My Predictions for the NFC First Round of Playoffs

After an epic display of intense NFL Wild card match ups that saw the Colts, Saints, Chargers, and 49ers all advance to the first round of the NFL Playoffs and a BCS National Championship Game for the ages that staged a Florida State comeback over Auburn, there may never be another week of football as exciting as the one that just passed.

However the show must always go on... and 4:35pm Eastern Standard time on Saturday January 11th will open the stage for what we all hope to be another exciting week of football.

In another article, contributor Jason Polito will release his AFC Playoff predictions, but for now here are my predictions on what will happen on the NFC side of things.

Saturday, January 11th 4:35pm

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks

My prediction: Seattle 27 New Orleans 17

I love the toughness of Drew Brees, the athleticism of Marquis Colston, and the brilliance of head coach Sean Payton - but at the same time I'm a realist. The Seahawks and QB Russell Wilson have lost just one home game in the last two years, and it's hard to imagine them losing two games at home in one months time.

'The 12th man' home crowd will be a tremendous advantage for the Seahawks, but in my opinion the match-ups  favor them as well. The Seahawks are the number one ranked defensive team in the NFL and average 2.4 forced turnovers a game. Their secondary has the size and power to stop the Saints receivers and take the ball right out of Brees' hands.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Seahawks will look to turn Marshawn Lynch loose into 'beast mode' and have him run the ball down the throats of the New Orleans light front seven. The Saints linebackers have been prone to the run all year, so look for Pete Carroll to expose that come Saturday.

Sunday January 12th 1:05pm

San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers

My prediction: San Fran 20 Carolina 17

Jim Harbough has Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers playing the best football they've played all season.

This is definitely going to be a defensive battle and an all out war after both of these teams met in week 10 when Cam Newton and Panthers reigned victorious... but the main difference this time around is Michael Crabtree. In four playoff games together Crabtree and Kaepernick have linked up for three TD's and three games with over 100 yards receiving. I think this duo will run the 49ers right into the NFC championship game.