Brandon's Playoff Week 2 Preview

Wild Card weekend has come and gone, leaving us with just eight teams left on the road to Super Bowl XL. This is typically the most difficult round to predict, so I'm not expecting another 4-0 week. What you can expect are four highly competitive games that should end up being more intriguing than last weeks games.

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks (Saturday, 4:30)

It seems like a good portion of people truly expect the Redskins to pull this victory off. Yes I am aware that the Seahawks had the easiest schedule in all of football, and yes I know the Redskins beat the Seahawks in week 4, but I just don't see the Skins taking this game. First off, there's home field advantage. Seattle was 8-0 at home this year, and since Seattle is not a town used to being a playoff host, the crowd should be even more fired up than usual. Second, there's a guy by the name of Shaun Alexander. With such a strong offensive line, not even the Redskins intense defense will be able to shut him down completely. Third, Matt Hasselbeck is playing very consistently. With Darrell Jackson back, he has a threat at receiver, and I see Hasselbeck having yet another good game. Look for Clinton Portis to have a better game this week, as will Mark Brunell, but they just don't have enough firepower to keep up with the high powered Seahawks.

Predicted Score: Seahawks 31, Redskins 16

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (Saturday, 8:00)

In my opinion, this is a tough one to predict. On one side you have the consistent Broncos. Their defense has been consistent enough for their 5th ranked offense to pull through. On the other side you have the potent Patriots, led by none other than Mr. Undefeated, Tom Brady. I expect this game to be a back and forth matchup that could go down to the final minutes. The Patriots defense is really starting to pick up some steam, but the one-two punch of Mike Anderson and Tatum Bell is no easy task for any defense to stop. Tom Brady is known for his playoff abilities, but it will be up to Corey Dillon to have a solid game running the ball. If this game was in the opposite stadium, I'd have no problem picking the Pats, but anytime you go to Denver, you're going up against one of the greatest crowds in the game. Denver won in week 6, but that was a very different New England team, and I expect a different result. If you're going to watch one football game this weekend, make it this one.

Predicted Score: Patriots 26, Broncos 23

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, 1:00)

Last week, I said that the Steelers were the dark horse in the playoffs. Any time your defense is strong and you have a consistent running attack, you are always capable of doing big things. However, I think it would be a shame if the Colts didn't go on and win the Super Bowl. In my 17 years of following professional football, I don't know if I have ever been as impressed as much as I have by the Colts. It is no secret that I am a big Peyton Manning fan, but everything about this team is impressive. They play smart football, while still having a killer instinct. Don't believe me, Joey Porter? Just wait until they light up the scoreboard this week.

Predicted Score: Colts 38, Steelers 20

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (Sunday, 4:30)

Ever since the whole TO implosion, the Panthers have been my pick to represent the NFC in Detroit. As confident as I was in them to do so, I certainly didn't expect them to blank the Giants in New York. Logic says that if you hold Eli Manning and Tiki Barber to 0 points, then you should have no problem doing the same to the Bears, right? Wrong. The Bears defense has been phenomenal and they always put their team in a position to win a ballgame. However, they will have to play out of this world to be able to move on. This game will be very similar to the 13-3 Bears victory in week 11, but with the scores in opposite directions. With Rex Grossman's inexperience, I think the Panthers should be able to contain Thomas Jones enough for a hard fought victory.

Predicted Score: Panthers 16, Bears 6

Well fans (all 0 of you), that's all for this week. Make sure to keep an eye out for more Tool Box articles this month, and of course I'll be here next week for my playoff predictions.