Of all of the games on the NFL TV schedule in Wild Card weekend, the one between the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons might be the toughest to handicap. We present our New York vs. Atlanta keys to the game so you can make your NFL picks for the first game on Sunday’s NFL schedule.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Giants
Falcons vs. Giants Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Falcons vs. Giants Date/Time: Sunday, January 8th, 1:00 p.m.
Falcons vs. Giants Television Coverage: FOX

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Key #1: The Falcons have to hit the deep ball
Way back in the Spring when the Falcons traded just a slew of draft picks for the ability to draft WR Julio Jones early in the first round, many thought that they were crazy. Atlanta thought that it was just one piece to the puzzle away from winning the Super Bowl. We don’t really think that it has the ability to do that with a defense that is suspect this year, but it does clearly make a big difference. Jones has had at least one catch of at least 40 yards in six of his last eight games, and many of those catches went the distance for a touchdown. Jones has six TDs in his last four games, and many of those were of the very long variety. New York has a secondary that is still suspect and has been all season long, and it has been prone to the deep ball. For Atlanta to win this game, it is going to have to stretch the field with Jones to open up the rest of the offense for RB Michael Turner, TE Tony Gonzalez, and WR Roddy White.

Falcons @ Giants Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Atlanta Falcons +3
New York Giants -3
Over/Under 47.5
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Key #2: The Giants absolutely have to find a ground game
Why? Because we know that RB Michael Turner is going to get his yards. He touched the ball over 300 times this season, and he had 1,500 yards of total offense, so we know that Turner will do his damage. There is a real question as to whether RBs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are going to be able to get the job done or not. These two used to be a part of a tremendous backfield, and both have the capability to be 1,000 yard rushers. Neither had a great year, and it almost seems as though age parlayed with the weird offseason may have cost them both in conditioning. Neither averaged even four yards per carry this year, and the end result saw New York ranked dead last in rushing the football. The pressure on the shoulders of QB Eli Manning is already immense as it is, but to have to win this game all by himself might be too tall of a task to ask for. But then again…

Key #3: One of these quarterbacks has to be a star
This type of game is pretty easy to see develop. One of these teams is going to have the ball at the end of this game, and one of the quarterbacks is going to have to get the job done. With apologies to QB Matt Ryan, he just might not be ready for this quite yet. He doesn’t have the background to be a “game winning drive” type of quarterback at this point in his career, and he is 0-2 in his two postseason appearances. Eli has won a Super Bowl, and won it with dramatics. He was the one that threw the ball that magically came down in WR Shane Tyree’s hands, and he was the one that threw the TD pass to WR Plaxico Burress that won the Super Bowl against the previously perfect New England Patriots in ’07. Even this year, Manning, for all of the grief that he has been given, led his team on a game winning drive at the Dallas Cowboys, a game tying drive against the Green Bay Packers, a game winning drive against the New England Patriots, a game winning field goal drive against the Buffalo Bills, and a two TD comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, all of which came in the last two minutes of a game. Eli can do it, and we know it, but the question might be asked of either he or Matty Ice once again to see whether they can put the team on their back and win a game.

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The Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans probably make for tremendously strange bedmates in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday afternoon. Both have had the best seasons that they have had in years, and one will get to move through to the second round of the playoffs next weekend. Check out our Texans vs. Bengals odds, predictions, and keys to the game so you can make your NFL picks on all of the action!

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans
Bengals vs. Texans Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
Bengals vs. Texans Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 4:30 p.m.
Bengals vs. Texans Television Coverage: NBC

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Key #1: These two teams have to pretend like they have been here before
To say that there isn’t a heck of a lot of experience on either side of the ball in terms of the playoffs is a bit of an understatement. The Texans have never been to a playoff game in franchise history, and the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since before the Oilers had ever thought about moving out of Houston. Neither rookie quarterback has played in a game quite like this one, though QB Andy Dalton did get a taste of the action last week against the Baltimore Ravens at home in a game that the Bengals were beaten in. QB TJ Yates has really been thrown into the fire this year, as two months ago, he still had never even suited for his first NFL game before injuries struck. Neither of these coaches, Gary Kubiak nor Marvin Lewis has ever won a playoff game as a head coach before either. The team that can successfully put aside the fears of playing in a nationally televised game like this one is going to be the one that ends up having the better shot to win this game when it is all said and done with.

