seahawks.

Frank Gore Will Lead a 49ers Rushing Attack That Goes over 200 Yards

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Fact: The San Francisco 49ers finished the season with the third-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and nearly 138 yards per game.

Fact: The Green Bay Packers finished the season with the 25th ranked rushing defense in the NFL, allowing 4.6 yards per carry and 125 yards per game.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the 49ers will be able to run the ball at will against the Packers this Sunday. In fact, running back Frank Gore will key an attack that goes over 150 rushing yards as the 49ers defeat Green Bay.

The 49ers ground game has been on a roll. As Greg A. Bedard pointed out in The MMQB, San Francisco has averaged 158 yards per game on the ground over the past four weeks, including 163 against the Seahawks, the NFL's No. 1 overall defense. If the 49ers can run the ball with aplomb against Seattle, imagine what they'll do to Green Bay.

The three-headed rushing monster of Gore, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and back Kendall Hunter will combine for over 200 yards rushing as the 49ers beat down the Packers.