Wild-card weekend was great for me

Skai Moore Color Rush Jersey , not so great for MDS.I went 3-1 for the first four games of the postseason, nailing upset selections in both Houston and Chicago. (A prediction of a 17-15 Eagles win missed by a single point.) MDS, on the other hand, ate a donut in the straight-up picks game, guessing wrong on all four contests.This week, he has a chance to gain some ground, because we disagree on two of the games. For all of the divisional round selections, keep scrolling.And check out the “best bets” video accompanying this post, for our picks against the spread. With points factored in, we’re on the opposite side of three of the four games.Last week, we picked the opposite side of one game, fueling my 3-0 performance and keeping MDS at 2-1.Colts at ChiefsMDS’s take: These may be the two hottest teams in the NFL right now. The Colts had a dominant all-around performance against the Texans, and that’s the way they’ve been playing for three months. The Chiefs have been the best offense in the league and one of the best offenses in NFL history all season. If this were in Indianapolis I’d take the Colts to win this game with their stout defense and balanced offense, but I just can’t pick against the Chiefs in Kansas City.MDS’s pick: Chiefs 28, Colts 21.Florio’s take: The Chiefs haven’t won a home playoff game since 1993. In fact, they’ve won as many playoff games at Arrowhead Stadium as the Colts have: Two. The problem, as evidenced by various big games lost by the Chiefs this year, is the defense. Can they keep Indy’s offense from not outscoring Patrick Mahomes? That’s where the game will be won or lost. This one could go either way https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Jack-Mewhort-Jersey , but I’ll say it will be won by the Chiefs, barely.Florio’s pick: Chiefs 30, Colts 27.<hr />Cowboys at Rams MDS’s take: The Rams’ biggest weakness is their run defense, so I see Ezekiel Elliott having a big game. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, that’s the only area where I anticipate them having an advantage over the Rams. Elliott probably gets off to a hot start, but after the Rams put some points on the board and the Cowboys are playing from behind, Dallas will be forced to pass, and Aaron Donald will make it a long night for Dak Prescott.MDS’s pick: Rams 31, Cowboys 21.Florio’s take: In most Dallas games, it becomes obvious whether the Cowboys will win within the first half of the first quarter. This week, it quickly will become evident that their approach is working against a Rams defense that will have its hands full with one of the best offensive lines in football, and against a Rams offense that isn’t as good as it was before Jared Goff‘s skills regressed and Todd Gurley‘s knee became swollen. In their home away from home, Dallas gets its first road playoff win in 26 years.Florio’s pick: Cowboys 17, Rams 13.<hr />Chargers at Patriots MDS’s take: I actually think the Chargers are a better top-to-bottom team than the Patriots right now. But the Chargers’ disadvantages are having to play against the Ravens while the Patriots were resting, two long cross-country flights, and an early kickoff. The Patriots’ playoff experience can’t hurt, and the Chargers are going to have to radically change their defensive approach this week against Tom Brady from the way they played last week against Lamar Jackson. The Patriots will pull out a close win.MDS’s pick: Patriots 24, Chargers 23.Florio’s take: Something’s got to give. The Chargers are 9-0 away from L.A. J'Marcus Webb Jersey , the Patriots are unbeaten at home, and Tom Brady has never lost to Philip Rivers. Playoff experience becomes the difference for a New England team that was left for dead not long ago.Florio’s take: Patriots 24, Chargers 17.<hr />Eagles at SaintsMDS’s take: When these teams met in the regular season, the Saints won in a 48-7 beatdown. That was the second-biggest margin of victory in the NFL during the 2018 season, second only to the Ravens destroying the Nathan Peterman-led Bills in Week One. If Nick Foles can lead the Eagles to a win over the Saints after the same opponent dominated Carson Wentz in the regular season, it’s going to lead to increased calls to make Foles, not Wentz, the Eagles’ franchise quarterback. Fortunately for the Saints (and for Wentz), I don’t see that happening. Drew Brees should have a big day against the Eagles’ defense, and although the Saints aren’t going to win by 41 again, they should win by a healthy margin.MDS’s pick: Saints 31, Eagles 17.Florio’s take: Few believed the Eagles could beat the Bears in Chicago. (I did.) Fewer believe the Eagles can beat the Saints in New Orleans. I do. Coupling the bye week with a lackluster Week 17 game against the Panthers, and it will have been a long time since the Saints played a meaningful game. The Eagles have been playing meaningful games week after week after week. The road team has improved greatly since losing 48-7 in the Superdome, and the Saints peaked during round one. So push the chips into the middle of the table, hope the Eagles keep it close, count on a little magic late in the game, and prepare for the biggest debate of the offseason regarding whether the Eagles should keep Nick Foles or Carson Wentz.Florio’s pick: Eagles 20, Saints 17. PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Adam Vinatieri started his career as a young kicker in awe of the stats of a Hall of Famer such as Morten Andersen.As a rookie in New England Jordan Wilkins Color Rush Jersey , the lofty numbers seemed as out of reach as a 70-yard field goal.“I remember playing against him early in the league going, so many points, no one’s even going to come close,” Vinatieri said.Come close?Vinatieri is on the brink of passing Andersen in career field goals and total points and putting the final bows on a career that has him destined for Canton, Ohio.The 45-year-old Vinatieri kicked field goals of 35, 31 and 28 yards on Sunday to match Andersen for most field goals in NFL history with 565.Vinatieri added an extra point to finish with 10 points in the game, putting him 33 shy of matching Andersen (2,544) for the most points scored in NFL history.“That’s the one,” Vinatieri said. “Nobody every pays attention to who has the most field goals. It’s who’s got the most points. They almost run hand-in-hand. It’d be fun if it happens.”The scoring mark could fall in a few weeks.But on a soggy Sunday in Philadelphia, Vinatieri at least snagged a share of Andersen’s field-goal record. The Colts couldn’t take advantage in a 20-16 loss to the Super Bowl champion Eagles, setting the stage for Vinatieri to set the field goal record next week at home against the Houston Texans.“It’s obviously special,” Vinatieri said, “but gosh dang it, when you do it on a close game and you lose, it just doesn’t feel quite the same. It’s a record that’s been a long time coming. I just appreciate the opportunities I have.”Andersen needed 709 attempts to set the record; Vinatieri just 670 in 23 seasons to tie.“We put him in situations to give us three and he delivers every time,” Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton said.Vinatieri was already the NFL’s postseason record holder for scoring (234) and field goals (56); and he hit two Super Bowl winners in the final minute. He’s won four Super Bowls and was the only unanimous selection on the Super Bowl 50 Golden Team.He made 263 field goals in 10 years with the New England Patriots and has 302 with the Colts.Few fans will forget the two kicks he made in the Snow Bowl, or “Tuck Rule” game, to help New England beat Oakland in a divisional-round playoff game following the 2001 season. It helped the Patriots capture their first Super Bowl.Last year https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Henry-Anderson-Jersey , the oldest player in the league made a seemingly impossible extra point to force overtime in a December blizzard in Buffalo and helped keep the Colts within striking distance just 13 days later in monsoon-like weather in Baltimore.Last year, with a new long snapper and a new holder, Vinatieri made 85.3 percent of his field goals.“I like to step out there and kick field goals,” he said, “but it’s better kicking extra points, that’s for sure.”Vinatieri remembers talking to Andersen, one of only two full-time kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, about the secrets to enjoying a long, successful career.Staying healthy, for sure.And the other?“Stubbornness, probably,” Vinatieri said, smiling. “There’s a lot of great young guys around and I think my joy of being around these young guys and trying to compete against guys half my age … I’d contribute that to it a little bit.”