NFL Wild Card Round Playoff Picks

By Kevin Schroeder
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Updated: January 6, 2017

This year, some of the GIIG NFL writers are giving you their picks every week. Shayne, Mike, Stevens, and I are picking against the spread as well.

Last week:

Let’s be honest: we were just throwing darts. Especially Shayne and I picking against the spread. In any case, Forrest had the best regular season record. Shayne and I were tied on the ATS picks going into the darts game, but he got more of his best bets right.

This week:

Analysis

Shayne:

AFC #5 Oakland @ #4 Houston

Really no other way to slice it, this game sucks. Connor Cook will start for the injured Derek Carr, and on Tuesday, Houston named Brock Osweiler the starting QB for the game on Saturday. Seriously, how big of a fucking joke is it that a team in the playoffs (that won their division) had to actually announce who their starting QB was going to be? I have to expect that Cook struggles in his first ever start on the road against a respectable defense. I’m going with a Houston win in a game I wont watch more than 5 minutes of. Houston 17-10.

NFC #6 Detroit @ #3 Seattle

These are two teams I really wanted to bet against but unfortunately they have to play each other. Seattle has a lot of injuries right now and their defense has looked horrible since losing Earl Thomas to injury. Their offensive line has been atrocious all season and even when healthy the entire team wasn’t really impressive at all. Detroit to the surprise of nobody (except maybe Qwan) blew the division once again and come into the playoffs LOSERS of their last 3 games. This is actually a harder game for me to pick than most people. I just have zero confidence in what I think is a pretty mediocre at best Seattle team. I’ll say they get it done at home but I think the Lions hang around all night. Seattle 24-20.

AFC #6 Miami @ #3 Pittsburgh

Adam Gase is coach of the year and it’s not really close is it? He’s done a hell of a job in his first year especially holding on to make playoffs after losing Tannehill to a torn ACL. Unfortunately for Miami, the good run they have had this year is going to come crashing down this Sunday. I really feel a blowout coming with Pittsburgh’s offense fully healthy and a defense that doesn’t receive as much credit as they deserve. The Steelers’ defense finished the regular season top 10 in efficiency and will make life miserable for Matt Moore. Steelers 31-10.

NFC #5 New York Giants @ #4 Green Bay

This is easily the best game on paper of the weekend and should live up to the hype. The Packers come in winners of their last 6 and offensively playing their best football in a while. The worry for me as a die-hard Packers fan is how bad and now banged up the secondary is. It’s been a struggle all season even when guys were healthy, and now with multiple injuries it’s extremely alarming when you look at the Giants WR’s. Oddly enough, The Giants have had a mediocre at best offense all year but an above average defense. Eli Manning sucks but he has Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Sterling Shephard who make him look competent. This game will be close but Aaron Rodgers who’s playing at an MVP level will figure a way to pull out a win. Packers 26-23.

Mike:

Houston Texans vs. Oakland Raiders

Not much to say here. Not excited about this game aside from it being a kickoff to playoff football. With Quarterbacks David Carr out for Oakland and Brock Osweiler back in command in Houston, we get to see the guy who was replaced by Tom Savage lead the Texans to a defensive struggle at home. Connor Cook will be at QB for the Raiders in a third string role which ultimately will aid the demise of Oakland’s great regular season. Houston has been good at home and will win a yawner to head to the Divisional round.

Texans 17

Oakland 13

Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions

The Lions haven’t beaten a team with a winning record all year. That trend won’t be discontinued Saturday in Seattle. Although the Seahawks aren’t appearing to be the near NFC powerhouse they have hinted at in recent years, they still play great home, only losing once, and find ways to win on both sides of the ball. A top two defense in points given up will show up and show out in front of the 12th Man at Matthew Stafford‘s (who has been brilliant this year) expense. Look for Russell Wilson to excel and Doug Baldwin to continue his hot streak. Detroit doesn’t have enough. Could this be Jim Caldwell’s last game? We shall see.

Seattle 24

Detroit 14

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Miami Dolphins

These two teams met early on in the season and found the Dolphins upending the Steelers 30-15 at home. Jay Ajiayi had a huge game, LeVeon Bell was only in his 2nd game back, and most importantly, Ben Roethlisberger left the game with an injury. Things are a little different now as the Pittsburgh will host Miami with Matt Moore at the helm at Quarterback. I’d believe Ajayi doesn’t have as big as a game this time around as Pittsburgh’s defense has vastly improved. However, look for Roethlisberger, Bell, and Antonio Brown to have huge outputs as the Steelers roll into the next round.

Pittsburgh 24

Miami 10

New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers

Can Eli Manning go tit for tat with the second half of the season MVP? Aaron Rodgers has been ridiculous in leading his team in “run(ning) the table” and getting Green Bay all the way to hosting a home playoff game after previously losing four straight. This game also features two very talented Wide Receivers in Jordy Nelson and Odell Beckham, Jr. (in his first playoff appearance,) who both will have great games as they’ve had great seasons. I see this as the only real down to the wire game this weekend. Don’t be surprised if either team has a game winning drive, but I’m going with Rodgers to lead the Packers to a win at Lambeau Sunday night.

Green Bay 27

New York 20

Kevin:

Oakland at Houston

We all know how Connor Cook performs in playoff games. And on the other side, the Texans have Brock Osweiler, who the Texans gave a truck load of money to and then benched in favor of a guy who couldn’t beat out Chas Dodd at Rutgers. This game is going to suck. This comes down to who’s going to be able to move the ball with a jabroni at QB. The Texans’ jabroni at least has NFL experience and the team has a tough defense. OAK 12 HOU 16

Detroit at Seattle

Seattle’s a much different team at home than on the road. Detroit has fallen apart in recent weeks and prior to that, was winning games by the skin of their teeth. DET 17 SEA 27

Miami at Pittsburgh

The Dolphins thumped the Steelers in Miami in the regular season, but this is in Pittsburgh, the Dolphins don’t have Ryan Tannehill, and Ben Roethlisberger is good to go. Unless Moore can move the ball effectively and keep the Steelers’ defense honest, the Steelers should be able to handle Jay Ajayi. If that happens, this gets ugly. MIA 13 PIT 31

New York Giants at Green Bay

The Packers come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league, winners of six straight. The Giants come into the playoffs having not scored 20 points since week 12 against the Browns. HOWEVA, the Giants won three of those games on the strength of their defense, a unit that should make things very difficult for Aaron Rodgers. On the other side, I don’t see any Packer who can handle Odell Beckham, Jr., and the Giants have so much talent at receiver that doubling OBJ isn’t a particularly effective strategy. NYG 23 GB 17

Twitter: @The_Coach_Buck (Forrest), @trev3022 (Trev), @sugashayne3 (Shayne), @KSchroeder_312 (Kevin), @mikeyvick_ (Mike), @Stevenseses (Stevens)

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com (Kevin)