Bengals @ Texans Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Cincinnati Bengals +3
Houston Texans -3
Over/Under 38.5
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Key #2: The ground game is key for both squads
We’ve already spoken about these rookie quarterbacks, and that obviously means that the running game is going to be crucial for both sides. RBs Ben Tate and Arian Foster combined for well over 2,100 rushing yards, and they near had 3,000 total yards between rushing and receiving between them. RB Cedric Benson doesn’t nearly get the publicity that he should, but he rushed for 1,067 yards this season, his third straight 1,000+ yard season with the Bengals. Both offensive lines have had their questions, especially with the Bengals. Benson did only average 3.9 yards per carry this year, and now, he has to run up against a defensive front seven that was amongst the most ferocious against the run all season long. Houston does have the best offensive line that it has had in team history, but that line still has never been in a moment like this one.

Key #3: Houston needs to overcome all of its injuries that it has suffered all season long
The list of injuries this season for the Texans has been borderline insane. Schaub and Leinart were knocked out for the season in successive weeks, and that came after Foster missed basically three full games, LB Mario Williams hasn’t played since the beginning of October, and WR Andre Johnson has only been in the lineup for a total of about five full games all year after dealing with hamstring injuries. P Brett Hartmann is out for the year with a knee injury, and DB Danieal Manning missed a month with a leg injury as well. It is amazing that this team has been able to hold it together in spite of all of this, and now, the pieces of the puzzle that have to limp onto the field have to find a way to get the job done even with all of the setbacks.

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In what could be one of the most entertaining games in the first round of the playoffs, the Detroit Lions will take on the New Orleans Saints. We’re set to make our NFL predictions for the big time duel on Saturday night in the playoffs.

NFL Playoffs Matchup: Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints
Lions vs. Saints Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Lions vs. Saints Date/Time: Saturday, January 7th, 8:00 p.m.
Lions vs. Saints Television Coverage: NBC

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Key #1: Detroit absolutely cannot beat itself
The first time that these two teams played this year, the penalties mounted in almost ridiculous fashion against the Lions. WR Nate Burleson was flagged three times for offensive pass interference, and there were three personal fouls that went against Detroit, some of which proved to kill drives on offense or extend drives on defense. In total the team committed 11 penalties for 107 yards. It is hard enough to try to beat the Saints on the road, a place where they seemingly never lose. You absolutely cannot give up a football field’s worth of penalty yardage against them and expect to win. If Detroit lets its emotions get the best of it in this game, it will be absolutely blown away and made to wonder what could have been had it been a more disciplined team this entire season.

Lions @ Saints Odds at Wager Web Sportsbook
Detroit Lions +11
New Orleans Saints -11
Over/Under 59
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Key #2: Someone on the Detroit defense has to be spying Darren Sproles at all times
Sproles actually didn’t have that much of an impact on the game that these two played a month ago, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the ability to kill the Lions. At just 5’6”, Sproles has a way of going unnoticed out of the backfield, and his blazing speed and uncanny ability to make tacklers miss in the open field is why he is so dangerous. Head Coach Sean Payton will use him between the tackles at times, as he did have 81 carries for 563 yards on the ground this year. However, Sproles also had 81 receptions for 681 yards and six scores, and he had a grand total of 1,287 yards as a return man between kicks and puns to go with a TD. In the end, he broke the record for most all-purpose yards in a season. We’ve seen Sproles do some amazing things in the past, and someone has to be keeping an eye on him at all times, or he will absolutely be the killer in this game.

Key #3: Matt Stafford has to outduel Drew Brees
Brees and the Saints were nuts this year. Not only did Brees reach the 40,000 yard mark for his career, but he became the first man to throw for 5,000 yards twice in seasons in a career, and he obliterated Dan Marino’s record for the most passing yards in a season. He has six receiving options that can all go off for over 100 yards in a game, and he throws for multiple touchdown seemingly every week. In total, he had 46 TDs this year. However, the Lions are still craving some respect, and this would be the way to get it. Stafford stayed healthy for the full 16 games for really the first time in his career, and he became the fourth different man to throw for 5,000+ yards in a season this year as well. WR Calvin Johnson had some amazing games this season, including picking up over 200 receiving yards in two of his last three games, but Burleson, WR Titus Young, and TE Brandon Pettigrew can’t be forgotten either. Detroit is good enough to shoot it out with the Saints, and without any sort of a running game to rely on, it doesn’t really have a chance of winning this one if it doesn’t.

