The NFL will take center stage this weekend as the playoffs begin. Never growing up a big NFL fan, the sports purest in me loves this time of year. I don’t have a team I’m aligned to, so I really only pay attention to the 18 week schedule for my fantasy teams. Now, it’s time to win or go home – and the excitement truly begins.

I started my blog last January with some coaching and playoff predictions, so it’s only fitting to do the same to start 2013. After ‘Black Monday’ there is no shortage of coach and GM openings already. I would be surprised if there are any more at this point, but I also take Jerry Jones’ recent cryptic message as more of a ploy for attention than a prophesy.

First in the coaching world…
– KC didn’t waste any time getting their man. Andy Reid loved this option since it gave him more power than any other openings and a chance to get his man with the 1st pick in the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised if Vick ended up in KC now too; they have a special relationship.
– The Chip Kelly NFL interview tour will end with him in Cleveland. Their new owner is ready to pay big and draft him a QB. They have some solid pieces and speed, which is huge for his system (however, I’m still not convinced he’ll succeed at this level).
– Lovie Smith will coach again, and still be mediocre. My guess is that the Chargers are the best bet for him.
– John Gruden will be back on the sidelines in 2013, likely with the Eagles. This is my gut feeling, just seems like a place that makes sense for him.
– The Bears will hire Tom Clements. If you want to beat your biggest rival, why not take away their OC! The clock is ticking for the aging D in Chi-town and they need someone who can get the most out of their offensive stars. Seems like a perfect match here.
– Mike McCoy will leave Denver for the warmth of Arizona. The team needs a lot of help, but it starts with a good offensive mind to keep Fitzgerald with the Cardinals.
– Doug Marrone will stay in upstate New York and be hired to lead the Buffalo Bills.
– As for the Jerry Jones message, it’s time for them to part ways with Tony Romo, time will tell if he does that though. His biggest problem in doing that is that it gives him and fans one less person to blame when they struggle!

Phew, that’s a lot of teams to talk about! Now, on to the fun of predicting wildcard weekend…
Houston over Cincinnati: Can the Texans finally win a playoff game? They’ve been scuffling in the last few weeks to lose their first round bye, but are a good team and will be too much for the Bengals D to slow down. Foster will have a big game and Watt will make it a tough day for Dalton.
Green Bay over Minnesota: AP has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, let alone coming off of a horrible injury. But, it’s hard to beat the same team two weeks in a row – let alone on the frozen tundra. The return of Woodson will spark the Packers D and make Ponder struggle. Rodgers will look like an MVP tonight since he has his weapons back and lead them to a victory.
Baltimore over Indianapolis: The Colts have been riding the emotion of being Chuck Strong this season and been very impressive. “Suck for Luck” worked well, as he is a legit NFL QB. A week ago, I may have taken Indy…until the Ray Lewis announcement came. There were already many great story lines for this matchup, and then Lewis topped them all. He’s the real deal on and off the field and his leadership being back for this game will be too much for the Colts on the road. The team, the fans, and the city of Baltimore will be so fired up for this game as no one wants to disappoint the face of their franchise. The Ravens D will harass Luck all day and likely score in the game while Rice will have a good game to keep the Lewis career going one more week.
Seattle over Washington: Hands down, the hardest game for me to pick. Two good defenses, two rookie quarterbacks, and both teams are riding hot streaks. Washington gets the advantage of being at home, but I’m still not sure how close to 100% RGIII is. Seattle has gotten better as the season went on and their D is very good and could make it a long day for RGIII and Morris. I believe this will be a close game, but I give the edge to the Seahawks based on their offense – Wilson has really matured, Lynch is a beast, and the receivers have improved. They will do just enough to get a tough road win.

Prediction most likely to be wrong: Seattle over Washington (see above)

Bonus pick – BCS Championship Game: Alabama wins their 2^nd National Championship in a row. The D of the Tide will be too much for ND and Bama’s experience being there before will give them the edge over the Irish.

Enjoy the weekend!