Bob Haynie: Playoffs? Playoffs!? Yep. Here Are The Picks
Oh yes. The NFL regular season of 2012 has flown by.
We have seen the emergence of three franchise QB's. RGIII with the Redskins, Russell Wilson with the Seahawks and Andrew Luck with the Colts.
This season also saw the return of QB Peyton Manning. Although he no longer plays in Indy, he still plays at an extremely high level with the Denver Broncos.
How about Vikings RB Adrian Peterson? A year after a catastrophic knee injury, AP rushed for over 2,000 yards and led Minnesota to the playoffs for the first time since Brett Farve was their quarterback.
There are, however, the inevitable firings of head coaches. Super Bowl vets like Andy Reid, Lovie Smith and Ken Whisenhunt all felt the axe.
But now it's time to move onto the good stuff.
LISTEN:
Podcast
The NFL playoffs.
I have not done very well this season with my picks.
So, it's time to redeem myself as the Wild-Card round begins.
AFC:
Bengals @ Texans: A rematch of last season's WC game. The Texans were on fire for most of the season, but have struggled down the stretch. The Bengals--and their defense--have trended upwards.
I'm going with Cincy in the upset.
Colts @ Ravens: Indy is 2-0 against Baltimore in the playoffs. That was with Peyton Manning. Luck is the new kid in town. The return of cancer survivor and former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is a great story. Of course, Ray Lewis announced he will retire after the Baltimore season ends. And do you remember the Baltimore Colts? Story lines anyone?
Ravens win 24-17.
NFC:
Vikings @ Packers: Peterson has been awesome. QB Christian Ponder has not been. Aaron Rodgers and the Pack defend Lambeau Field and advance.
Seahawks @ Redskins: Two brilliant rookie QB's meet in the first round at Fed Ex Field. Both are deserving contenders for ROY. I'll go with Russell Wilson and the Seattle defense to knock off RGIII and the 'Skins.
The holiday season is not over. It's NFL holiday season.
Enjoy the games and hopefully, Ray Lewis will play on for another week.
BH