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The NFL playoffs are officially in full swing, and we only have eight teams that are left trying to beat the Super Bowl odds to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

In the first playoff tussle in the second round of the postseason, the Baltimore Ravens are going to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. These two divisional rivals really hate each other, and it should show on the field on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 ET. The Ravens and Steelers each won on the other’s home field over the course of the regular season, and this will be the decisive battle to determine who will represent the division in the AFC Championship Game next week. This game will be one that is won by a defense, as it demonstrated by the fact that the ‘total’ has only been set at 36.5. However, if recent history is any indication, this isn’t a number that is truly low enough. However, both teams are throwing the ball more this year than they have in a lot of years in recent history, and there might be a lot more deep passing threats than you think. The oddsmakers remember that these two teams were only separated by three points in both of their first two meetings, and they have very appropriately made the hosts favorites on the NFL playoffs odds by 3.5 points.

You can bet that both of these teams are going to be rooting like all heck for the New York Jets this week. If they beat the New England Patriots in Foxboro, the AFC Championship Game will be played at either Heinz Field or M&T Bank Stadium next week.

These two AFC East foes hate each other about as much as the two combatants from the AFC North. Head Coach Rex Ryan and Head Coach Bill Belichick have a very deep history that goes back two years. The home team has won all four meetings of these teams since Ryan has taken over, but the one that really stings in the memory banks for the men in green and white was the 45-3 beat down in which nothing went right here at Gillette Stadium just six weeks ago. QB Tom Brady is most likely the league’s MVP this year, but he could be without one of his top targets, rookie TE Aaron Hernandez. Still, this is an offense that has scored at least 31 points in eight straight games, and it will be tough to stop. There’s a reason that the oddsmakers have lined the hosts as nine point favorites on the opening lines.

The Atlanta Falcons have to be wondering what they did to deserve this. They are playing their first game ever as the top seed in the NFC Playoffs, and they are subject to taking on one of the hottest teams in the league, the Green Bay Packers. The Pack did their job last week, hanging on at the death to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16, and they now advance to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. RB James Starks is apparently going to be the man carrying the rock on a regular basis, as he had the second most yards on the ground in the first round of the playoffs with 123. The Falcons have a fantastic ground defense though, and QB Aaron Rodgers is going to have to play some big time ball to survive the trip to the Georgia Dome. The hosts are only favored by a single point, insinuating that the visitors are the better team even though they were the last team that made it into the playoffs this year in the NFC.

Finally, the biggest shocker still standing in the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks, are going to be heading to a site that they already know they can win at, Soldier Field. They took down the Chicago Bears 23-20 in Week 6, and little did anyone know that they would be making a return trip in January. Things absolutely could not have worked out any better for the Bears, as they have gotten the most favorable draw that they have had since they were in the Super Bowl. QB Matt Hasselbeck was revived last week, while RB Marshawn Lynch made a fantastic, bust out performance for the Seahawks. They say that it takes everything that you’ve got to beat the champions, but Seattle is hoping that that just isn’t the case. The pro football odds are clearly stacked against the Seahawks here in the Windy City. In spite of the fact that they won this game as six point underdogs several weeks ago, they are 9.5 point underdogs on Sunday.

2011 NFL Divisional Round Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 1/9/11):
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NFL Playoff Lines for Saturday, 1/15/10

109 Baltimore Ravens +3.5
110 Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5
Over/Under 36.5

111 Green Bay Packers +1
112 Atlanta Falcons -1
Over/Under 45.5

NFL Divisional Round Lines for Sunday, 1/16/10

113 Seattle Seahawks +9.5
114 Chicago Bears +9.5
Over/Under 40

115 New York Jets +9
116 New England Patriots -9
Over/Under 45.5

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The postseason is finally about to be underway this coming weekend, and the road to beating the Super Bowl XLV odds is now on! Things are going to start on Sunday with a duel between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle might have won the NFC West this year by taking down the St. Louis Rams 16-6 in the Sunday Night Football finale, but there is absolutely no one giving it a chance of beating the defending champs. You’ll have to search long and hard to find a double digit road favorite in the NFL playoffs, but that’s exactly what has happened in this one, as the Saints are getting the honors by 10.5 points on the opening NFL playoff odds.

