Sunday, 1 p.m. ET on FOX
Brett Favre is certainly a sentimental favorite to win the Super Bowl, and he has probably never had more motivation to do so, therefore, the Green Bay Packers are a very dangerous team entering the playoffs. They struggled defensively at times this season, but the addition of defensive tackle Grady Jackson was a tremendous move that has solidified their run defense.
For most of the season, the Seahawks have flat-out sucked on the road. Their win at San Francisco is a huge boost mentally, but Lambeau may be the toughest place to play in January. Rookie Marcus Trufant has been a huge addition to the secondary, but Seattle still ranks near the bottom of the league in pass defense.
This game, in my opinion is a lock. I don’t see any way the Packers lose. They’re playing at Lambeau, where they lost for the first time ever in their last playoff appearance. They’ll be looking to avenge that loss somewhat while re-establishing that home playoff dominance. Combine that with Brett Favre’s desire to win for his recently deceased father and the Seahawks impotence on the road and I can’t help but come to one conclusion.
Prediction: Packers 38, Seahawks 24
• Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS
In my mind, this game comes down to the Indianapolis Colts’ ability to stop the Broncos running game. The Colts were torched for 136 yards by rookie Quentin Griffin just two weeks ago and now Clinton Portis is healthy again. Another key will be the play of quarterback Jake Plummer. He must manage the game and resist the temptation of getting into a shootout with Peyton Manning. The Broncos cannot afford to turn the ball over.
Manning has had an MVP caliber season, and the Colts are going to need an MVP performance on Sunday to get by Denver. With tight end Dallas Clark lost to injury, Indianapolis will utilize mostly three wide receiver sets to attack the Broncos pass defense which ranked sixth in the league this season.
Look for the Colts to stack the box and try to force Plummer to beat them with his arm. With an extra man drawn up to slow down the rushing attack, the Colts defense will be more vulnerable to a vertical passing game, especially by the tight end. The Broncos will give Portis the ball until the Colts prove they can stop him, but I don’t expect that to happen. I think Portis will have a big day, which will open up the play-action for some big plays from Plummer to tight end Shannon Sharpe.
I anticipate an upset in a high-scoring contest!
Prediction: Broncos 34, Colts 31
