The Sports Monitor

I had a rough weekend picking the wild-card round. I had too many outside influences on my choices. Fantasy football leagues, home teams, allegiances all came into play. I've eliminated all the outside factors this week. It's time to bounce back. Saints at 49ers: Classic matchup between great offense and great defense. The Niners are at home and on grass, which should slow down the Saints, but I don't see how Alex Smith can lead San Fran past Drew Brees and the Saints. If the Niners are to win, the defense will need some turnovers and probably score at least one touchdown. The Saints are just too much. Saints 27, 49ers 16 Giants at Packers: Don't look now, but the Giants defense on a roll. They will face a serious test against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but they are peaking at the right time. Will it be enough? I don't think so. All season, Rodgers and Co. have come through, putting up the points when needed. The Giants might shut d...

The NFL playoffs finally are here, and, if you're like me, you can't get enough of the stuff. It looks like we should be headed for some high-scoring games, defensive struggles and some close calls this weekend. Here's how I see the weekend unfolding: Bengals at Texans: The Bengals are lucky to be in the postseason, while the Texans are lucky to have a quarterback after going through about 16 during the regular season. Arian Foster should get plenty of carries for the Texans, along with Ben Tate. The big question is whether quarterback T.J. Yates will be able to find Andre Johnson. If he can, it would go a long way for the Texans to win. However, something tells me rookie QB Andy Dalton finds some way to win against a tough Texans defense. Maybe he hooks up with A.J. Green on a big play. Maybe the Bengals defense pressures Yates into a big mistake. Bengals 20, Texans 17. Lions at Saints: This game should be fun to watch. The Saints, powered by record-set...