NFL Playoffs Week 1

You know it’s Week 1 of the NFL Playoffs when one or more of the following occurs:

- Dan Synder has fired more coaches then Brittney Spears has flashed her …

- The Houston Texans swear next year is their year and we all cheers to their many near playoff appearances

- Mike Singletary takes off his pants and reveals he has become Asian in more ways then one

- Drew Brees still has that thing on his face

- My good buddy and pal, let’s call him “Juice Springsteen”, has broken 3 remotes and cut the sleeves off his Pat White jersey preparing for spring

With that said, it’s time breakdown the games with the help of the 40ozsports honorary guest handicappers. Let’s see how the 40oz experts (RC and MR) stack up. To answer your question, no, they aren’t handicapped, well one might be…

Jets + 2.5 @ Bengals

RC:  Jets control the clock and Sanchez limits his mistakes. Palmer hasn’t looked the same of late and Revis lets Ocho Cinco name his own island after he shuts him down again.

MR: Rookie Quarterback and Head Coach on the Road for the
Jets. Bengals have a fallen teammate on their side. Hard to bet against them.

Juice Springsteen: Bengals are my pick. Mark Sanchez will be deported due to being an illegal immigrant they’ll have to win with Kellen Clemens at the helm

Spi “The Greek”: This game will have a VERY different outcome then the game last Sunday night.  The Bengals had absolutely nothing to play for and wanted to get the heck out of New Jersey as fast as possible (evident by the 37-0 score).  This game will be a defensive battle that will come down to which of the former USC quarterback’s makes the fewer mistakes

Buddah: Buddah apparently only speak in one word fragments. So he said “Jets”

Drunken Jets Fans: What else can I say here, I’m a Jets fan, so to be realistic we are going to lose 37-0, but I’ll be drunk Saturday from 11AM on and good ol’ Jack makes me feel fairly confident that The Sanchize and Co. will come into Cinci and walk away victorious, easily covering the 2.5.

Eagles + 4 @ Cowboys

RC: Typically the Eagles and Cowboys are polar opposites in December. The Cowboys seem to have finally cured their December woes. But, I still think Romo will make one too many mistakes and McNabb will be sharper then he was last week. Expect this game to be high scoring.

MR:  The ‘Boys have seemed to get over their late season woes.
Their O-line and pass rush are going to be keys to the game. Westbrook
isn’t 100% or the outcome would be different. The Eagles also have a
backup center in, which means Jay Ratliff will do what he wants.

Juice Springsteen: Dallas will win. Philly…what a joke of a city…and they’ll be disqualified due to Andy Reid eating all the pigskins thinking they are made of bacon

Spi “The Greek”: My gut tells me that this game is going to be a shoot-out.  The game will come down to the turnover battle and special teams play.  If either Felix Jones or Desean Jackson can bust a big return, it could be the game changer.  Either way, I expect a lot of big plays.  Since these two teams know each other so well, I also expect a few trick-plays.

Buddah: Cowboys

Drunken Jets Fans:  The only fans I hate more than Boston fans are Philly fans, and Mr. Romo carries his December magic to take his boys to the promise land, as long as he doesn’t botch the snap. 

Packers + 1 @ Cardinals

RC: Flying across the country twice in two weeks is not easy. But, I don’t trust Kurt Warner and the inconsistent Cardinals. The Packers win alongside a big day from Aaron Rodgers.

MR:  The Packers are arguably the hottest team in football. The
Cards were last year’s Cinderella squad, however won’t get an invite
to the ball this year. Clay Matthews will show why he should have
gotten a few more votes for Defensive ROY.

Juice Springsteen: Cardinals will win because Kurt Warner’s wife is pregnant with their 309th kid…all of which needed C-sections

Spi “The Greek”: With Dom Capers running this defense, the Packers have been a top 5 defense all year and I expect them to shut down Arizona’s passing attack.   Aaron Rodgers has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks this season and is simply in full command of this potent offense.  I think Jennings and Driver will have big days, especially if Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie isn’t 100%.

Buddah: Packers

Drunken Jets Fans: Give it up Kurt. Aaron Rodgers finally gives Packer fans a reason to sleep at night after watching Brett all year.

Ravens + 3 @ Patriots

RC: I think people are under estimating the Patriots. The Welker injury absolutely hurts but they still have Moss and a more then competent running game. Hard to bet against Brady and Little Bill.

MR:  The hardest game for me to pick. Wes Welker being out
definitely hurts the Pats, however Brady (even with broken ribs)
always finds a way. Joe Flacco, to me, is still a rookie QB. I don’t
have faith in him leading a drive with 2 minutes left to play. I’ll
take the Pats at GIllette.

Juice Springsteen: Ravens win, Ray Lewis will end Brady’s career by stabbing him in the stomach but ultimately will be acquitted in trial again

Spi “The Greek”: Losing Welker last week is definitely going to hurt Brady and the Pats as he was their primary possession receiver and, would most likely been a major key for the Pats in this weekend’s game.  With Welker out, the Ravens can now fully focus on Randy Moss to slow down Brady and the Pats passing attack.  The Ravens D will also shut down the Pats decent running game. 

Buddah: Ravens

Drunken Jets Fans: Love Baltimore this weekend, See Ray Run anyone? The Wes Welker injury is too much to handle for this Patriots offense, and I just don’t feel confident in Julian Edelman. The Patriots dynasty is officially over.