Saturday's games
Cardinals (11-5) at Panthers (7-8-1), 4:20 p.m. ESPN
Look at the records of these teams and you think this is looking like a Cardinals win. But if you have paid attention to the NFL season, you have to be feeling the Panthers are the pick. Arizona started the season 9-1 but went just 2-4 down the stretch as injuries ravaged the QB position. First Carson Palmer went down and then Drew Stanton, leaving the team with Ryan Lindley, who was signed in November. Lindley has not proven to be a very good QB. He was drafted by the Cardinals two years ago and also has seen time with the Chargers. He has just two TDs compared to 11 career INTs. Injuries have also taken a toll on the running back spot for Arizona, which is down Kerwynn Williams and Marion Grice in the backfield. Meanwhile, Cam Newton has stated to get it going for the Panthers, who have won four straight games, two in blowout fashion over the Saints and the Falcons last week to capture the NFC South crown. Carolina's defense has also improved lately, giving up no more than 17 points in the last four games. Arizona has a good defense, too, but is worn down at this point. Carolina will do enough at home to get by the Cardinals, who are too limited offensively to win in the playoffs.
Panthers 23, Cardinals 16
Ravens (10-6) at Steelers (11-5), 8:15 p.m. NBC
Usually these two rivals play close games but both meetings in the regular season this year were blowouts, with Baltimore winning at home in Week 2, 26-6, and Pittsburgh winning at home in Week 9, 43-23. The Steelers are certainly playing better ball right now, having won four in a row. I like their chances to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. Their offense, run game, and defense have all improved throughout the season. The Ravens have faced Case Keenum (Texans) and Connor Shaw (Browns) the past two weeks as opposing QBs, and lost to Keenum and almost lost to Shaw. Baltimore has a strong playoff pedigree, having won the Super Bowl two years ago and it can sometimes get it going in the playoffs, when Joe Flacco seems to transform into a top-level QB. But I don't know if that will be enough in this game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be without injured RB Le'Veon Bell, but that might not matter because the Ravens are very weak in the secondary and have a QB in Ben Roethlisberger more able to exploit that than Keenum or Shaw. I think this game will look more like games we have come to expect from these two rivals than the first two contests this season, though it will be a little more high scoring because the days of very, very good defenses for these two clubs have passed.
Steelers 30, Ravens 21
Sunday's game (Lions-Cowboys coming later)
Bengals (10-5-1) at Colts (11-5), 1:05 p.m. CBS
The easy thing would be to pick the Colts in this one, who already beat the Bengals at home this year, and bad, 27-0 in Week 7. That was a long time ago, though, and Indianapolis has shown some cracks in recent weeks with blowout losses against the Patriots and Cowboys and close wins against the Browns and Texans. It would shock me if the Colts run roughshod over Cincinnati again. That said, it is hard to trust the Bengals in the playoffs, who haven't won a postseason game since Jan. 1991. They've been in a lot recently, but are 0-5 under Marvin Lewis and 0-3 with Andy Dalton under center. The Bengals have played pretty well recently, though, winning a home game against the Broncos two weeks ago. Cincinnati has a solid running game with both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard in the backfield and should utilize them both against Indy, which has had trouble stopping the run. The Bengals probably won't have WR A.J. Green available, who is out with a concussion. In the end, though, I don't think the Bengals have what it takes to win a playoff game. They just haven't proven otherwise recently. The Colts have Andrew Luck on their side, and he will be able to exploit the Bengals defense for enough points. I expect a much closer contest than 27-0, however.
Colts 27, Bengals 21
Cardinals (11-5) at Panthers (7-8-1), 4:20 p.m. ESPN
Look at the records of these teams and you think this is looking like a Cardinals win. But if you have paid attention to the NFL season, you have to be feeling the Panthers are the pick. Arizona started the season 9-1 but went just 2-4 down the stretch as injuries ravaged the QB position. First Carson Palmer went down and then Drew Stanton, leaving the team with Ryan Lindley, who was signed in November. Lindley has not proven to be a very good QB. He was drafted by the Cardinals two years ago and also has seen time with the Chargers. He has just two TDs compared to 11 career INTs. Injuries have also taken a toll on the running back spot for Arizona, which is down Kerwynn Williams and Marion Grice in the backfield. Meanwhile, Cam Newton has stated to get it going for the Panthers, who have won four straight games, two in blowout fashion over the Saints and the Falcons last week to capture the NFC South crown. Carolina's defense has also improved lately, giving up no more than 17 points in the last four games. Arizona has a good defense, too, but is worn down at this point. Carolina will do enough at home to get by the Cardinals, who are too limited offensively to win in the playoffs.
Panthers 23, Cardinals 16
Ravens (10-6) at Steelers (11-5), 8:15 p.m. NBC
Usually these two rivals play close games but both meetings in the regular season this year were blowouts, with Baltimore winning at home in Week 2, 26-6, and Pittsburgh winning at home in Week 9, 43-23. The Steelers are certainly playing better ball right now, having won four in a row. I like their chances to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. Their offense, run game, and defense have all improved throughout the season. The Ravens have faced Case Keenum (Texans) and Connor Shaw (Browns) the past two weeks as opposing QBs, and lost to Keenum and almost lost to Shaw. Baltimore has a strong playoff pedigree, having won the Super Bowl two years ago and it can sometimes get it going in the playoffs, when Joe Flacco seems to transform into a top-level QB. But I don't know if that will be enough in this game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will be without injured RB Le'Veon Bell, but that might not matter because the Ravens are very weak in the secondary and have a QB in Ben Roethlisberger more able to exploit that than Keenum or Shaw. I think this game will look more like games we have come to expect from these two rivals than the first two contests this season, though it will be a little more high scoring because the days of very, very good defenses for these two clubs have passed.
Steelers 30, Ravens 21
Sunday's game (Lions-Cowboys coming later)
Bengals (10-5-1) at Colts (11-5), 1:05 p.m. CBS
The easy thing would be to pick the Colts in this one, who already beat the Bengals at home this year, and bad, 27-0 in Week 7. That was a long time ago, though, and Indianapolis has shown some cracks in recent weeks with blowout losses against the Patriots and Cowboys and close wins against the Browns and Texans. It would shock me if the Colts run roughshod over Cincinnati again. That said, it is hard to trust the Bengals in the playoffs, who haven't won a postseason game since Jan. 1991. They've been in a lot recently, but are 0-5 under Marvin Lewis and 0-3 with Andy Dalton under center. The Bengals have played pretty well recently, though, winning a home game against the Broncos two weeks ago. Cincinnati has a solid running game with both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard in the backfield and should utilize them both against Indy, which has had trouble stopping the run. The Bengals probably won't have WR A.J. Green available, who is out with a concussion. In the end, though, I don't think the Bengals have what it takes to win a playoff game. They just haven't proven otherwise recently. The Colts have Andrew Luck on their side, and he will be able to exploit the Bengals defense for enough points. I expect a much closer contest than 27-0, however.
Colts 27, Bengals 21
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