NFL Playoff Picks: Week One --- Wild Card Weekend

Four games this week, it's Wild Card Weekend. Next week is the best week the NFL has to offer, but this is a close 3rd or 4th (1st is next week, 2nd is the Conference championships, and 3rd or 4th is the Superbowl itself depending on the matchup).

Saturday's games
Washington at Seattle (Washington +3.5)
Seattle is excellent at home, but Washington has been playing very well lately, and I think that solid play will continue. This isn't a sensible pick, it's more of a gut feeling pick.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh +2.0)
Jacksonville has been playing pretty well, and beat Pittsburgh once this season already (in Pittsburgh). The field will be a mess, the score will be low, and I think Pittsburgh has more experience in these situations and that will help them prevail in this contest.

Sunday's games
New York Giants at Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay -2.5)
In Garcia I trust? Not really, but the NY Giants are a pretty awful team (their performance against the Pats was an abberation) an awful lot of the time, despite their 10-6 record. Tampa Bay will play well at home, and win this game handily.

Tennessee at San Diego (San Diego -9.0)
In Norv Turner I trust? Not even close, but the Chargers are playing well, the Titans aren't, and are unsettled at QB. The Chargers should dominate this game from both sides of the ball, and the Chargers defense will bottle up the Brown and White show while the Chargers offense will see LT running wild. Should be a blowout.

Saturday should be a couple of low scoring, but close contests, while Sunday will be a day of blowouts. Home teams ought to do pretty well this weekend, I think Washington is the only road team with a chance at winning. If I had to arrange these picks in order of confidence I'd have them ordered as follows: 1.SD 2.TB 3.DC 4.Pitt.

My Nemesis Bill Simmons™ also makes his picks, after a long explanation of why he sucked so bad this year, and why he won't suck equally hard while picking the playoff games the rest of the way. We disagree on both Saturday games, and agree on both Sunday games, most likely we'll both go 2-2.