Playoff Picks Challenge | Week 2 with Guest Blogger!

What a first weekend of NFL Playoff Football! From the Seahawks' shocking upset of the Saints, to the Cardiac Pack living up to their well deserved nickname, I couldn't have been more pleased with the games last weekend (sorry Chiefs' fans) from a fan standpoint (Note: Had the Packers lost, the tone of this post would have been drastically different).

From a picks perspective, it certainly could have gone better. As the Write it in Reverse vs. A Shot in the Arm post-season picks challenge continues into it's second week, Steve and I are in a dead heat with matching 2-2 results. Let's reflect briefly on our Wild Card selections before diving into the Divisional round picks.

Wild Card Round:
Seattle over New Orleans
Rob (Pick Saints): When did the Saints' defense take a mid-season course in Houston?
Steve (Pick Saints): I was too chicken to pick this game the way I wanted to; I hate myself for not trusting my instincts.

Jets over Colts
Rob (Pick Colts): After the Colts went up by only 2 with 0:53 remaining, I started rooting for the Jets to win so I could see this face.
Steve (Pick Jets): I LOVE THE PEYTON MANNING POUTY FACE!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA, EAT IT, JOHNSTONE!

Ravens over Chiefs
Steve (Pick Ravens): Ravens = Nelson, Chiefs = Milhouse

Rob (Pick Ravens): Steve and I were in complete agreement on this game.

Packers over Eagles
Steve (Pick Eagles): I have never been happier to lose a bet/pick in my life.

Rob (Pick Packers): It feels good to be right about the Packers' defense making a play to win the game...even if I was horribly wrong about the score.

Let's move on to the Divisional Playoff Round where the battle of infrequently read bloggers continues! And look for next week's picks and recap back on A Shot in the Arm.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Line: Steelers (-3)

Rob's Take: Like most "experts" I am expecting a bullish, low-scoring GRIND on Saturday afternoon (Over/Under of 37). These two teams combined for 8 losses and only 1 was against a non-playoff team. This is a heavyweight bout. What makes this Rubber Match even cooler is that the total score for both teams this season is 27 in their match ups. Something has to give. In a game that could go either way, give me the points. Pick: Ravens

Steve's Take: I think this is definitely the hardest game to pick. This is essentially a coin flip scenario for me. I decided that I trust The Rapist more than Flacco. I also think the week off may have given the Steelers a chance to work on some of their offensive line problems. Pick: Steelers

Green Bay @ Atlanta Falcons
Line: Falcons (-2.5)

Rob's Take: Round 1 of this match up proved to be worth every dime as Atlanta's starting QB Matty Ice led the Falcons to a late victory. The Falcons have been downright nasty at home... posting a record of 20-4 since 2008 (Two of those losses without Matt Ryan playing). The Packers defense is getting better every week. After they allowed 20+ points in 5 of the first 7 games, they have locked down opponents, allowing more than an Andrew Jackson only twice in their last 10. My biggest concern is the offensive mistakes the Packers can make (drops, penalties, fumbles), but that concern is not enough. Give me the Pack and the points. Plus, I have to take the Packers because it worked last week. Pick: Green Bay

Steve's Take: It worked last week. Pick: Falcons

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
Line: Bears (-10)

Steve's Take: I have no idea what to make of this game. Matt Hasselbeck apparently took steroids during his week off and rejuvenated his career. Pete Carroll showed why he has been considered a great coach for the past decade. And I’m not buying any of it. The Cardinals made me look foolish 2 years ago when they went to the Super Bowl after an unimpressive 9-7 regular season, but I refuse to take this Seattle team on the road...even if they keep coming back to bite me for my stubbornness. I think a lot of people might jump on Seattle after last week, but I am cautious of overreacting. Also: Bears Defense > Saints Defense. Seattle isn’t scoring 41 against Urlacher and Co. Pick: Bears

Rob's Take: Here we go again. Another game for the Seahawks, another HUGE line against them. They are definitely a different team at home as noted by their Seismic Support in Seattle. The 'Hawks won all of 2 road games this season, and one was against the Bears. I think that the Bears are offensively challenged enough to keep this under a 10 point difference. Will the Bears be victim to another catastrophic upset? No. But they only won 4 games by more than 10 points this year and two of those were against the ViQueens. Pick: Seahawks

NY Jets @ New England Patriots
Line: Patriots (-8.5)

Steve's Take: Everyone remembers the Patriots’ dismantling of the Jets in their last meeting. It was an embarrassing game. I stopped watching it by halftime, when it was clear that “Bad Sanchise” had come to play for the Jets. I feel pretty lucky to have won with the Jets on the road last week, and it’s dangerous to bet against the Patriots. But 8.5 is a lot of points to give when the Jets still boast a top-10 defense. I think they keep it close enough to cover the spread. Pick: Jets

Rob's Take: More intriguing re-matches! In the AFC's second Rubber Match, the New England Belichicks are looking to shut up Rex Ryan for the remainder of the season. The Jets offense is suspect. The Pats' defense is suspect. The Jets' defense can dominate. The Pats' offense can dominate. My concern with NY last week was their offense's tendency to disappear, and their win over Indy didn't show much to combat that feeling. With the Pats scoring over 30+ points in EIGHT STRAIGHT GAMES, I don't see the New York Rexes being able to keep up. Pick: Patriots