Later that day, the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts will renew ties from the postseason last year, as these two competed in the AFC Championship Game last year. The Jets have a fantastic defense, but they also have some problems right now as well on both sides of the ball. QB Mark Sanchez has a sore shoulder and was held out of action in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills, but Head Coach Rex Ryan elected to keep a number of his starters on the bench in that meaningless game. The ‘D’ allowed 38 points to the Chicago Bears just two weeks ago, and the team averaged 27.5 PPG allowed over the last month of the season.

Indy knows that this wasn’t the greatest season in the world, but just getting into the playoffs was good enough for QB Peyton Manning. Manning set the record for the most completions in a season this year with 450. He is about as full strength on offense as he is going to be right now, as RB Joseph Addai, RB Dominic Rhodes, WR Reggie Wayne, and WR Pierre Garcon are all going to be in the fold in this one, and they should be ready to pounce at home as three point favorites.

On the other side of the AFC draw, the Baltimore Ravens are going to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. We give KC all the credit in the world for winning the AFC West in the face of the charging San Diego Chargers. QB Matt Cassel was probably shafted from the Pro Bowl this year, though he really didn’t play well in the final week of the season, throwing three picks. The Chiefs also have one of the best rushing attacks in the game, as both RB Jamaal Charles and RB Thomas Jones have the ability to have 100+ yard games against anyone in the league.

Baltimore has one of the best defenses in the league and an offense that is incredibly talented. The Ravens brought in WR Anquan Boldin this year to win games like this one so QB Joe Flacco has a huge target to aim for. This might be one of the last stands for LB Ray Lewis and SS Ed Reed, though. The visitors are favored by three points.

The final NFL playoff betting battle takes us all the way back to Week 1, when the Green Bay Packers knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the Eagles can get their revenge.

That week was a tail of two games, as QB Michael Vick did a great job after he came into the lineup and replaced QB Kevin Kolb. Assuming that Vick is healthy, he is going to be going from start to finish in this one, as he looks to do something that QB Donovan McNabb never did: Win a Super Bowl. It all starts with the first step though, and this is going to be a tough test against arguably the best defense in the NFC. Green Bay’s LB Clay Matthews is going to have a beat on Vick for this entire game, which should make this one a great battle. The Eagles are three point home favorites on the opening NFL betting lines in Wild Card weekend.

2011 NFL Wild Card Odds @ Oddsmaker Sportsbook (as of 1/3/11):
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NFL Playoff Lines for Saturday, 1/8/11

101 New Orleans Saints -10.5
102 Seattle Seahawks +10.5
Over/Under 45.5

103 New York Jets +2.5
104 Indianapolis Colts -2.5
Over/Under 44.5

NFL Wild Card Lines for Sunday, 1/9/11

105 Baltimore Ravens -2.5
106 Kansas City Chiefs +2.5
Over/Under 41

107 Green Bay Packers +2.5
108 Philadelphia Eagles -2.5
Over/Under 46.5

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) – Philly’s chances of moving up in the playoff picture was shot on Tuesday night when it was shocked by the Minnesota Vikings at home. Now, the No. 3 seed awaits the NFC East champs regardless of what happens in the finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Remaining Schedule: vs. DAL

New York Giants (9-6) – The Giants put themselves in a world of hurt right now in the push in the NFC. A win is a must next week against the Washington Redskins, and anything less won’t get the job done. Then from there, the G-Men need either a loss by the Packers against the Chicago Bears, or they need the New Orleans Saints to lose both this week against the Atlanta Falcons and next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Remaining Schedule: @ WAS

Washington Redskins (6-9) – The Redskins upset the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, but they know that they can deliver an even bigger blow to the New York Giants next week with an upset at home. Aside from the ability to feel good about ending an arch rival’s season though, there’s nothing else to play for in our nation’s capitol. Remaining Schedule: vs. NYG

Dallas Cowboys (5-10) – Gaffes both offensively and on special teams really cost the Cowboys a ‘W’ at the lowly Arizona Cardinals. We’re probably going to get our first look at QB Stephen McGee as a starter next week unless QB Tony Romo decides to suit up, as QB Jon Kitna is out of the lineup. Remaining Schedule: vs. PHI

