NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Preview, Predictions

#3 Seattle Seahawks (11-5-1) @ #2 Atlanta Falcons (11-5)

• NFC Divisional, Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET, FOX
• Falcons -5

To begin the weekend, Russell Wilson and his Seattle Seahawks will travel to Atlanta to take on Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Admittedly, it’s a tricky one.

On one hand are the Seahawks, a battle-tested squad who possess a stomach always ready for war. The other team, the Falcons, are the young up-and-comers who impressed to the point during the regular season that many believe Matt Ryan and company will finally break those postseason heartbreaks.

The trickier thing is picking the Seahawks with their best defensive player lost of the season (Earl Thomas). Also tricky is the fact that Wilson didn’t play well a week ago. It was his receivers who bailed him out.

If Seattle’s offensive line doesn’t get Wilson killed by Brooks Reed and Vic Beasley, we’ll stick with our choice of the Seahawks barely upsetting the snakebitten Falcons. Don’t forget, while Pete Carroll’s team has been streaky, they went into New England earlier in the season and knocked off the mighty Pats.

We’ll take the gutty Seahawks to stun the Falcons in an OT thriller.

Seahawks 24 (+5), Falcons 21, OT