NFL playoffs - Wildcard round

Wow, so it's been about 3 months since my last post. New years resolution #1, actually do this this year. And I will hopefully do something other than sports, but being the first entry of the year and the playoff season is at hand, its football talking time :-).

So the teams stack up like this:

NFC AFC
#1 Saints (z) #1 Colts(z)
#2 Vikings (z) #2Chargers (z)
#3 Cowboys #3 Patriots
#4 Cardinals #4 Bengals
#5 Packers #5 Jets
#6 Eagles #6 Ravens

The teams denoted with a (z) have a first round bye. So that leaves the first round match-ups as: Cowboys/Eagles, Cardinals/Packers in the NFC and Pats/Ravens and Bengals/Jets in the AFC. Oddly enough, with the exception of the Pats and Ravens, the other three games are a repeat of last weekend. Cowboys beat the Eagles 24-0, Packers beat the Cardinals 33-7 and the Jets beat the Bengals 37-0.

Cowboys vs. Eagles.
As I said above, the Eagles got shut out in Dallas last night, 24-0. They looked absolutely lost offensively and with the exception of a heads-up interception, did virtually nothing on defense. That all being said, this is an upset pick. Philly will win. Dallas won the first meeting of the year 20-16, then destroyed them last night. It is awfully difficult to beat a team three times in a season, let alone twice in two consecutive weeks. Philly was on of the hottest teams in the NFL going into last week, winning their last six games. They are an extremely good post-season team, where as Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, despite home-field advantages. They haven't yet found a kicker they can rely on, releasing Nick Folk a few weeks ago and their new kicker, Shaun Suisham was released by Washington earlier this year, and then missed a 30 yd field goal yesterday. It didn't ultimately matter, but an unpredictable kicker going into the playoffs is scary. Andy Reid is too good of a coach to be out coached by Wade Phillips three times this season. Prediction: 24-17, Eagles

Cardinals vs. Packers

I expect another turn around in this game, in that it won't be another blowout. That being said, and as much as it hurts me to say this, the Packers will win again. Green Bay started the year 4-4, including two losses to the Vikings and one to the hapless Buccaneers. But since then, they have won 7 of their last 8 games, and had it not been for some late game heroics by Ben Roethlisberger, they would have won that game too. The Packers actually finished with a better record than the Cardinals, but since they are a Wild-card team, they are forced to travel. I believe it will be a closer match-up than last night's game, since the cardinals seemed to just be preparing for the playoffs. Kurt Warner only threw 6 passes then handed the ball over to Matt Leinart, who continued to show that he is one of the biggest busts ever. AZ back Hightower and Wells only combined for 12 total rushing attempts, though credit for that can be given to the increasingly impressive Packers defense. Cardinals will be in further trouble due to the probable loss of wideout Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie who appears to have blown out his knee. One more not on this game is the continued progression of Aaron Rodgers into one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks. He really shows what a QB can become if he is given time to ride the bench and learn the system and the league before being forced to play. Ryan Leaf . When he actually has time to stay in the pocket, he is a devastating passer. That being said, the Packers offensive line is atrocious. Rodgers took more sacks (50) than any other QB in the NFC, the closest was Jay Cutler with 35. Everything aside, Packers win again. Prediction: 27-14, Packers.

I will do the AFC if i find the motivation, but I doubt it. If my predictions hold true, the division round games will be: Saints v. Eagles and Vikings v. Packers. Go Vikes :-).