NFL Postseason '05: Round 1

My predictions will only be for this weekend's games, and not the entire playoffs. This is the way I generally like to do the postseason, since your predictions can be way off base by the next week. I can sort of live with it on preseason picks.

GAME 1: ST. LOUIS RAMS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (Sat)

As my completely accurate preseason picks forecast, I have the Seahawks going to the Super Bowl against the Titans. However, Seattle gave me no reason to have confidence in them after game 4 of the season against these very same Rams, who came back from a 27-10 deficit to force overtime and win. The Rams have been none too impressive, either, and Mike Martz makes me cringe. If I were a Rams fan, Martz as coach makes me nervous. He completely blew the game with Carolina last year. Seattle was 5-3 at home and 0-2 against the Rams for the season. The Rams were 2-6 away from St. Louis, with that one win in Seattle. They've lost 5 in a row away from home.

Seahawks 24 Rams 20

GAME 2: NEW YORK JETS at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (Sat)

I didn't really follow these teams over the season. I do know that the Chargers pulled out their first confidence-building win against the Titans earlier in the year. San Diego was 7-1 at home this year, with their lone loss coming to the Jets, very early in the season. New York lost 3 of their last 4 of the season and are lucky to be here, and have a 4-4 away record. With San Diego's only loss in the last half of the year coming in OT to the Colts, San Diego should be the pick.

Chargers 31 Jets 23

GAME 3: DENVER BRONCOS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Indy strung together a nice winning streak there at the end, with the lone loss coming last week to the Broncos in an essentially Manning-less game. The Colts, as always, should still worry that their defense gives up so many points and relies on Manning so much to bail them out. None of the Colts losses this year (taking away last week's who-knows-what-to-say-about-it Broncos game) were by a lot, so they will be in every game. It's just much too hard to pick against the Colts, 7-1 at home. Denver is 4-4 on the road, and inconsistent. It will be closer than you think, though.

Colts 41 Broncos 37

GAME 4: MINNESOTA VIKINGS at GREEN BAY PACKERS

The poor, hapless Vikings lost 4 of 5 to end the season and made the playoffs. Hey, Randy Moss is the most talented receiver in the game when a pass is thrown to him and he's open, but on all other plays you will find him to be nonexistent. Those early days of Dennis Green and Cris Carter helping him out are over, now, and like I knew he would, has become yet another sports jerk. He's the rare sports celebrity in the world that you actually hope gets hurt in a game and can't return. I, for one, am glad the Titans didn't pick him those many moons ago. The Packers aren't all that great, either, and they beat these sorry Vikes twice by a score of 34-31. I think Favre is good, but he's nowhere near his Super Bowl days, and he is now an overrated factor in determining the winner of Packers games. With all the strife on that Vikings team, it wouldn't surprise me if they beat the Pack, catch them off guard. Both defenses are terrible, though. The Pack went 4-4 at Lambeau, which is awful, and the Vikes went 3-5 on the road.

Packers 34 Vikings 31 (why not?)