Just because I have a blog over at FoxSports going does not mean I want to bail out on everyone here. It does cut into my time breaking down each game, but we will see what I can do. Jacksonville (11-5) @ New England (10-6): NE -7.5/under 37.5

This is where the won/loss record is deceiving. The Patriots are going to make life hell on whichever lines up at quarterback for the Jaguars. Leftwich is supposed to start even though he should not be fully recovered from ankle issues. Lack of mobility is a killer against a defense that knows how to scheme to an opposing player’s weakness. When or if Garrard enters the mix, he is more likely to throw the crucial interception during the first really important game of his career. The Jags are a tough home team where they lost only two elite AFC teams (Denver, Indianapolis) but on the road things have not gone as well. They skated by Tennessee, Arizona and Cleveland by no more than a touchdown during a three game road trip recently. New England is peaking at the right time against inferior competition and quarterbacks, relatively speaking. Jacksonville could put up a fight, but I fail to see it happening at this stadium: New England 19, Jacksonville 9

Washington (10-6) @ Tampa Bay (10-6): WAS +2.5/under 36.5

This is an incredibly difficult game to call. These teams met here on November 13 in a wild 36-35 win for the Bucs on a gutsy two-point conversion. Still, there is no way of knowing how the rematch will unfold. Are Brunell and Portis healthy enough to help the Redskins advance the ball agains this stingy defense? Can Santana Moss shake Ronde Barber? On the other hand, how will Chris Simms fare against a Gregg Williams defense that has seen his offense operate once before? Is Cadillac ready to run in the playoffs? These questions are tough to project answers to. Tampa Bay has struggled on many occasions to score points. Six times they have not been able to score over 14 points, and only six times did they go beyond 20 points. Washington’s offense is catching stride after crushing three AFC East opponents to the tune of 35, 35 and 31 points. Defensively, they need to put it all together similar to what they did against Dallas three weeks ago (35-7 win). I am left baffled. All I know is that scoring will be at a premium and kicking field goals should be important. I like John Hall. He can kick long and perform in the clutch. This is a tough one, but I am going with the upset: Washington 19, Tampa Bay 17

Carolina (11-5) @ NY Giants (11-5): CAR +2.5/under 43.5

I spent more time on this game for my weekly preview assignment on the FoxSports blog. Then today I opened up SI’s website to find that Dr. Z (Paul Zimmerman) had come to the same bottom line (final score) as I had. Perhaps this is a good omen, perhaps not. The Giants are tough at home. They play over their heads. The Panthers are sleeping giants, pardon the pun, in these playoffs. The two seeds (Chicago and Seattle) are praying they lose this weekend. If things click for them, it could be an upset in the making. However, Foster and Delhomme are both erratic players, not to mention Steve Smith’s antics. I like cooler heads to prevail. New York is still motivated by their late owners both passing away earlier this season: NY Giants 21, Carolina 20

Pittsburgh (11-5) @ Cincinnati (11-5): CIN +3/over 46.5

It is “11 win day” in the NFL playoffs apparently. To reach that number requires a pretty good season. Not exceptional, but pretty good. These teams were 10-4 when you throw out their season split on enemy soil. If you want to give the Bengals an edge for winning the shootout rematch 38-31, remember that in this stadium it was the Steelers who dominated a 27-13 win. Guess how Cowher is hoping this game goes? Line play rules and I could see either team winning this game. It is that close. The offense of Cincinnati has lost some cogs lately, and even if they have returned all of them might not be at full strength. Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator is LeBeau. The guy has probably been up late all week trying to figure out a way to ruin the team that once fired him. I am very torn on how the early pace will play out. If Pittsburgh gets ahead even by 7 or 10 it could be a snowball effect. Should Cincinnati turn this into a track meet, they are in great shape. Can I get a psychic to tell me the score after the first quarter? I have to bet on the smart play straight up and against the spread, which is a split. This one should be a classic: Pittsburgh 24, Cincinnati 23