Pink's NFL Picks : January 15, 2010

Wild Card Weekend: 1-3

First off, I hope everyone did better than I did last week. I’m not a big Dallas fan, but at least I got that game right.

As for the Patriots, this is the only game I have a well-documented excuse for. If you follow my picks during the season, I’ve made it known many times over that I don’t like the Ravens and especially Ray Lewis. By the way, did you see the cheap hit he put on the rookie Edelman when the kid was already down? Typical Lewis!

I’m a Cardinal fan, but I really thought the Packer defense would be the difference. I was right, in a sense, if you’re a Cardinal fan.

 As for the Jets, I said that defense and running the football are major ingredients in winning games; it’s just too bad that I didn’t listen to myself.

This week’s matchups are nothing short of intriguing. I don’t think there is anything close to a “lock,� but that’s the way it should be this time of the year. Each game has its own unique story lines, which only adds to the intrigue. Enough said, let’s get on with it. Good luck with your picks.

Saturday, Jan. 16

Arizona at New Orleans — Before we go any further, Kurt Warner is without question a Hall of Fame quarterback. While we’re at it, barring a serious injury, Drew Brees is well on his way to Canton as well. What an amazing performance by Warner against the Packers.

Regardless of Warner’s exploits, the Cards actually were very successful on the ground, and that had a lot to do with keeping the pressure off Warner. The Cards totaled 156 yards running the ball, and that is something the Saints will have to pay attention to if they hope to slow the Arizona offense down. Let’s face it, the only way you can slow down the Cards is by playing some good defense, and that’s something the Saints may have trouble doing.

Let’s not, however, write off the Saints because of a shaky defense. The Cards’ defense is nothing to write home about, either. One must remember that the Saints’ offense led the league in scoring and they are as capable of putting up a ton of points as the Cards are. But let’s be honest with each other: There’s really not a lot you can say about this game except when it comes on, get comfortable in your easy chair, have plenty of refreshments and snacks readily available and enjoy watching what is sure to be a high-scoring free-for-all.

Unfortunately someone has to win, and in this case I think the young gun out plays the old guns in a classic aerial shootout. I like the Saints in this one, 38-34.

Baltimore at Indianapolis — I must give credit to the Ravens for the ease with which they handled the Patriots. With that said, let’s remember that beating the Patriots of 2009-10 is a far cry from trying to beat them three to five years ago.

The Ravens got away with running the ball 52 times against the Patriots while throwing only 10 passes, and I believe that formula must be altered if they hope to beat the Colts. I know that a team that plays good defense and runs the ball well is a formidable opponent in the playoffs, but at the same time they will have to throw the ball effectively to win.

As for the Colts, to say a victory over the Ravens will come easy would be underestimating their opponent, and that’s something the Colts won’t do. QB Peyton Manning just won his fourth MVP award for a reason. He is presently the best QB in the game.

I will admit that the Ravens have a great chance of winning this game, but in the end I’m putting my money on Manning and the Colts to pull out a 23-19 victory.

Sunday, Jan. 17

Dallas at Minnesota — This is the other NFC matchup, and it too has the potential to be a high-scoring, wide-open affair. Like them or not, the Cowboys are red hot. The defense has been super, while at the same time QB Tony Romo and friends have got the offense clicking on all cylinders. Make no mistake about it, the Cowboys are going to be tough to beat even on the road.

As for the Vikings, they are coming off a bye week and it remains to be seen if that is a hindrance or a helper. It certainly gives Brett Favre an opportunity to rest up a bit, but more importantly it may have given them the time needed to get Adrien Peterson back on track. For the Vikings to be successful, the All-World running back must get his 20 carries and 100-plus yards.

It would make a nice story for QB Brett Favre to continue winning games for the Vikings, but I really don’t think this is going to happen. I think by the end of the game the Cowboy defense will have completely dismantled the Viking passing game and Peterson alone is not enough for the Vikings to win.  I’m going with the upset, as I see the Cowboys advancing to the NFC Championship game by defeating the Vikings 33-27.

N.Y. Jets at San Diego — I hate to disappoint Jet fans, but there will be no more games in old Giant Stadium. Yes, the Jets play good — if not great — defense and have shown that they can run the ball, but they are playing the Chargers and not the Bengals this week.

This is not to say that the Jets don’t have a chance; they do. However, everything has to go right for them. Charger QB Philip Rivers is one of the best QBs in the league and excels late in big games. The Charger running game can be suspect, but is very capable at times. In the end, however, the Jets need more than a solid performance out of their young QB Sanchez if they hope to win the game, and I don’t see that happening. I like Rivers and the Chargers to win this one, 24-19.