Column: Looking into the NFL crystal ball

This NFL weekend will feature competitive games across the country. Division rivals face off in the AFC, while the NFC could see an upset from the lone West Coast team. The playoffs will ignite with the first matchup on Saturday, as the Pittsburgh Steelers play host to the AFC North runner-up, the Baltimore Ravens.


4:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
With Ben Roethlisberger and the Terrible Towels in the stands, the Steelers look to capitalize in their first playoff game this season. Baltimore and Pittsburgh split their two meetings in the regular season, with each team winning their away games. But the reason the Steelers lost in the Steel City was because they were without Big Ben.
The Steelers will win this game because of Roethlisberger’s ability to find his favorite wide receivers: Hines Ward and Mike Wallace. Ravens’ safety Ed Reed will play and provide tight coverage in the secondary. This game will become a defensive battle with the two of the NFL’s best facing off.
Steelers 21 — Ravens 17


8 p.m. Saturday, FOX
In game two Saturday, the Atlanta Falcons will play host to the Green Bay Packers in the clash of youthful quarterbacks. The Falcons are led by quarterback Matt Ryan, who has successfully distributed the football all year — four different Falcons have had more than 300 yards receiving in the season.

His accuracy and unselfish play will give the Falcons the win. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his crew will put up good numbers on offense to keep this game close until the fourth quarter.

Don’t forget, the Falcons are 7-1 at home, with their only loss coming to division rival New Orleans by three points. This shootout proves to be the more entertaining of the two NFC playoff games.
Falcons 34 — Packers 24


1 p.m. Sunday, FOX
In what seems to be the weakest game of the four playoff matchups, the Seattle Seahawks will try to upset another top NFC team, the Chicago Bears.

The Bears not only have home field advantage at Soldier Field, but they will be more used to the weather than Seattle. However, Pete Carroll will get his team ready to win this game and advance to the NFC Championship. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler will crack under pressure and have two or three picks, including a crucial interception in the fourth quarter.

Although the Seahawks were 7-9 entering the playoffs, you shouldn’t think less of them as they defeated the defending Super Bowl Champions. Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch will be the key factor in this game. He will find holes in the Bears’ defense and capitalize on their mistakes.
Seahawks 27 — Bears 24


4:30 p.m. Sunday, CBS
In the last game, you have the battle of the AFC East rivals as the New York Jets travel to Foxborough, Mass., to take on the New England Patriots.

The Pats were my pre-season pick to win the Super Bowl and I’m going to stick to that. Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL because of his touchdown to interception ratio (9:1). It will be tough to favor whoever is thrown against the Pats because of Bill Bellichek’s experience in the postseason. New England also has turned former Hoosier BenJarvus “The Law Firm” Green-Ellis into a star. (He played his freshman and sophomore seasons as a Hoosier.)

Finally, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is bound to make mistakes, as you saw against the Colts last week.

The Patriots will move on convincingly and put on a similar show to the Monday Night Football game Dec. 6 (Pats 45, Jets 3). Rex Ryan will look at that game footage and make some changes to give them a slightly better shot in this game.
Patriots 35 — Jets 17


E-mail: amsiegal@indiana.edu