NFC North

Chicago Bears (11-4) – It’s not often that you see the Bears rooting for the Minnesota Vikings, but with their hated rivals’ victory on a rare Tuesday Night Football duel, they clinched a first round bye in the playoffs. Chicago really doesn’t have anywhere to go from here unless a bunch of things happen. It needs a win and losses by both the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints to become the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: @ GB

Green Bay Packers (9-6) – It’s win and in for the Packers this week, as they know that a ‘W’ against the Chicago Bears puts them in the playoffs once and for all. They can also get in with a loss, but only if both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants lose in Week 17 as well. There’s nowhere to go but to be the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, meaning a win parlayed with a victory by the Philadelphia Eagles sets up a rematch in the Windy City between these same two teams next week in the first round of the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: vs. CHI

Minnesota Vikings (6-9) – Give the Vikes some big time credit for taking down the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Tuesday with third string QB Joe Webb doing the bulk of the damage offensively. The ‘W’ might have saved the job for Head Coach Leslie Frazier, who really wants to have the interim tag removed from his title for next year. Remaining Schedule: @ DET

Detroit Lions (5-10) – Give it up for the Lions, who have now won back to back road games for the first time in eons. Their fans should come out in droves this week to support them for the finale against the Minnesota Vikings, which could be the game that ensures that they do not finish in last place in the NFC North. Remaining Schedule: vs. MIN

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NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (12-3) – Atlanta didn’t do itself any favorites on Monday Night Football by losing to the New Orleans Saints, as now, it needs to win this final game of the season against the Carolina Panthers to ensure the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in the NFC. A loss makes things more interesting. If that happens and the Saints win on Sunday, the Falcons are suddenly going on the road as a Wild Card. If the Saints also lose and the Bears win, they’ll be the No. 2 seed, and if all three teams lose, they’ll hang on as the top seed in the conference. Remaining Schedule: vs. CAR

New Orleans Saints (11-4) – The Saints took a situation that could have been very, very sticky and turned it into one with nothing to lose on Sunday. They beat the Atlanta Falcons and kept their hopes alive for an NFC South title, and if it were acquired, they would be the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. It’ll take a win by over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an Atlanta loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers to happen though, and anything less leaves it on the road as the No. 5 seed, where it will take on the NFC West champs in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: vs. TB

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) – The Bucs pretty much know that they are coming out of the No. 6 seed in the playoffs if they get in, as their only chance of being the No. 5 seed would be a win in Week 17 over the New Orleans Saints and losses in Week 17 by both the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. With the unlikeliness of that happening, Tampa Bay is sitting at home tonight and cheering for the Atlanta Falcons. That would put the Bucs in a position where a win would put them within a win and loss by either the Packers or Giants from getting into the playoffs. A loss in Week 17 eliminates Tampa Bay one way or the other. Remaining Schedule: @ NO

Carolina Panthers (2-13) – It’s official… And with the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select… Remaining Schedule: @ ATL

NFC West

St. Louis Rams (7-8) – Once St. Louis won its duel against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, it knew that the showdown next week against the Seattle Seahawks was for all the marbles in the division. A win leaves the Rams as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and hosting a game in the first round. A loss eliminates them from the postseason. Remaining Schedule: @ SEA

Seattle Seahawks (6-9) – Seahawks fans have to be wondering what in the heck Head Coach Pete Carroll was doing when he played QB Matt Hasselbeck last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game was 100% meaningless to the Seahawks once the St. Louis Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers, as we knew that the game up at Qwest Field on Sunday Night Football was going to be the one that determined the winner of the NFC West regardless. Just like the Rams, a win earns the No. 4 seed, while a loss knocks Seattle out of the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: vs. STL

San Francisco 49ers (5-10) – It should really come as no surprise to anyone that the Niners canned Head Coach Mike Singletary just hours after they were eliminated from the playoffs mathematically. Remaining Schedule: vs. ARI

Arizona Cardinals (5-10) – Can you imagine just how bad the NFC West is if the Cardinals end up finishing second in the division? That could be a reality with a win on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. Remaining Schedule: @ SF

AFC East

New England Patriots (13-2) – The road to the Super Bowl goes through Foxboro officially, as the Pats locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs with a win on Sunday at the Buffalo Bills. If we see QB Tom Brady and the regulars on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, it will only be as a cameo appearance for the hometown crowd to applaud their heroes, as this one is totally meaningless. Remaining Schedule: vs. MIA

