Obi's Wild Card Weekend:

Bengals@Texans:

A rookie QB coming off the flu vs. Whoever-The-Texans-Start...
Both teams coming off losses...
First playoff game in Texans history...

I don't see too much in either team's favor, so I'll go with the home team and the hype surrounding their first playoff game ever...and worse comes to worse, Jake Delhomme HAS been in the playoffs-and Super Bowl--before, so it's not like the Texans have no one at QB...

TEXANS OVER BENGALS!

Lions@Saints:

I've rolled with the Lions all year as a favorite team for upsets, with varying results...but this is too much--a team that was #2 in penalties, that has a defense that CAN be beaten, a defense that my 49ers DID beat...that's supposed to stand up the Drew Brees and the Saints' vaunted attack? In the Superdome? Any way I look at it, I can't see it happening...I was wrong last week, the Seahawks shocked everyone (and pissed President Eden off!) and won...but then, THEY weren't second in penalties to only the Oakland Chokers AND they weren't playing in New Orleans AND they weren't playing against Brees in a record-setting (and in my opinion, MVP) year, so, see you next week, Mr. Brees in San Fran:

SAINTS OVER LIONS!

So, that's Saturday, onto Sunday:

Falcons@Giants:

I have to confessed--I've never liked the Falcons. I'm biased. They finished ahead of my 49ers in '98, when I was a wee lad and was just starting to love my 49ers (not knowing what a horrible decade was awaiting me) AND it was against the Falcons Garrison Heart broke his ankle on the second play, shattering Super Bowl dreams, AND they had Michael Vick, hate that guy, AND I hate their new, overly-complicated uniforms, I miss the simple-yet-elegant solid-black or solid-red...granted uniforms don't really matter, but still--I hate the Falcons. I do. I hate the Dirty Birds. That being said, this COULD be the best game of the weekend. Matt Ryan and that offense are something to be reckoned with, and if Eli Manning weren't playing at such a high level of late, I might be tempted, Atlanta-hatred aside (really, the Falcons, I hate the Braves as they always shatter and shattered my Mets' hopes, I was glad they axed the Thrashers and gave way for the new Winnipeg Jets...I guess I just better avoid Georgia) to take an upset here...but no dice...the pick that never seems to come true--sadly--in the National League...New York over Atlanta...

GIANTS OVER FALCONS!

And, last but not least...

Steelers@Broncos:

I've had the Steelers penciled in for the win here since before it was official the Broncos would clinch the division--Raiders OR Broncos, whichever 8-8 AFC West team made it, I was sure the Steelers would win. NOW they have three starters out--Ryan Clark, Maurice Pouncey, and Rashard Mendelhall--and Big Ben is still a bit uneasy on that ankle...my 49ers beat these guys on Monday Night a few weeks back...that being said--6/22 with 73 YDs and an INT...those are NOT numbers of a playoff-winning QB, and Big Ben can do better with both ankles broken:

STEELERS OVER BRONCOS!

So, TEXANS/SAINTS/GIANTS/STEELERS are my picks...what're yours?

Texans
Saints
Giants
Steelers

will you actually be compiling these, Obi? You should come up with a fair scoring system with further rounds being worth progressively more to those that make it imo.

dont you get it. texans are the best team in all professional sports.

just wake up to the reality sheeple

@YJ:

Well, I hadn't thought of that, I figured elimination would be enough...

But in any case, as everyone so far has picked the same four teams...what's to compile, yet? ;)

lol, I might have two upsets coming up

Bengals@Texans:

I have to say I like both of these teams, and the Bengals are going to be the top of the AFC North not too far into the future. There's just too much young talent there. It'll be a close one, since the Texans have lots of offensive weapons. My mind says no, but my gut says yes to the BENGALS OVER TEXANS

Lions@Saints:

There is no doubt in my mind that this game will be a blowout. SAINTS OVER LIONS easily. Its not easy to beat the Saints when they're at home. All of their home games have been blowout wins this year....check.

Falcons@Giants:

As a Giants fan, I'm worried about this game...in fact the entire playoffs. We won't win, its just a matter of when we lose, and I really hope its not in the first week. I think the Falcons are a team the Giants have the capability to beat....its just whether or not we show up on the field. Our secondary is horrendous and will be torn up by Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez. But if we get a good pass rush going and Eli does well, then I think - and hope - that the GIANTS WIN OVER FALCONS.

Steelers@Broncos:

I hate Tim Tebow. I really don't think he's an NFL quality quarterback at the moment. The entire starting lineup of Pittsburgh could be injured for all I care, but I'll still vote STEELERS OVER BRONCOS.

So, BENGALS/SAINTS/GIANTS/STEELERS are my picks.

@goldfinger
why so down on your boys? speaking as a die-hard packer fan, i can honestly say that the giants are about the only team i'm worried about in the entire league. they have upset written all over them and are peaking at the right time.

our defense is much better than the saints'. san fran will never be able to keep pace with the offense (woe to alex smith if gb/sf play). the lions are not in the same league, at all. we've thrashed atlanta the last two times we've played and i see nothing different now.

but if that giant pass-rush gets going, eli's offense can keep pace. i'm really hoping for any team other than the one from nyc.

