The NFL Roundup: Wild Card Weekend - Day One

There's an electricity in the air today when it comes to the National Football League. For after a grueling preseason/training camp and a thrilling regular season, the time has come at last to see which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy and earn the title of Super Bowl Champions. That's right, the 2016 NFL Playoffs begin today, and while it will be a few weeks before Super Bowl 50, this weekend should serve up some thrilling games since it is win or go home and here are our thoughts on today's potential winners and losers for Day One of Wild Card Weekend.

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AFC WILD CARD MATCHUP #1 
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT HOUSTON TEXANS

Scotty's Take 
This has been a wild and crazy year for football and these two teams are proof of that.  Both coming out with extremely slow starts, they have both been able to find their grooves and make it to the playoffs.  I found out early in life never to count out one of Andy Reid's teams since he is always able to make them good regardless of what talent is on the roster, but now that he has a solid team, I don't know if anyone will be able to defeat them.  I have been down on the Texans all year, they were so hyped after Hard Knocks and could not bring anything to the field, but now with their fourth starting quarterback of the season, Brian Hoyer, they may have found someone to take them to the promised land.  Even though I think the Chiefs will win outright, I can see this game going down in the books as one of the finest games of the 2015-16 season. 
WINNER - Kansas City

John's Take
Perhaps the biggest surprise about this particular matchup is the fact that the Houston Texans made it into the tournament, and that they need to be taken seriously in this game today. Their defense is the stuff of nightmares for opposing quarterbacks and the Kansas City offensive line is going to have one hell of a time stopping the mighty and now healthy J.J. Watt from bringing down Alex Smith. But the Texans have more weapons on their squad beyond #99, QB Brian Hoyer is doing everything right at his position, managing the game and not turning over the ball and he has a seriously powerful weapon in WR DeAndre Hopkins. The Chiefs are no slouch either, winning a stellar ten games straight to earn this wild card berth, but I'm seriously wondering if they will be able to handle a Houston squad that is playing like it has nothing to lose. 
WINNER - Houston

AFC WILD CARD MATCHUP #2
PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

Scotty's Take
I know that the Red Rocket is out for this game with a broken thumb, but I do not think that it is enough to count the Bengals out completely.  I watched as this team made a charge to beat the number one defense in the league this year and they were still kicking on all cylinders.  A.J. Green is a beast on the field and catches anything that is thrown to him and Tyler Eifert is back and healthy and when that happens, he rivals Gronk as one of the best tight ends in the game.  The Steelers are always hard to beat and with Big Ben at the helm, he has proven he can put his team on his back and carry them as far as they need, but with another big injury at the running back position, I dont think that Ben and Antonio Brown will be able to make the defense look as silly as they have with other teams.  The running game is very important in a game like this and if the Steelers cannot find another diamond in the rough, well, they will be packing and heading home early this year. 
WINNER - Cincinnati

John's Take
The Cincinnati Bengals have been an incredible story in the NFL this year. They went from mediocre team to NFL Elite, putting together a powerful winning streak before the Texans snapped it and even then, they still looked impressive and there's good news for fans about what kind of depth they have on the team since A.J. McCarron has turned out to be a serviceable option at quarterback behind an injured Andy Dalton. But sadly, I think their season ends as it always has, in bitter fashion with a one and done appearance in the playoffs because Pittsburgh has been absolutely phenomenal down the stretch of the season, carving up some of the league's top teams this year...including the Bengals. Playoff football is where the Steelers thrive and with all the smack talking and shade the Bengals have thrown Pittsburgh's way before this game...I'm expecting to see Big Ben and his squad handle it all on the field and head to the next round of the playoffs.
WINNER - Pittsburgh