New York Jets (10-5) – The Jets essentially hit the backdoor in the playoffs, earning a spot in the second season in spite of the fact that they lost on Sunday to the Chicago Bears. They know that they’ll be the No. 6 seed if the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers both win in Week 17 regardless of what happens at home against the Buffalo Bills, but if the Pittsburgh Steelers lose and the Jets win, they’ll move up to the No. 5 seed. To show how little Head Coach Rex Ryan cares about that, he’s already announced that he is sitting QB Mark Sanchez on Sunday. Remaining Schedule: vs. BUF

Miami Dolphins (7-8) – Is it just us, or are the Dolphins praying that QB Jake Locker falls to them this year in the NFL Draft? The offense has been disgraceful all season long, and two picks by QB Chad Henne in a span of just a few minutes took a ten point lead and turned it into a seven point defeat against the lowly Detroit Lions. Remaining Schedule: @ NE

Buffalo Bills (4-11) – The Bills never really stood a chance on Sunday in the home finale against the New England Patriots, and they can’t even really spoil anything against the New York Jets this weekend either. Remaining Schedule: @ NYJ

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – Step 1 for Pittsburgh is complete, but there is still one more matter to take care of. The Steelers need to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday to win the AFC South. A loss by the Baltimore Ravens would also get the job done, though there is clearly no desire to backdoor into a first round bye like that. A loss and wins by the Ravens and the New York Jets would leave Pittsburgh as the No. 6 seed. A loss and a loss by the Jets leaves it at No. 5.Remaining Schedule: @ CLE

Baltimore Ravens (11-4) – Baltimore is going everything that it can to become the No. 2 seed in the AFC, as it needs to just keep on winning and hope that the Pittsburgh Steelers trip in Week 17. A win and a loss by the New York Jets guarantees no worse than the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, while a win and a Pittsburgh loss wins the division. The Ravens are already in the dance for certain, though. Remaining Schedule: vs. CIN

Cleveland Browns (5-10) – The Browns never stood a shot against the Baltimore Ravens, and now they are stuck taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Remaining Schedule: vs. PIT

Cincinnati Bengals (4-11) – The Bengals upset the San Diego Chargers to end their season on Sunday, and they can ensure that the Baltimore Ravens are going on the road with an upset at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 17. Remaining Schedule: @ BAL

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (9-6) – It’s win and in at this point for the Colts, but they have a lifeline now as well after extending their lead in the AFC South to one with one to play. A win and a loss by the Kansas City Chiefs wins the No. 3 seed, while a win or a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars and a win by the Chiefs leaves Indy at No. 4. Remaining Schedule: vs. TEN

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) – The Jags know that they need to win on Sunday, something that they probably had to do one way or the other to win the AFC South. Sunday’s loss against the Washington Redskins really didn’t hurt them any. The only road to the second season is a win parlayed with a loss by the Indianapolis Colts, and if that were to happen, Jacksonville would be the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Remaining Schedule: @ HOU

Tennessee Titans (6-9) – The Titans were officially knocked out of the playoffs in Week 16 with a bad loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, all they can do is play the role of spoiler against the Indianapolis Colts, who are likely to win the AFC South again this year. Remaining Schedule: @ IND

Houston Texans (5-10) – The newest way the Texans blew a game came this week when they were beaten by a rookie quarterback for his first career win after holding a 17 point lead at halftime and a 13 point edge going into the fourth quarter. Is there a reason that Head Coach Gary Kubiak hasn’t been fired yet? Remaining Schedule: vs. JAX

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (10-5) – Kansas City could really care less whether it ends up being the No. 3 or the No. 4 seed, but a win on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders would clinch the No. 3 seed. A loss and a win by the Indianapolis Colts would knock the Chiefs down to No. 4. Regardless though, KC can call itself the champion of the AFC West, something that was looked at as an impossibility at the outset of the season. Remaining Schedule: vs. OAK

San Diego Chargers (8-7) – In typical Chargers fashion, they were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to knock them out of the playoffs once and for all. It probably wouldn’t have mattered, as KC was probably unlikely to lose a game down the stretch, but this really eliminated any chance and might have put Head Coach Norv Turner on a very, very hot seat as we go into next year. Remaining Schedule: @ DEN

