NFL Playoffs - Wild Is All in the Cards -
4 January 2007
You know that someone this weekend is going to make some serious noise in the playoffs as a whole. It always happens. The question is who among the unlucky eight (or lucky if you are one of those that believe an extra game is actually a boon to the winner going into the playoff proper) will survive this weekend for an even tougher ordeal the following week. This year's wildcard match-ups are interesting, especially when you consider the NFC East represents almost 40% of the teams featured this weekend. It seems that the stars have aligned just right to create a seeding that favors the East. Not just the NFC East, but the AFC East as well. There are two all east match-ups in both conferences that will ensure that a representative of each East division will move on to the next round of the playoffs.
Some of these first round playoff teams are holding the high cards, but while some contests are pretty much in the hands of the upper seeds, some teams are sitting on a pocket 2's hoping the river gets them a bad beat over a team that should compete for a Conference championship. The problem is for these teams, in the wildcard games, there are no mucking hands. All cards are on the table waiting for that turn…Question is…. Is lady luck on their side?
Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks
NFC No. 1 wild card @ NFC West champion
9-7 (5-3 road) 9-7 (5-3 home)
No. 5 seed No. 4 seed
The interest level in this game can be compared to two beta water buffalo males going at it for rights to being the official number 4 or 5 in the herd. In a word…BORING! Yes Seattle made it to the big game last year, but their entry into this year's playoffs is a carbon copy of Dallas mediocrity. Both teams have lost 3 out of the last 4. Both teams are suffering from inconsistency at QB and a pedestrian running game (Alexander has been inconsistent for Seattle since coming back from injury earlier in the season).
Seattle will struggle in the secondary due to key injuries that have forced them to pull in personnel who haven't donned a uniform all season. Of course fortune shines on them in that Cowboy QB Tony Romo is suffering some sort of sophomore slump late in the season and has had a hard time finding his two key targets Owens and Glenn. Of course the Cowboys could try and grind it out if it were just an issue of throwing, but Romo has had a serious bout with butterfingers and has a hard time holding onto the ball. All in all this game is a road trip for the Cowboys and Qwest field is not a place you want to be in if you value your hearing. The road, the crowd and inconsistency are a bit tougher to overcome than the Seattle slump. Seahawks yawn this one out by a TD.
Kansas City Chiefs Indianapolis Colts
AFC No. 2 wild card @ AFC South champion
9-7 (3-5 road) 12-4 (8-0 home)
No. 6 seed No. 3 seed
Kansas City literally snuck into the playoffs with Tennessee, Denver and Cincinnati all losing at home. The unlikely Bronco meltdown vs. the 49ers last week sealed the deal. Regardless, this game has a white-collar finesse vs. blue-collar power appeal to it; similar to last years Indy-Pitt game. The Colts are not as sharp as they were over the first ten weeks, and having their worst rush defense in over fifty years allowing over 2700 yards this season isn't going to make things easier. Chief's bruiser Larry Johnson who has rushed for almost 1800 yards must be licking his chops. However…Kansas City doesn't travel that well and Indy's success has come at home since early November. The Chief's defense is adequate if this turns into a nail biter, but the Colts can score points in a hurry. Playoff experience is on Indy's side, and although Kansas City will rack up yards on the ground. When it really counts in the red zone, they will more likely come away with 3's vs. 7's. The Colts clip Kansas City by two scores.
NY Giants Philadelphia Eagles
NFC No. 2 wild card @ NFC East champion
8-8 (5-3 road) 10-6 (5-3 home)
No. 6 seed No. 3 seed
This one should be called the big ugly. In their two division contests, both teams racked up a total of 299 yards in penalties. The Giants beat their division rival early in the season in a closely contested battle that went to overtime. Second time around however it was a dominant Eagle performance in the 4th quarter that killed any hopes that Eli Manning had of helping his team to a division title. When these two get together, there is no love lost, and one can imagine the heat rising in Philly this weekend as these two play a game that means a heck of a lot more than bragging rights in the NFC East. This is one and done time and tempers are going to flare up. This should be one of the most entertaining games during the wildcard weekend. On paper the Eagles look to dominate, but paper rarely straps on the pads and lays a lick on anyone. Eli needs a confidence booster, but Tiki Barber cannot do this on his own. The Veteran laden Eagles squad will prove too much to handle in the end, and what starts out as a battle royale will be a runaway victory by the middle of the 3rd quarter. Philadelphia flies over New York by 14 or more.
New York Jets New England Patriots
AFC No. 1 wild card @ AFC East champion
10-6 (6-2 road) 12-4 (5-3 home)
No. 5 seed No. 4 seed
On the surface this looks pretty much a one-sided affair. However both teams have split W's during the regular season, and they were both tightly contested. There is no love lost between Mangini and his mentor Belichick. After New York defeated the Patriots in their house late in the season, it served only to chill things even further between the two. Belichick has refused to mention Mangini by name when referring to the Jets coach. With this added sideline pepper, things will most likely heat up. The Jets are an excellent road team, and so any home field advantage is not to be had.
Also, since Mangini was Belichicks protégé for five seasons, he has the added advantage of knowing his mentor's idiosyncrasies well enough to use them to his advantage. On the field Brady and company can pick apart most secondaries, but they have a tendency to struggle a bit when getting off to a slow start. The key to this game will be in the trenches, and this is where the Patriots take this game in hand. Their veteran defensive front will be working a Jet's Oline featuring a couple of rookies in Ferguson and Mangold. Mangold at center will be under pressure all game long. This game will be a repeat performance of their first meeting this season with Belichick showing his protégé how it is done in the postseason. Pats outlast the Jets by a TD. The Playoffs
are coming your way!
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