NFC Matchups for Next Week: What Say You?

[underpants]

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears.

Me-I suck at this but Seattle seems to be a lock. The problem is that I have ZERO confidence in Hasselback though Alexander has been a hoss since his first year at 'Bama. Seattle is the smart pick but the Redskins might fall into another win due to their Defense.

Carolina at Chicago--wow who really thought that you would be mulling over Chicago going to the NFC Championship game at the beginning of the year? Going completely with my gut hear (not my heart) I think Julius Peppers might just have a Vince Young kind of game against Chicago and just explode and dominate the game. Purely a guess.

[joeybee12]

1. I think it'll be a red-state team that wins it all this year, so I'm gonna

say that Carolina beats Chicago. I think Seattle is better than they were when they lost to Washington. So is Washington, but I still think Seattle can win.

[kick-ass-bob]

2. Seattle v Carolina.

Seattle at home vs a Skins team that, while hot, got quite lucky to beat Tampa. Less than 200 yards of offense isn't going to win many games, and I think Seattle will have enough to take it.

The other one is going to be a slugfest with evenly matched defenses (#2 and #3) and Carolina's offense is enough better to be the better team. I don't see them losing twice to the Bears, but it will be close.

[underpants]

3. DeShaun foster

I have no idea how he got to 150 yeards yesterday. I must have missed a big run or something. He looked like he was totally ate up-trying to make EACH defender miss instead of running the ball in a general direction. He was dancing around like he Neo or something.

I like the way Goings runs and lets not forget they were in the Super Bowl just two years ago.
Peppers is definitely one of my top5 NFL players right now (and that is a UNC guy I am talking about).

Chicago is a bit of a mystery to me. They do have Grossman-whose life was completely changed by bad timing on his last day in college football- so that is cool.

[kick-ass-bob]

4. He had a 31 yarder

but I'm not going into the play by play to find everything. :P

I try to ignore where Peppers came from....

[friesianrider]

5. I feel the same.

I'm not a big Hasselbeck fan, and while I'd like to see Washington win I don't think they will. But, they are pretty evenly matched I think, so I wouldn't be surprised either way. Same with Carolina/Chicago.

But I'm taking Seattle and Carolina. Both ought to be extremely good games!

[kick-ass-bob]

8. I'd rather see the Skins win, too

they used to be my favorite team, pre-Panthers and pre-Snyder. I still have a soft spot for them I guess.

[Robeson]

6. I'm picking the Seahawks and Bears.

[Hobarticus]

7. Seahawks and Panthers...

If the Panthers don't go all schizophrenic, as they tend to do, I think they're going to XL.

[DaveinMD]

9. Seattle and Carolina

I think Seattle will win by a very large margin.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Brunell isn't supposed to win a game like this

An old quarterback who has shown signs of a weakened arm and had his yards per attempt diminish generally can't get over this hurdle against a legit team on the road. Beating Tampa Bay via defense and a few big plays is one thing, but now against a rested team and one whose quarterback Matt Hasselbeck gets an excellent 7.7 yards per attempt this year is quite another. Brunell falls well below the statistical number for playoff success, since he's at 6.7 yards per attempt this year. IMO, even that is misleadingly high since he accomplished it via numerous miraculous plays by Santana Moss. I remember when Marino with a yards per attempt very similar to that 6.7 range flopped bigtime in his final playoff game at Jacksonville, after squeaking out a win at Seattle a week earlier. Washington's defense is excellent with many bigtime players but asking them to win another road game is far fetched.

Generally the wild card teams are flawed and get overhyped after winning on national TV a week earlier. Once the rested and superior teams show up the home teams often dominate at least 3 of the 4 games on this weekend. But this team the road teams are more legit, included playoff tested teams in New England, Pittsburgh and Carolina.

IMO the Carolina/Chicago game is fascinating. I'd love to see Carolina win since I think the makeup of their team with all the star players plus a QB in his prime can make for a very formidable Super Bowl team from the NFC if it's either Carolina or Seattle. Delhomme is at 7.9 yards per attempt this year, outstanding. But on the road for a second straight week is a monumental task and you won't get the same level of Carolina team as last week. I watched the Bears dismantle Carolina late in the season and it was legit. With Orton I think Carolina would outscore Chicago but since Grossman can get the ball down the field this game figures very close and tough to call. The over/under is 30 points, lowest any of us in Las Vegas can remember for a playoff game.

[underpants]

11. Good point about the wildcard teams and getting press

I will point one thing out (which I was surprised by) that win in Cinci was Cowher's first road playoff win EVER.

Anyway-Yeah I don't have a whole lot of faith in Seattle (Hasselback mostly) but I can't see Arrington and Taylor coming up that big again. Having little option but to watch Redskins games you are right Moss skews the whole team stats thing (GREAT pick up for them). Cooley is there possession guy but he seems to be easily neutralized.

Chicago Carolina should be a good game.

I would love to see a snow game in Denver too.

[Feenicks]

12. Carolina and Seattle

Carolina looked too good last week. I didn't think Seattle was for real because of their cushy schedule, but I believe that they think they are as good as their record, and since sports are 90% mental and the other half physical, they'll both prevail.

[spooky3]

13. go 'Skins and go Colts, that's what I say

[DiverDave]

14. Seahawks baby!

This is the year to make up for all the let downs.
When I hear a fan of another team moaning about how much it hurts to lose a heartbreaker, I just tell them I have been a Seahawks fan since 76.

Hopefully, that makes them think about how lucky they are.
I am picking the Seahawks and the Panthers.
Yes, the Bears have a monster D, but I think if Carolina brings it like they did last week, they got it.

And I want the Seahawks to just put a DRUBBING on the skins, I mean 45-0.

It's OUR turn to be champs, and we got the team to do it too.