This is it, the end of the line; for the season, and for this column. At 8-2, after splitting the Conference Championship games, I’m finishing with what might be my best playoff record ever. So, without further ado…
 

NFL Championship Game

Carolina Panthers at Denver Broncos,

Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
 

With two legitimately great defences, I am expecting this to be a close, competitive game throughout. The Broncos’ defence is deep and talented at every position, and is coached by Wade Phillips, who makes every defence he coaches better, and who consistently comes up with excellent game plans to nullify what other teams’ offences do best. Not to be outdone, the Panthers’ defence does everything well, and is led by one of the best and most versatile LBs in the league, Luke Kuechly. With so much defensive prowess on both sides, this game will be decided by what the offences will be able to accomplish under extremely difficult circumstances. Denver beat New England by striking early, unleashing talented and underutilized TE Owen Daniels, and the Pats, showing an uncharacteristic lack of preparation, got burned badly. With the lead in hand, the Broncs slowly choked the Pats’ offence to death, anaconda-style. With two weeks to prepare, and knowing that points will be at a premium, I expect Denver to employ a similar approach, introducing a new offensive wrinkle, and trying to catch Carolina’s defence flat-footed. What will it be? I wouldn’t be surprised to see TE Vernon Davis, returning to familiar ground, involved early, as either a playmaker or decoy. Whatever the result, I doubt that the Broncos can score more than 20 points against this Panthers defence. On the whole, Denver’s defence has the more difficult assignment. I fully expect the well-coached and well-prepared Broncos defence to frustrate Cam Newton early. I also think that Newton will fight through this, and will start winning the battles and moving the ball. As good as the Broncos’ defence is, I think that Newton is too talented, and is playing so well that he won’t be denied. Sure, one player doesn’t win a game, but what Newton does elevates every other skill player on his offence. What he does, combined with the threat of what he can do, on every play, will be the difference in this game.

So, to sum up, I envision Denver starting strong, with Carolina slowly reeling them in throughout the middle quarters, and then finishing strong.

Panthers 29, Broncos 17

After two rounds, my record is a scintillating 7-1, with Cincy’s meltdown the only game marring my stellar postseason record. It’s nice to know that, with only two weeks left for my “Best Picks” column, I’ll be retiring with a winning record.

We have a great slate of games this week, with the top two seeds facing off in both conferences for the first time in over a decade. This is how it’s supposed to be, folks, so enjoy the games.
 


New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

When these two teams met earlier this season, it was a matchup between two top defences, and one clearly superior offence. True to form, New England seemed to have the game in hand, until the contest turned into one of those “domino” games where a couple of unexpected things happen, and the ripple effect turns everything topsy-turvy. In this case, a little injured Gronk here, and a little muffed punt there, and the next thing you know, Denver steals the win. So, here we are again. The offences are basically the same, with the Pats clearly superior. The defences are banged-up, but still pretty top-notch. I feel the same way about this game as I did the previous one, that the Patriots should win. Beware the dominoes, though. Winner: Patriots
 


Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers

Confession: I’m rooting for the Cards in this one. I mean, with Carson Palmer, Bruce Arians, and especially Larry Fitzgerald involved, what’s not to love? I’d really like to pick them to move on to the big game, but I just can’t. The Carolina defence is deep and talented, and more to the point, it makes big plays. And as for Cam Newton, he just looks like the difference-maker that smart fans always knew he would be. Winner: Panthers

So, I went 2-0 on my picks for Saturday, running my playoff record thus far to 5-1, and I won on an all-Pack/Cards ProLine, thanks to Arizona’s overtime cover and a bunch of prop bets. It was a good day. I feel like I’m playing with house money now.


 
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

Two top defences. Two do-it-all QBs. A close matchup, and a tough pick. I think that Russell Wilson is more susceptible to being contained, whereas Cam Newton has looked like an unstoppable force of nature for most of the season. And if that’s not enough, Marshawn Lynch is expected to play in this one, and as strange as it might seem, Wilson, and the Seahawks’ offence, have played better in his absence. Winner: Panthers
 


Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Simply put, Pittsburgh is extremely lucky to even be here, and even if they were fully healthy I would have a hard time picking them to win against Denver’s top-tier defence. With Big Ben banged-up, and Antonio Brown out, I don’t think they have a chance. Winner: Broncos

Wild Card Round: 3-1
 
Special thanks to the idiots (and there were a lot of them) in the Steelers/Bengals game for spoiling my chance at a 4-0 weekend last week. The less said about that, the better. In fact, let’s not dwell on the past at all.


