It looks like this contest is Nick Slegel's to lose at this point. The bane of my existence finished Week 16 with a 12-4 record and now has a full two game lead over myself in the standings. Meanwhile, Jessica Kleinschmidt tied Nick with 12 wins this past week and is still in the thick of the race. 

Here are the standings heading into the playoffs.

Nick Slegel: 54-25                    

Vincent Frank: 52-27

Jessica Kleinschmidt: 47-32

Jessica's Take

Houston Texans:  Before I wrote my article, I was very much going towards the Bengals winning this game.  Not because of a specific person (the editor editing this piece) claiming I have a crush on gingers, but because I like Andy Dalton in the pocket and BenJarvus Green-Ellis by his side doesn’t hurt his chances either.  However, I have been an under-the-table Texans fan this whole season. 

It’s always electrifying to watch J.J. Watt just dominating on the field, and Matt Schaub being a strong leader this season. The Texans do have homefield advantage, but they do have Andre Johnson who kills it.  No surprise he leads the AFC with a career-high 1,598 receiving yards, and he will definitely be getting a lot of action.  Texans should win this game.

Indianapolis Colts:  Let’s just remember the most passionate and influential member of the National Football League happens to be on one of these teams. No, not Tandon Doss, I am talking about Ray Lewis.  With his recent retirement announcement barely sinking in, I think we can agree this game is going to be an emotional one.

I know most of you follow my articles religiously, and I did pick the Colts to win this one.  I know they do not have a lot of experience, but you must remember not a lot of experience means you will not do well in postseason play.  You may not win a Super Bowl, but a good quarterback and a solid defense can make sure you are alive at least once in the playoffs. 

I really like Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton together, and not just because Hilton was recently spotted doing the Bernie Lean, well maybe that plays a tiny roll.  Plus Chuck Pagano recently came back from a battle with leukemia, the Colts have a huge reason for a win.  Either way, I do hope Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, and the Baltimore Ravens prove me wrong, and get a win for Lewis, since it is at M&T Bank Stadium. I see the Colts winning by a touchdown though.  Don’t be too happy Colts fans, if they win this one, they won’t win the next.

Green Bay Packers:  I don’t think the Packers were too pumped to have to face Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in a rematch this Saturday, but you can’t control everything.  We can talk about who should have played who and seeds, and all of that nonsense, but that will end up in a headache. 

You play who you play.  It’s as simple as that.  What’s not so simple is the game the Vikings have against the Packers at Lambeau Field.  The Packers have won five of six meetings at home against the Vikings, plus Aaron Rodgers has completed 74.7 percent of his passes, throwing 16 touchdowns and just one interception.  Plus, Christian Ponder is kind of a sissy and I don’t see him taking his team to the Super Bowl.  Expect the Green Bay Packers to take the win.

Washington Redskins:  Record setting rookie quarterback vs record setting rookie quarterback.  If you scheduled yourself for a spa day, you should probably cancel it and watch this game.  Russell Wilson has a touch matchup against Robert Griffin III and it’s going to be explosive.  The Seattle Seahawks are for real this season winning five in a row to snag a wildcard spot, and the Washington Redskins cannot go unnoticed since winning seven straight games since naming Griffin captain.

Both teams have mad respect for one another, but who will win?  This is probably my toughest decision of the games this weekend, however I really see Griffin and Alfred Morris taking the team further in the playoffs.  I could probably argue both sides until I was blue in the face, but it’s not a good look for me, and it would not change your mind either.

Wilson will put on a good game, and has a laser of an arm with amazing accuracy, oh and that guy Marshawn Lynch is not horrible either. The Redskins should win this game, but it is the playoffs and anything can happen.

Nick's Take

Cincinnati Bengals: The Houston Texans are limping heavily into the playoffs and Cincinnati is coming in on a two game winning streak.  The Bengals will win a close, physical battle.

Green Bay Packers: The Packers don't (okay rarely) lose at home on the Frozen Tundra during the playoffs.  Aaron Rodgers and company will avenge last week's loss. 

Indianapolis Colts: This was the hardest game for me to pick, because there's so many factors at play here.  The Colts have played well lately and have head coach Chuck Pagano back.  The Baltimore Ravens haven't fared as well recently, but are finally getting defensive leader Ray Lewis back.  Indy hasn't let me down lately, so I'm going to keep picking them until it doesn't work. 

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks and Washington Redskins are both Cinderella stories: They both have talented rookie quarterbacks and great running backs.  The only difference is the Seahawks defense, which is significantly better than the Redskins'.  

Vincent's Take

Cincinnati Bengals: Needless to say, the Houston Texans aren't playing great football right about now. Even when they went up against an Indianapolis Colts team, who had nothing to play for, the Texans lost and ceded the No. 1 seed to the Denver Broncos. Matt Schaub has thrown a total of one touchdown in four games. 

Look for Cincinnati to grab its first playoff victory since 1990 (before most of you were born). While I am not a fan of the way Andy Dalton has been playing recently, he should be able to do just enough against a struggling Houston team. 

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers against Adrian Peterson. Those two players will be talked about in generations to come. They are among the best at their positions in the history of the National Football League. While I do expect Peterson to have a huge game against a Packers' team he has tallied over 400 rushing yards against in two games this season, Christian Ponder will not be able to do enough to win. 

Look for the Packers, behind a dynamic passing game, to take this one going away. I am looking at something like 35-17 come Saturday night. 

Baltimore Ravens: You have no idea how hard it is for me to pick against the Indianapolis Colts here. What they have done this season is nothing short of amazing. From Andrew Luck's great performance as a rookie to the inspiring story of head coach Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis has been the feel-good story around the NFL. That will come to a crashing halt Sunday. 

Baltimore will also be playing inspired football following Ray Lewis announcing his retirement. I am expecting a huge performance from Lewis and the Ravens' defense in what promises to be a passionate game. That will ride Baltimore to one more week of football. 

Washington Redskins: Probably the hardest game to pick of the weekend. On one hand, Robert Griffin III isn't at 100 percent, which has caused issues with his mobility. On the other hand, the Seattle Seahawks are 3-5 away from the Pacific Northwest this season. I have gone back and for on this one more than you can even imagine. 

In the end, I am going to go with the home team starting a rookie quarterback over a road team traveling to D.C. with a quarterback making his initial playoff start. In all honesty, this game could go either way.