NFL Crystal Ball
By Chris Goudey
Contributing Writer

This year’s playoffs look to be as unpredictable as the entire year has been itself. No one could’ve guessed that teams like San Diego, Baltimore and New Orleans have played as well as they have and teams like Pittsburgh, Carolina, Cincinnati, Denver and Washington would be sitting at home. There are the usual suspects in this year’s playoffs, like Chicago, Seattle, Indianapolis and New England, but as to who’s going to win it all, well that’s anyone’s guess.

I’ve studied this week’s matchups and possible future matchups and because I feel I know the league and its tendencies about as well as anyone, I’ll take a stab at predicting what’s going to happen. Here’s what I see happening the next few weeks:Wild Card round (this weekend) Dallas at Seattle – I really think that last week’s horrible performance by the Cowboys in losing to the Lions is going to give them the kick-in-the-pants they needed coming into the postseason. I’m sure Bill Parcells has made this a real fun week of practice for the ‘Boys, so I anticipate them coming out fired up and ready to kill. Seattle’s defense has simply been atrocious this year, and the Seahawks will be missing both of their starting cornerbacks, and against the talented WR duo of Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, that is going to be their downfall. Look for Dallas to win a close one in the Northwest. N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia – No team was more fortunate to make the playoffs than the Giants. They lost 6 out of their last 8 games and if not for the fantastic performance by Tiki Barber last Saturday night, they probably wouldn’t have made it at all. The Eagles are playing extremely well, and I just can’t see the Giants keeping up with them in the un-friendly environs of Philly. The Eagles win by 7-10 points here. Kansas City at Indianapolis – This game smells like an upset, as Indianapolis could have the worst run defense in the league and the Chiefs are about the worst possible team for them to play with all-world RB Larry Johnson on their side. That being said, however, K.C. has been a horrible road team all season, and I think the Colts can score enough points to keep them at bay, but it should be a close one. N.Y. Jets at New England We all know that playoff time is Tom Brady’s time to shine, and even with all the injuries his team has suffered, the Pats still have him to count on when it matters. The Jets have been a fantastic story this year, as they have achieved far more than anyone thought they would under rookie head coach (and Bill Belichick apprentice) Eric Mangini. This is where the road ends for them, though, as Brady’s will and the rabid home crowd in Foxborough takes care of things. Divisional Playoffs NFC Dallas at Chicago – After taking care of business on the road against the Seahawks, confidence has been restored in the Dallas offense, and the Cowboys are ready to take on a Bears defense that has been very shaky recently. When you combine that and the inconsistent play of Bears’ QB Rex Grossman, I think this one is definitely in Dallas’ favor and shouldn’t really be considered that much of an upset. Philadelphia at New Orleans – Jeff Garcia has been a great story for the Eagles the past 6-8 weeks, but I think is where the wheels come off his train. The Saints, now playing a home playoff game in the Superdome after all that city has been through? Give me a break! The crowd will give them a huge advantage, not to mention the fact that they have the best offense in the league and have had two weeks to prepare. The Saints win this one easily in my opinion and make their first NFC Championship Game appearance. Indianapolis at Baltimore – The classic great offense against a great defense matchup will take place, and once again Peyton Manning will fall to a team that understands that you have to be strong defensively to have any chance to win a title. Manning is a fantastic player, no question, but he simply can’t deliver a ring to Indy unless he gets help on the other side of the ball. Baltimore has the best defense in the league, and with the pounding running game of Jamal Lewis and accurate passing of Steve McNair, should be able to score at least 24 points on the Colts. I just can’t see the Colts being able to score that much against the Ravens, especially in a cold and hostile environment. New England at San Diego – This is where all the injuries on the Patriots will take their toll. If this game was in New England, I’d pick the Pats, simply because they have the experience and coaching to come through, but I just think that the homefield advantage, which is usually worth about 3 points, is going to allow the Chargers to win a nail-biter. I have no confidence in Marty Schottenheimer as a coach, and I think Belichick can come up with a plan to slow down LaDainian Tomlinson, but with all the injuries in the Patriots secondary, QB Philip Rivers will somehow get enough points on the board to win it. This is the pick I am least confident about, though, just because the Chargers can be beaten through the air and the Pats have the best playoff QB around. AFC/NFC Championship GamesNFC Dallas at New Orleans – These are the two best teams in the NFC in my opinion and only because this game is in New Orleans am I going to go with the Saints. Yes, the Saints whipped the Cowboys in Dallas earlier this year, but no one important on New Orleans has been in a game this big. Dallas has the coaches and many players who have played in conference championship games, so this one should be a high-scoring, very close game. I just see something magical happening for the Saints late in the 4th quarter, and I see them dancing on Bourbon Street as they make their first Super Bowl appearance. A Cowboys road sweep to the Super Bowl wouldn’t surprise me, however. Baltimore at San Diego – We could have two teams that have never won a title playing against each other if San Diego wins, but I just can’t see it happening. Defense wins championships, and the Ravens have almost exactly the same type of formula going that they did when they won their first title a few years ago. Run the ball, get solid QB play and ride the defense to the victory. McNair has been around forever and was within one play of winning a Super Bowl in Tennessee, while Rivers is just getting started. I’m going with the experience and the defense here, as Marty-ball doesn’t get it done yet again. Super Bowl New Orleans vs Baltimore – Well, here we go. We have the best offense in the league against the best defense. I just said it in the last paragraph – DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS! You can’t find a team that’s won the Super Bowl that didn’t have at least a very good defense. The Saints simply don’t have it. They have been opportunistic and had timely turnovers, but overall they are simply average, and when you get this far down the road, that doesn’t cut it. The Ravens’ offense is not a top one, to be sure, but it can control the clock and keep that high-powered attack of the Saints off the field, and when the Saints do take the field, they’re going to face pressure like they never have. Final score: Baltimore 24, New Orleans 17 http://www.wagerweb.com/affiliatesred/AF3487/23//www.wagerweb.com