Saturday


Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

KC crushed the Texans last week, but that was mostly due to a historically awful game by Houston QB Brian Hoyer (So bad, in fact, that I have to wonder if any team will EVER allow Hoyer to be anything but a backup again). Tom Brady is many things, but a Hoyer he ain’t. The Pats’ defence is more than capable of shutting down the Chiefs’ offence, so the game will be decided by how well New England’s offence performs. With the injuries to Edelman, Gronkowski, and the Pats’ OL, there are a lot of “ifs” that must be making New England’s fans sweat. If you believe that Edelman and Gronkowski will be effective, then the game should be a lock for the Patriots. I do, and it will. Winner: Patriots


 
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

There’s been an awful lot of talk this week about “the resurgent Packers” after the team’s decisive win in Landover last week. Yes, I picked Green Bay to beat Washington, and no, I’m not buying in to the hype. Aaron Rodgers was able to find a good groove last week because Washington’s defence isn’t that good. Arizona’s defence IS good, very good, and that combined with the Cards’ offensive potency will ensure that this game will not be very competitive. Sorry, sports fans. Winner: Cardinals 

So, Saturday’s games are finished, and they certainly were interesting. Two teams lost in horrific fashion; the Texans were never in their game, thanks to a five-turnover performance by Brian Hoyer, while the Bengals staged a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback, and had their game seemingly wrapped up before losing in epically ridiculous fashion. Honestly, I can’t decide which is worse, but ultimately, how you lose in the playoffs doesn’t matter. A loss is a loss.

Anyway, I’m on to Sunday.


Sunday

 
Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

The extreme cold expected for this game makes for a real x-factor when trying to determine the outcome. So much of what the Seahawks do on offence depends on Russell Wilson’s ability to move around and make plays in the passing game while on the move. As good as Minnesota’s defence is, I don’t think that they have the pass rush to nullify Wilson, so it will be up to Seattle’s receivers to make plays despite the cold. The Seahawks will sell out to stop Adrian Peterson, so it’ll be up to Teddy Bridgewater to win it for the Vikings. I don’t think he’s up to it. Winner: Seahawks


 
Green Bay Packers at Washington

This is the toughest pick of the weekend for me. Simply put, the Packers are doomed due to the fact that their receivers, in the absence of injured Jordy Nelson, have not been able to rise to the occasion. James Jones plays well in spurts, but Randall Cobb, and especially Davante Adams, have been massive disappointments this year. The result has been a Green Bay offence that can be shut down by good defences, something that Aaron Rodgers has never experienced before in the pros. Now, here’s the swerve; I think that the Green Bay defence is just good enough, and the Washington defence just suspect enough, to allow Rodgers to work a little magic and pull out a miracle. It’ll be the last one, though, as the Packers will get slaughtered by either of the top two seeds in the NFC. Winner: Packers

It’s Wild Card Weekend, and, as befits the designation, I’ve been driving myself wild trying to guess what the outcomes of these close matchups will be. I have no trouble saying that 4-0, 0-4, or anything in between could be in play for me this weekend. So, I’ll dispense with the preliminaries and dive right in with my Saturday picks.
 

Saturday


Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

Here, we have two teams that win with defence, and with just enough offence thrown in to squeeze out victories. The Texans will have the best player on the field on both offence (DeAndre Hopkins) and defence (goes without saying), and in a closely-matched game like this, that might be enough to sway me. Not this time, though. I think that the KC offence is deeper than Houston’s; Alex Smith has a recent history of strong playoff performances, and the running game is significantly better. That little extra edge on offence should be enough swing the balance. Winner: Chiefs


 
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

A few weeks back, when the Pro Bowl QBs were announced (I know, who cares, but stay with me here), I remember reading something somewhere to the effect of “too bad for Andy Dalton… he had a great year, but who would you take off the roster to include Dalton?” At that time, I remember thinking, “How about Roethlisberger?” I mean, at that point, he’d barely played half a season, owing to his missing four games with an injury (not to mention how the league inexplicably picks its Pro Bowl rosters before the season is even over), and his numbers were nowhere near as good as Dalton’s despite playing in a pass-heavy offence. Since that time, Big Ben has played just well enough to win, lose to the Ravens, and barely beat the Browns, contributing 6 INTs in his last three games, to run his season total to 16 picks in 12 games. There’s been a lot of talk about how dangerous the Steelers’ offence is, and it certainly is explosive, but Cincy’s deep and balanced attack is no slouch either, even without Dalton. I think that with the strength of the Bengals’ defensive front, featuring the spectacular Geno Atkins, coupled with the absence of Steelers’ RB DeAngelo Williams, Roethlisberger is in for a rough night. It’ll be close, but as long as AJ McCarron plays mistake-free football, the better team will prevail. Winner: Bengals

Last Week: 11-5

Season: 148-92
 
So, after a busy week, I was ready to sit down and write my final regular season picks column. Then, my wife and I started watching “Making a Murderer,” on Netflix. It was riveting; we ended up watching the whole thing, without stopping. Somehow, this seems like a fitting end to strange season.