Oakland Raiders (7-8) – Oakland knew that its season was over before getting started in Week 16, as it was bounced from the second season when the Kansas City Chiefs won earlier that day. Still, the chance to finish .500 by beating the division champs on the road in the regular season finale is too good of a chance to pass up for a team that is clearly on the rise. Remaining Schedule: @ KC

Denver Broncos (4-11) – Denver really messed up its chances of having the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft by beating the Houston Texans on Sunday, but QB Tim Tebow was all smiles after posting a huge comeback from down 17 at the half and 13 through three quarters to notch his first ever win. Remaining Schedule: vs. SD

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The 2009-10 NFL Football Playoff Bracket Can Be Found Below

We have been tracking the playoff race for nearly a month now and finally the 2010 NFL playoffs layout is set in stone. Wildcard weekend will get started off in an exciting way featuring two week 17 rematches in the NFC and also another week 17 rematch in the AFC. The question that everyone will be asking now is what can everyone expect heading into the start of the postseason? The Indianapolis Colts appeared to be on track for an undefeated season, but opted to rest their star players which resulted in two straight losses. Will the Colts be able to regain their rhythm when they take the field after their first round bye? The same can be asked for the New Orleans Saints in the NFC who were also on the route to perfection before losing 3 straight games to close out the year. Take a look as we give a brief preview of what to expect from both conferences and the teams to watch for during the rest of the playoff season.

NFC Predictions

The Dallas Cowboys defense pitched two straight shutouts to close out the season including a 24-0 win over the Eagles to win the NFC East crown. The Eagles and Cowboys will battle again in the first round of the playoffs and their defensive play should draw some attention. The Cowboys offense has been able to post points this year so if their defense continues to play well they are dangerous. Expect them to sneak by the Eagles in a much closer game, but nonetheless take down Philadelphia for the 3rd time this season. The other game to kickoff wildcard weekend in the NFC will be Green Bay at Arizona. The Packers blew out the Cardinals in the desert last weekend 33-7. The Cardinals exploded with magic last year during the playoffs and they will be a long shot to pull of those accomplishments again. The Packers have really played well all season and the Cardinals inconsistent play causes concern. Unless, the Cardinals defense really steps up the Packers will repeat next weekend. The Packers also could be the surprise team of the playoffs because if they can pull off another Arizona defeat they will take on the suddenly struggling Saints. If Aaron Rodgers continues to play well, the Packers could be waiting in the NFC Championship game to take on the winner of a Dallas/Minnesota match-up. The Cowboys and Vikings would be a very interesting match-up considering the Vikings explosive balanced offense. The Cowboys postseason drought may come to an end this season, but we give the Vikings the edge in a close one setting up Green Bay at Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game.

AFC Predictions

The loss of Wes Welker really hurt the Patriots chances for postseason success considering how Randy Moss has quietly ended the season. QB Tom Brady has also been banged up and their meeting with the Ravens should be very interesting. Expecting the Patriots offense to be less dynamic, the Ravens and Patriots should be a in a low scoring defensive battle. The game may be a toss-up, but running back Ray Rice for the Ravens could be the difference and capture Baltimore the victory. The other wildcard meeting features the week 17 rematch with the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets stomped the Bengals to earn their playoff berth with a 37-0 blowout. However, the Bengals starters were on the bench so do not expect another massacre. The Jets definitely have the momentum, but the Bengals defense will give a big effort and Carson Palmer will throw a few interceptions and score what many will believe as a mild upset. After those pair of games, the playoffs will move to the 2nd round with anticipated meetings with Indianapolis/Baltimore and New York/San Diego. The Chargers remain the hottest team in the league. Even with QB Phillip Rivers on the bench last week, backup Billy Volek directed a game winning drive to beat the Redskins 23-20. The Jets offensive up and downs will be apparent as the Chargers will roll. The Colts and Ravens should also present an interesting match-up. The Ravens defense can frustrate the Colts up front and short passes over the middle of the field. The Colts still have the advantage, but the Ravens could make things interesting. However, QB Peyton Manning and company should be ready after the week off to post a stellar offensive effort. The Colts take down the Ravens forcing a San Diego at Indianapolis battle for the AFC Championship.