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Garceau: How Everybody Wins During Wildcard Weekend

I know 4 teams will be toast by Sunday night leaving 8 in the hunt for Super Bowl 50. This is a strange Wildcard round with 3 of the 4 road teams favored and Washington just a 1-point home favorite against Green Bay.

I can make a case for all 8 teams winning this weekend (Vikings a reach) so I will. Here are three reasons these teams will win:

Saturday's Games

Kansas City at Houston, 4:35, ESPN

Chiefs:

1. After a 1-5 start they've won 10 straight, KC is the hottest team in the NFL.

2. They can run the football, Chiefs 19 rushing touchdown's tie for league lead.

3. Chiefs corner's had only 1 pick in '14, rookie Marcus Peters has 8 this year. Hoyer beware!

Texans:

1. JJ Watt, 'nuff said. Main reason 5 of last 9 opponents scored 6 points.

2. DeAndre Hopkins is a game changer and the only player in NFL history with a 100-yard receiving game under four different quarterbacks in the same season.

3. History is on Houston's side, the Chiefs eight-game playoff losing streak is tied with Detroit for the longest in the league

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Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 8:15, CBS

Steelers:

1. QB matchup Big Ben vs. AJ McCarron

2. Under Mike Tomlin 4 straight over Bengals and 13 of 18.

3. Antonio Brown is a brilliant play-maker.           

Bengals:

1. Nasty Defense! Second in the NFL in points allowed (17.4).

2. Big Ben slumping? He has two-plus picks in three-straight games for the first time since 2006.

3. Steelers ordinary on road, 4-4 with -7 turnover ratio.

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Sunday's Games

Seattle at Minnesota, 1:05, NBC

Seahawks:

1. Russell Wilson can beat you with arm, legs and mind. Highest QB rating in NFL.

2. Marshawn Lynch is back, Beast Mode just in time.

3. Capital "D".  Seattle is the only team since the 1970 merger to lead the NFL in scoring defense for four consecutive seasons

Vikings:

1. Adrian Peterson, the NFL's best will have to be at his best.

2. Weather, the sub-zero wind chill might give the home team a slight edge.

3. They're the biggest underdog this weekend, no pressure on Mike Zimmer's Vikings.

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Green Bay at Washington, 4:40, FOX

Packers:

1. Aaron Rodgers, if he's at QB his team has a chance.

2. Redskins soft schedule, haven't beat a playoff team or a team with a winning record.

3. Green Bay's defense lead by Clay Matthews and Mike Daniels and 2 rookie cornerbacks has been the strength of the team.

Redskins:

1. Kirk Cousins game's best QB. Cousins has led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating over the second half of the season. Aaron Rodgers is dead last in completion percentage and 27th in passer rating in that same time.

2. Jordan Reed, the Redskins tight end is having a huge season with nearly 1,000 receiving yards and 11 TD's.

3. Home field, the Washington fans haven't had a lot of playoff football and should wound up for this one.

I'm guessing I'm half right on the above. Enjoy the football!

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