NFC Wildcard Game- (5) New Orleans Saints @ ("4") Seattle Seahawks

I really wish I could summon the energy to type out some serious analysis on the game but the fact of the matter is, this game is as one sided as it gets. You have an under .500 team going up against the defending Superbowl Champions who happen to be led by one of the very best quarterbacks in the sport. Regular season record is not necessarily everything when it comes to a playoff team, as there are other factors like how the team ends the season, health, and matchups among other things.

That aside, this Seattle Seahawk team is putrid. They were outscored by 97 points in the regular season. In order to fill this out a little bit, I'll look at some things to watch for this game.

-Does New Orleans play tight? New Orleans is nearly two touchdown favorites, and it is pretty much world renown how they should have no problem winning this game. In this situation, sometimes teams either underestimate their opponent or flat out play tight and keep the opponent in the game. It'll be interesting to see how New Orleans deals with this.

-While the Saints have one of the best passers in the business, their top two running backs (Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory) are out for this game, leaving them down to Reggie Bush and Julius Jones. That is a very uninspiring duo, but given the fact that the Seahawks defend against the pass and the run equally poorly, it probably won't matter.

-The Saints need to throttle the Seahawks early. As poor as the Seahawks are, in a game of this magnitude, the crowd can be the great equalizer. The Seahawks boast one of the best "12th men" in the league. Unfortunately they are stuck with the first eleven men they have on both sides of the football

-If the Seahawks are to stand a chance, they must play the game of their life. If that is to happen, they must show something they haven't all year. They must show they have the ability to play like a good team.

Final Thoughts and Prediction:

This is a major mismatch, and the Saints will show why it is with a blowout win.

Saints 34 Seahawks 14