I’m going to start by predicting the Saints to win this game. And here’s why.

Both teams have dominating offences and arguably two of the top three quarterbacks in the league. They also have very similar rosters on the offensive side of the ball. One of the keys will come down to the rushing attacks. There shouldn’t be a whole lot of a problem throwing the ball so it will be up to the running backs to give their offence the edge.

For me, I like the Saints rushing attack. This is mostly because of what Reggie Bush has looked like this post-season. He hasn’t gotten the ball a lot but when he has gotten it he’s gone all out. Even to go as far as to lower his shoulder and level guys. He’s a big-play threat that can make a difference in this game.

There is also the defence that will factor into this game. I give the Saints the edge in this category as well because of their ability to force turnovers. Both teams don’t turn it over much so an interception or fumble would be big. And don’t forget, Darren Sharper is one of the best at returning fumbles and interceptions for touchdowns.

Another thing with this game is the over/under total. As of now, the total is 56.5 which his pretty high for a football game. In my opinion, it’s too high.

I’m planning on betting on this game and I’ll be picking the under. Yes, both of these teams can score but it takes time to get downfield. Add on Peyton Manning’s multiple signal calls at the line, and you have a lot of time being run of the clock. A number of times I’ve seen two high scoring teams put together a low scoring game.

My Prediction for this game: 20-17 Saints

Hope everyone has a great Sunday and remember to be safe, don’t drink and drive!

The Colts lose their second straight game falling to a 14-2 record. Peyton Manning was pulled out of the game after the 1st quarter and threw 1 interception. The Colts then lost 30-7 to the Bills in what looked to be a snowstorm.  Who would have thought the Bills could even score that many points?  You can tell that the Colts are a different football team when they do not have Peyton Manning under center.  This leaves a lot of questions as to what will happen to this team with Peyton Manning retires.  The Colts have not been successful when they rest their players with nothing to clinch.  Many one and outs.  We will just have to see what happens in the playoffs for this team.  Highlights for the Colts at Bills game are available at NFL.com.

Colts at Bills Highlights

Indianapolis Colts (14-1) at Buffalo Bills (5-10)

The key point for this game is whether or not the Colts will rest their starters again. Most likely it will happen. It would be a slap in the face of all the Colts fans if the team were to keep their starters in all game. I highly doubt we’ll see Peyton Manning or any other starter in the game for more than a half. Last week, we saw how bad the Indianapolis backups could be as they allowed 19 points while scoring 0. Add that onto the fact that it will be in snowy Buffalo, and you got a recipe for disaster.
My Pick: Buffalo

New York Giants (8-7) at Minnesota Vikings (11-4)

Basically this game is a slumping playoff team against a team that just barely missed the playoffs. So who is going to be hungrier in this game? For the Giants, it’s a chance to make up for the 41-9 loss they had at home against the Panthers. A win would also give them their 3rd straight winning season. For the Vikings, it means a couple of things. First off, a win and an Eagles loss would give Minnesota a first-round bye. Even if they don’t get a first-round bye, a win would definitely pick up the spirits of the players. Heading into the playoffs with a 3 game losing streak would be disappointing. I really think that Minnesota needs this game more than the Giants do.
My Pick: Vikings

Green Bay Packers (10-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-5)

This game would probably be a little more interesting if it wasn’t Week 17. Both of these teams have clinched a playoff birth. The Packers and Cardinals might actually face each other in the Wildcard round if the Packers win this game. If the Cardinals were to win, they would need the Vikings and Eagles to lose to clinch a first-round bye. If both of those teams were to win, Arizona would stay at the 4th seed. The Packers can either be seeded 5th or 6th as the Vikings already locked up the NFC North. Because of the situation with the back to back games, these two teams might rest their starters.
My Pick: Cardinals

New Orleans Saints (13-2) at Carolina Panthers (7-8)

In two weeks New Orleans has gone from a possible 16-0 team to a giant question mark. It’s very disappointing to see the Saints struggling at this point in the season. Now they have to go into Carolina to face a team that has been red hot offensively. A big surprise has been the play of Matt Moore. In his last 4 games, he has thrown for 7 touchdowns and only 1 interception. Also last week, Jonathan Stewart ran for over 200 yards. We’ll see how the Saints do but in my opinion, what’s the point of keeping the starters in for the whole game?
My Pick: Panthers

Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-5)

There’s no doubt that both teams are coming into this game ready to go. For them, the playoffs start this Sunday. Neither of these teams wants to lose to their divisional rival. What’s at stake in this game? Well the Eagles clinch not only the NFC East division but a first-round bye with a win. If the Cowboys win, they clinch the division and can clinch a first-round bye if the Vikings and Cardinals loss. And just to add a little bit of fuel to the fire: Eagles Intro Video (Thanks to dawkinseffect for posting the video on the EA Forum)
My Pick: Eagles

My Other Picks

Jacksonville Jaguars over Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears over Detroit Lions
San Francisco 49ers over St. Louis Rams
Pittsburgh Steelers over Miami Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New England Patriots over Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers over Washington Redskins
Tennessee Titans over Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens over Oakland Raiders
Denver Broncos over Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets over Cincinnati Bengals