(i also think gb will almost certainly beat any afc contender in indy)

Well, I'm down on them because everyone else is so up on them haha. Rule of thumb for Giants is that they lose games they should win (Seahawks, Redskins, Eagles, Redskins all come to mind for regular season games) and win games they should lose. I know that they're an upset team (came soooo close to beating the Packers in November), but the Giants don't always bring their A-game in situations that the players think they have a shot. They play best when they know they're the underdogs.

We also should have lost to Dallas that first game if Tony Romo had not overthrown a few times. I cringe whenever I see our secondary play.

" I cringe whenever I see our secondary play."

Welcome to my 49ers up until this season!

NOW, though, with Goldston, Carlos Rogers...we've got this...

TEXANS/TEXANS/TEXANS/TEXANS ARE MY PICKS

exactly. and at gb is a game they should lose. ergo, they will win :)
hence my trepidation.

Texans get pumped for first ever playoff game and beat the happy to be here Bengals
The battle tested Saints put up over 50 on the also happy to be here Lions
Giants and Falcons is a toss up but I'm leaning with the Giants as they are at home
And though the Steelers are beat up (and I sort of am routing for Tebow) they easily shut down Denver's anemic offense and win

TWO DAT

would *love* to see DET over NO

I change my picks.

to TEXANS/TEXANS/TEXANS/TEXANS/TEXANS

What I want:

Texans/Lions/Falcons/Broncos

What I fully expect to see:

Bengals/Saints/Falcons/Steelers

So, I'm predicting that only one of the teams I'd like to win will actually do so. I would love to see the Broncos advance, just for the storyline that would be. The Falcons is the only game that I think could go either way; as iffy as the Bengals are the Texans are woeful without Matt Schaub. Pittsbugh will destroy Denver and NO will do the same to the Lions, unfortunately.

Well, everybody's trying to stay in the first round it seems..

I almost can take the outside chance handicap upset pick of Bengals/Lions/Falcons/Broncos and win the pick'em in week 1 if the games fall: Bengals/Lions/Giants/Broncos.

Tempting, but I'll go with the Bengals/Saints/Falcons/Steelers as my picks, though I would love to see the Lions and Donkeys pull it off.

On a side note, did anyone ever tally the regular season pick'em to declare the winner?

Safe picks: Texans, Saints, Giants, Steelers

Upset picks: Bengals, Saints, Giants, Broncos

Will see: Bengals, Saints, Giants, Steelers (really wanted to pick Broncos on this one)

On the plus side, 2/2 today...

HOWEVER...it does mean...yes...

The Saints WILL come marching in!

Saints vs. 49ers next week!

(They're...they're going to slow down, some, being outside of the Superdome, and in the elements...right? RIGHT?) O.O

The Mercedes Superdome, good sir.

That is where we ballin ballin.

Outside the Superdome, it'll be a game.

You know, I'm happy the Lions managed to hang in as long as they did. I think if we fix up the secondary and get a running game, we're gonna be good.

Possibly, SD...though I think Fix #1 for the Lions has to be their attitude--#2 in penalties, Suh and his incident...your coach and HIS little over-reaction-spat with Harbaugh...

The Lions are a young team, and they need to mature.

A stat on the Saints:

Points per game IN a dome:

41.1

Points outside a dome:

23.8

BIG DIFFERENCE...

Oh, please, San Francisco...if you EVER send a windy, nippy, maybe even rain-drenched schedule Candlestick Park's way...

If the 49ers can hold them to about 24, they'll at least have a chance.

If it's 41 for the Saints, though...well...in any case, it's been a great season, and we WILL be back in 2012-13! (and hopefully replace Arizona in the Sunday Night Football song...come on! WE belong in now, not them, WE are the classic franchise and the team to beat in the West...how about, instead of Fitzgerald catching a pass in the Arizona desert, Frank Gore dashing up the Golden Gate bridge!) :D

Eh, fix #1 is in. Witness the way they acted last time they were in the Superdome, and the way they acted this time. They were pretty professional tonight.

They still had stupid penalties, and those hurt them, and your coach still seemed t have a few hissy-fits on the sideline...

They were better, but they're not at the Steelers/Patriots/Ravens, Packers/49es/Saints level of discipline yet.

Every coach gets pissed off on the sidelines, except for Jim Caldwell who might just be actually deceased.

I watched from about halfway through the second quarter til the end, and didn't see any truly stupid penalties. And I saw Jim Schwartz smile and congratulate the Saints on the field after the game.

In fact, the only Detroit penalties I remember seeing was making contact with the helmet of the receiver in the end zone, and that could have happened to anyone, he was trying to make the play. An offensive holding, which happens. And a defensive pass interference, which happens and wasn't super egregious (it was interference, but it wasn't like he bodyslammed the guy or something).