Wild Card Weekend Predictions

I haven't been this excited for the NFL playoffs in a long time. For the first time in at least five years, all 12 teams can legitimately win this year's Super Bowl. Everyone knew the Bills and Titans were never going to win it all last year. Neither were the 2016 Raiders with third-string quarterback Connor Cook at the helm.

Injuries and random luck struck the past few years, but not this year. Both six seeds (the Colts and the Eagles) are hot at the right time and dangerous. Both 4 seeds (often the weakest team since a bad team can win a mediocre division) are backed by solid defenses.

We used to see a lot of Wild Card teams wreck havoc in the postseason. The 2007 Giants and 2010 Packers were both Wild Card teams, and the 2011 Giants and 2012 Ravens were both 4 seeds that played on Wild Card weekend.

Amazingly, the last five Super Bowl champions have been number one overall seeds, and every single Super Bowl participant in the last five years earned a first-round bye. In other words, Wild Card weekend has, in the past, been somewhat meaningless.

This year, however, that changes. All eight of these teams could legitimately make and win the Super Bowl, especially the Chargers and Bears. I strongly believe this is the year that trend changes. Wild Card Weekend, for the first time since 2012, is relevant.

With that said, here's how it's going to go.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Two of the hottest teams in football meet in what should be an exciting matchup between the two quarterbacks poised to lead the AFC South for the next 5-10 years. Houston has won 11 of 13 while Indianapolis has won 9 of 10, but one team will see its hot streak come to an end.

The Colts have the lethal combination of a great quarterback and head coach in Frank Reich. They beat Houston on the road and shut out Dallas earlier in September, and their run game and offensive line looked outstanding in their Week 17 blowout victory over Tennessee.

Deshaun Watson is also no stranger to big games, and the Texans will show up. But Andrew Luck is back and on a tear, and he's going to do exactly what he did to Houston four weeks ago. Quenton Nelson and company will keep his pocket clean, and Luck's gutsy performance will power the Colts to the next round.

Colts 27, Texans 24

Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens

I've had the Chargers winning the AFC since June, and I see no reason to change that pick now. They looked sluggish in a 22-10 loss to Baltimore earlier this season, but a revenge game tends to bring out the best in players like Philip Rivers.

The Chargers are 7-1 on the road this season, with their one road loss coming to their crosstown Los Angeles Rams. In other words, the road warriors are 7-0 outside of Los Angeles. Lamar Jackson has been outstanding, but the Chargers are just two weeks removed from their last matchup against him and will make the necessary adjustments.

I'd rather have the veteran over the rookie and the balanced team over the one-dimensional team. The Ravens defense is superb, but the Chargers are the better team.

Chargers 23, Ravens 13

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys

Despite the Cowboys being favored, it seems to me that most are predicting the Seahawks to come in and take down the Cowboys in Jerry's World. They dominated Dallas earlier this season and are playing now, so I understand the reasoning behind that pick.

However, Dallas has a suffocating defense and is a much better team at home, where they even knocked off the top-seeded Saints. With a strong run game and a top-notch defense, the Cowboys have the formula to win playoff football games.

12 of Dallas' 16 games have been decided by one score, and this one will be no different. Dallas will emerge with a gutsy victory in a smashmouth, run-heavy game.

Cowboys 20, Seahawks 19

Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears

Nick Foles is back, and he carried his Super Bowl magic with him in miraculously leading the Eagles to the playoffs with three straight victories. The Eagles look like a much better team and are much more dangerous than the Vikings would've been as the 6 seed.

I see a lot of last year's Rams in these Chicago Bears; a young team with a genius young head coach that thrives especially on one side of the ball (offense for last year's Rams and defense for this year's Bears). That Rams team bowed out early, but I see a different outcome for the Bears simply because defense wins championships.

This will be a phenomenal game that the Eagles certainly could win. But I think Foles' magic has finally run out. The Bears will escape in a tight contest and just barely move on to Los Angeles.

Bears 24, Eagles 20