Sunday’s games are below. My picks are in bold.
 
Jets at Bills

Patriots at Dolphins

Saints at Falcons

Lions at Bears

Eagles at Giants

Cowboys at Home Team

Titans at Colts

Ravens at Bengals

Steelers at Browns

Jaguars at Texans

Raiders at Chiefs

Chargers at Broncos

Buccaneers at Panthers

Seahawks at Cardinals

Rams at 49ers

Vikings at Packers
 

Now, bring on the playoffs already!

Last Week: 12-4
Season: 137-87
​

Thursday Night


Chargers at Raiders

The Chargers got up for their last game (ever?) in San Diego, or as “up” as a team needs to be in order to beat the putrid Dolphins. The Raiders look like a good team with some promising young players and a (GASP!) bright future. Winner: Raiders

 
Saturday Night

Eagles (Home)

I hope that the visiting team wins this game and locks up the NFC East title. It’s just the embarrassment that the league deserves. Loser: Eagles


 
Sunday


49ers at Lions

A meaningless game, but one the Lions should be able to win. Winner: Lions

 
Steelers at Ravens

Pride will bring out the maximum effort from the home team, but the talent gap will make this the least dramatic game of one of the league’s best rivalries. Winner: Steelers

 
Cowboys at Bills

The Bills are better, but their lack of discipline might help the Cowboys hang around in this meaningless contest. Winner: Bills

 
Bears at Buccaneers

Just a hunch, but the Bears will squeak out  a close one with nothing to play for. Winner: Bears

 
Panthers at Falcons

Carolina now finds itself in the interesting position of wanting to keep winning and playing their style of football, while worrying about how a key injury could potentially wreck the whole thing. A better team than the Falcons might take advantage of the situation. Winner: Panthers

 
Colts at Dolphins

As bad as the Colts are, I wouldn’t pick Miami against a high school team. Winner: Colts

 
Patriots at Jets

It’s almost comical how many key injuries the Pats have endured this season; to some of their more Neanderthalesque haters, it probably is comical. And yet, here they are, once again, at the top of the conference. (YAWN!) Winner: Patriots

 
Texans at Titans

Come on, Houston; let’s lock this thing down. They might be one-and-done come playoff time, but fans want to see JJ Watt in the postseason. Winner: Texans

 
Browns at Chiefs

Every day, and in every way, the Cleveland Browns suck. Winner: Chiefs

 
Jaguars at Saints

Sometimes it looks like the Jags’ offence can really get it done; other times, not so much. If they can’t score against New Orleans, then I don’t know what to say. Winner: Jaguars

 
Packers at Cardinals

I love this Cardinals team, so I was particularly bummed about Tyrann Mathieu’s injury as the team seems poised for a deep playoff run. If Green Bay’s offence was better, I’d look for them to take advantage of Mathieu’s absence, but it’s not and they won’t. Winner: Cardinals

 
Rams at Seahawks

Rams always seem to play the Seahawks extra hard, but they’ll come up well short of the mark this time. Winner: Seahawks

 
Giants at Vikings

Dear Giants’fans: Instead of looking for straw men to blame for OBD’s suspension, put the blame where it truly belongs, with the referee of the game, and with the Giants’ coaching staff, particularly Coughlin. If the ref had ejected Beckham when he should have, or the coaches had sat him down when they could have, the league wouldn’t have needed to suspend him. Earlier this season, I wrote about how I hoped that the Giants would win this division because they were the only team in it that wasn’t an embarrassment. I take it all back. This isn’t the NFC East the league needs, but it is the one the league deserves. Winner: (Go) Vikings (!)
 

