2012 NFL Playoffs Ready to Kick Off This Weekend

The NFL post season is ready for kickoff. After a long grueling season the last 12 teams remain. The last 12 standing are as follows:

New England Patriots (AFC East winner), Green Bay Packers (North winner,)Baltimore Ravens (AFC North winner), San Francisco 49ers (NFC West winner), Houston Texans (AFC South winner), New Orleans Saints (NFC South winner,)Denver Broncos (AFC West winner,)New York Giants (NFC East winner), Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC Wild Card), Atlanta Falcons (NFC Wild Card), Cincinnati Bengals (AFC Wild Card), Detroit Lions (NFC Wild Card).

New England Baltimore, Green Bay and San Francisco got firsdt round bye's due to being the top four playoff seeds. So the matchups for wild card weekend are set in stone and they look like this.

Two games are set for swaturday January 7th. First up is Cincinnati Bengals taking on the Houston Texans. Kickoff for this one is set for 4:30 Eastern Time. In their history the Bengals are 5-9 all time in the playoffs. They have been to the superbowl twice, losing both times to the 49ers. Last time the Bengals made the playoffs was in 2009 when they lost in the first round to the Jets. The Texans have never made the playoffs before so this will be a first for the team. The texans may have won their division but the Bengals have a healthier more experienced team and I will take the Bengals in this one.

Now on for the late game Saturday night as its the Detroit Lions heading to Mercedes-Benz Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints. Detroit is 7-10 all time in the playoffs and won three NFL championships, the predecessor to the supoerbowl. They won in 1935, 1952 and 1953. The last time Detroit made the playoffs they were knocked out in the first round of the 1999 playoffs by the Washington Redskins. As for the Saints they are 5-7 all time in the playoffs including a 2009 supoerbowl victory over the Colts. They were upset last year in the first round by the Seahawks. these two clubs have never met before in the playoffs, and with recent playoff experiance, I will take the Saints.

Now for the Sunday games, First up at 1 it's the Atlanta Falcons taking on the New York Giants at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. Atlanta is 6-20 all time in the playoffs, with there best run coming in 1998 when they lost the superbowl to the Denver Broncos. The last wplayoff appearance for the Falcons was last year in a first round lost to the Packers. The Giants on the other hand are 20-24 lifetime in the playoffs, and have won 4 NFL Championships (1927, 1934, 1938, and 1956) and 3 Superbowls (1986, 1990, and 2007) and lost a superboawl in 2000 to the Baltimore Ravens. These two teams have never met before in the post season. The Giants are coming in as a house of fire and I'll take the Giants by a touchdown.

The final game on Sunday is a 4:30 kickoff between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Pittsburgh is 33-21 all time in the playoffs and 6-2 all time in the superbowl. The two losses came in 2010 and 1995, while the six wins came in 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005 and 2008. The Broncos are 17-15 all time in the playoffs and won back to back superbowls in 1998 and 1999. These two teams met 6 times in the playoffs and it's an even series split. The Steeers beaat Denver in 1975, 1984, and 2005, while the Broncos have beeten Pittsburgh in 1977, 1989 and 1997. This is probably the most intreaguing matchup in the playoffs. The Broncos will make a good show of it but the season ends on sunday as I take the Steelers.