DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

So, my preseason Super Bowl picks have made it this far. The Colts easily beating the hilarious Chiefs and the Iggles narrowly knocking off the Jints means my crystal ball wasn't completely whacked. So there's my pat on the back and payslip because it does not look to Sports Amnesia like this run of good fortune is going to last another week.

Quick Facts About This Weekend

Both NFC games are rematches. Both AFC games feature teams that played each other last season.

Eyes on the fact that the home team is 214-96 in playoff games since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, a 69 percent clip.

And when they've had the week off prior to opening their playoffs at home, da Bears dropped a home playoff decision to the Carolina Panthers29-21 after a first-round bye.

Of the last 13 teams to earn home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs dating back to 1993, nine advanced to the Super Bowl. The Bears' last home postseason victory was a 16-6 triumph over New Orleans on Jan. 6, 1991. The Bears enter their 13th postseason since the merger with a 7-11 (.389) playoff record, including a 4-6 mark at home.

Eyes are on the chokers: Marty Schottenheimer and Peyton Manning.


BALTIMORE (-3½) vs. Indianapolis - Harken yea back to the year 2000 and find a very similar sort of team the Colts will face. Stifling defence, lots of turnovers and a dodgy QB. This season the defence is not quite as stifling, the QB not quite as dodgy. Colts 8-0 at home this season and on the road, well, stink city is usually where they're traveling to. The real significance to this game is that this is the first time the former Colts of Baltimore travel to Baltimore for a playoff game since the backstabbing spring of 1984 saw the Colts sneak out of Baltimore for Indianapolis. The Ravens gave up only 264 total yards per game. Pick: Baltimore 26 Indy 24

NEW ORLEANS (-4½) vs. Philadelphia (48½) - Raise your hand if you imagined New Orleans hosting a divisional playoff game this season. Who Dat? Thought so. America's most surprising team will be playing on alot of emotion. On Oct. 15 in New Orleans, the Saints drove 72 yards on 16 plays before John Carney kicked the winning field goal as time expired (27-24). In the last 5 years of NFL divisional playoff games - 20 games total, in both conferences - the home team (which sat out the previous week with a bye) was shut out eight times in the first quarter.Pick: Nawlins 33 Philly 26

CHICAGO (-8½) vs. Seattle - Everyone's favourite joke is the Chicago Bears' QB situation and Rex Grossman. This week's second favourite joke will be the 37-6 loss victory by the Bears over the Seahawks in Week 4. Pick: Chicago 49 Seattle 20

SAN DIEGO -4½ vs. New England - Not facing a significantly weaker Jets team at home is one factor. Marty Schottenheimer's oft-ridiculed post-season history (5-12 playoff record,) and conservatism against the proven history of Belichick's playoff genius postseason winning record of 12-2, the is another as the Chargers becomes everybody's favourite whipping boys and the Patriots over the top-ranked Chargers everyone's favourite upset. Undefeated home team against one of the NFL's best road teams (7-1) this season. The Chargers' QB, Philip Rivers, unlike the Manning they traded away to get him, is inexperienced in the post season, yes. This seems like a no-brainer on the surface, MartyBall should reign with NFL MVP LT getting the ball enough times to batter a Pats defence and whilst Tom Brady gets better the more important the game, last season proved he couldn't go undefeated the rest of his life in the post season (he's now 11-1). This might well be the game of the week. Bill Belichick last time these two teams met The Chargers broke the Patriots' 21-game home winning steak with a 41-17 victory, with Tomlinson rushing for 134 yards and two TDs.
Pick: Chargers 23 Patriots 17