Monday Night

Bengals at Broncos

This will be a defensive struggle, featuring two of the league’s top units. Unfortunately, McCarron’s noodle-arm does the Bengals in in this one. Winner: Broncos

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 125-83

​
Thursday Night


Buccaneers at Rams

I don’t really care about this one. I’m leaning toward Tampa, because they seem to bring their best effort every week, whereas the Rams are maddeningly inconsistent. Winner: Buccaneers

 

Saturday Night


Jets at Cowboys

The Jets have very real playoff hopes, while Dallas is truly hopeless. Winner: Jets

 

Sunday


Panthers at Giants

Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr. might be the matchup of the week. Hard to pick against Carolina the way they’ve been scoring, especially with the way the Giants have been tackling (or not tackling).  Winner: Panthers

 
Titans at Patriots

Even with the injuries piling up, the Pats should cruise against Tennessee. Winner: Patriots

 
Bills (Visitors)

The only thing consistent about Buffalo this season is how consistently undisciplined they’ve been. The Rex Ryan experience has been a disappointment thus far. Loser: Bills

 
Chiefs at Ravens

I have to confess that I have no idea who’s starting at QB for Baltimore this week. I also have to confess that it doesn’t matter. Winner: Chiefs

 
Texans at Colts

This is the week that Houston finally seizes control of this wretched division. Winner: Texans

 
Falcons at Jaguars

I’m always a little nervous picking the Jags when they’re expected to win, but what are you gonna do? Winner: Jaguars

 
Bears at Vikings

The Bears shocked the Packers, then lost a couple of very winnable games when their formerly sure-footed kicker became a shank machine. I figure they’re due another shocker, this time against the can’t-win-the-big-one Vikes. Winner: Bears

 
Packers at Raiders

Beating the Broncos, especially in Denver, is like an in-season championship for Oakland. They’re due a letdown this week. Winner: Packers

 
Browns at Seahawks

Every day, and in every way, the Cleveland Browns suck. Winner: Seahawks

 
Bengals at 49ers

With the timeline for Andy Dalton’s playoff availability so dependent on Cincy securing a first round bye, and with at least two very winnable games left, Bengals’ fans should be sending thank you notes to Oakland after last week’s squeaker against the Broncos (even if some of them were inexplicably cheering after Denver beat New England a few weeks ago). Winner: Bengals

 
Dolphins at Chargers

How bad is San Diego? This bad. Winner: Dolphins

 
Broncos at Steelers

Speaking of teams rooting for other teams, smart Bengals’ fans will need to take a long, hot shower after cheering hard this week for the hated Steelers. Yep, it’s been that kind of season. Winner: Steelers

 
Cardinals at Eagles

I still don’t believe in Philly, but I do believe in Arizona. Winner: Cardinals
 

 
Monday Night


Lions at Saints

It seems fitting to me somehow that Week 15 both begins and ends with an essentially meaningless game. I like Detroit in a shootout, because of the Saints’ turnstile defence. Winner: Lions

Last Week: 8-8
Season: 115-77

 
Sunday


Bills at Eagles

Call me crazy, but I’m not ready to start thinking that Philly is suddenly a contender because they fluked a win in Foxborough last week. Winner: Bills

 
Seahawks at Ravens

Playoff-bound versus high draft pick. Winner: Seahawks

 
49ers at Browns

This game shouldn’t do anything to impede Cleveland’s getting first pick in next year’s draft. Winner: Browns

 
Lions at Rams

Jeff Fisher fired his offensive coordinator after last week’s latest pathetic Rams loss. Fisher should fire himself. Winner: Lions

 
Titans at Jets

This game shouldn’t hurt the Jets’ push towards the playoffs. Winner: Jets

 
Steelers at Bengals

Though their offence makes the Steelers a nightmare matchup for any team right now, I still think that this Bengals team is special. Winner: Bengals

 
Colts at Jaguars

I like the way Blake Bortles is playing right now, and I haven’t much liked the Colts at all this season. Winner: Jaguars

 
Chargers at Chiefs

Even without Justin Houston, KC should be able to take the putrid Chargers. Winner: Chiefs

 
Bears (Home)

I like Chicago by the narrowest of margins. Winner: Bears

 
Falcons at Panthers

The Panthers are the real deal, while the Falcons’ playoff hopes seem to have evaporated. Winner: Panthers

 
Saints at Buccaneers

The way the Bucs have been playing of late, they shouldn’t have much trouble scoring against New Orleans’s disastrous defence. Winner: Buccaneers

 
Raiders at Broncos

Denver’s defence is the difference here, like it has been all season. Winner: Broncos

 
Cowboys at Packers

Whatever troubles they might be having, the Packers should be more than a match for Dallas at Lambeau. Winner: Packers

 
Patriots at Texans

The Texans are dangerous and the Pats are vulnerable until they get healthier, but it’s just so hard to imagine New England losing again after how terribly they executed last week. Winner: Patriots

 

Monday Night


Giants at Dolphins

Once again the Giants have a chance to seize control of their division, if they can put together a consistent effort, and if they can’t beat Miami, then they probably don’t deserve to be on the playoffs. Winner: Giants