The
playoffs start Saturday afternoon. I already tipped my hand who I am picking in
the wild card round in a previous post. Now here are they why.
Here
are who my fellow football pickers are picking in the wild card round (Monica Roberts, Luke Roadwalker).
CARDINALS AT PANTHERS, 1/3,
2:30 PM (MT), ESPN
One
team made the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record and the other doesn't know who will start
under center.
The
last time these two teams met in the playoffs it was in January 2009. Carolina
was the NFC 2-seed while Arizona was the 4-seed. Panthers quarterback Jake
Delhomme threw 5 interceptions while Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught 8 passes
for 166 yards and a touchdown as part of his history making
postseason for a wide receiver. The win at Carolina resulted in the
Cardinals returning to Phoenix for the NFC Championship game and the
franchise's first ever Super
Bowl appearance.
The
Cardinals are hoping that this game will jumpstart their playoff run that
results in a return to the Super Bowl. For them that means playing the game in
their home stadium.
The
Cardinals have a playoff caliber defense. If they had Kurt Warner from 2008
under center, I would pick the Cardinals to win. Unfortunately for them, Warner
is a studio analyst for the NFL Network and Ryan Lindley is projected to
start for them on Saturday.
After
going 0-6-1 over a two month period, Carolina won their final four games
including a 34-3 beating of the Falcons in Atlanta. Newton injured his back in
a truck accident during that 4 game winning streak which resulted in him
missing one game. Though Newton's passing and rushing numbers are down from
2013, he will be the difference maker in this game.
Carolina
proved in their 4-game winning streak they can put points on the board in their
wins over the Saints and Falcons having outscored them 75-13. They proved they
can grind out victories in their wins over the Buccaneers and Browns. I cannot
see the Cardinals putting up the points needed to keep pace with Carolina. Arizona's
defense should keep them in the game, but their offense just doesn't have
enough to put the points on the board to keep up.
Points
are expected to be a premium in this game, but I believe that the Panthers will
win this game.
PANTHERS 19, CARDINALS 9
RAVENS AT STEELERS, 1/4, 6 PM
(MT), NBC
The
Steelers and Ravens split the regular season series with the Ravens winning the
first
matchup in Baltimore in Week 2. On Sunday Night at Pittsburgh in Week 9,
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 6 touchdown passes as the Steelers romped over the
Ravens 43-23. Pittsburgh won the AFC North while the Ravens claimed the AFC's
final playoff spot on the last Sunday of the season.
These
two teams are no strangers to playoff matchups. All of the playoff matchups
have taken place in Pittsburgh with the Steelers winning all three matchups (2001
AFC Divisional Round, 2008
AFC Championship, 2010
AFC Divisional Round).
Since
the hiring of John Harbaugh and the Ravens drafting Joe Flacco in 2008, the
Ravens have made the playoffs 6 out of the last 7 seasons. In their five previous playoff
appearances, the Ravens have never been one-and-done. The only time that
the Ravens have ever been one-and-done in the playoffs was in the 2003 when the
Titans beat the Ravens in Baltimore 20-17.
As
I mentioned in my
previous post about the playoffs, the
Steelers will not have running back Le'Veon Bell. However they will have
safety Troy Polamalu back after missing two games due to a sore knee. How
effective will Polamalu be in taking on the Ravens receiving duo of Torrey
Smith and Steve Smith?
Smith…
that would be Steve… has seen a career revival since coming to Baltimore. Since
leaving Carolina, Smith caught 79 passes for 1,065 yards for 6 touchdowns for
the Ravens. Smith (again Steve) has shown that he can come up big in the
playoffs before.
The
Steelers won their last four to win the AFC North while the Ravens went 3-1 down
that same stretch (their loss was to a surprisingly feisty Houston team).
The
Bell injury and the fact the Ravens have never gone one-and-done in the John
Harbaugh Era is why I think Baltimore will play next weekend.
RAVENS 35, STEELERS 31
BENGALS AT COLTS, 1/4, 11AM (MT),
CBS
When
these two teams last played in Week 7, the Colts came away with a 27-0 win.
As
I mentioned in my playoff preview, the last time the Bengals won a playoff
game: 6 January 1991 against the
Houston Oilers back at Riverfront Stadium.
I
originally had the Colts as the AFC representative in my
Super Bowl pick before the season. Now… I don't think the Colts will make
that deep of a playoff run.
Why
the sudden change?
I
do not like the Colts running game.
Since
his arrival via trade from Cleveland in 2013, Colts running back Trent
Richardson has rushed for 977 yards and 6 touchdowns.
That
is over the span of 29 games in two seasons.
The
Colts rushing offense is ranked 10th among playoff teams. The Lions (ranked
28th in the NFL) and the Cardinals (ranked 31st in the NFL) are worse among
teams in the playoffs.
The
Bengals come into this game with the 6th ranked rushing offense. Only two
playoff teams are better than the Bengals when it comes to running the ball:
Dallas (because of leading rusher DeMarco Murray) and Seattle (because of Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson).
This
should point to a Bengals playoff win, but which Bengals team shows up to
Indianapolis: the one that intercepted Peyton Manning 4 times on Monday Night in
Week 16 or the one that squandered a chance to play at home in the wild card
round in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night in Week 17?
The
Bengals have made four consecutive playoff appearances, but the previous three
have been one-and-done every other time.
This
will be a nationally televised game. Bengals will be heading home.
COLTS 30, BENGALS 16
LIONS AT COWBOYS, 1/4, 2:30
PM (MT), FOX
With
their win at Washington last week, the Cowboys have put the league on notice.
Dallas
was 8-4 after their loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving and looked like another
December was on its way.
This
was a December to remember for the Cowboys.
Dallas
went 4-0 in that month with wins over the Bears, Eagles, Colts, and Washington
to claim the NFC East Title. Quarterback Tony Romo threw 12 touchdowns vs. 1
interception and was named the NFC Player of the Month. Running back DeMarco
Murray claimed the NFL rushing title and broke Emmitt Smith's single season
rushing record that was held in 1995 when the Cowboys last won the Super Bowl.
The
Lions come into this game with the second best defense in points given up and
yards given up. Detroit has also given up the fewest rushing yards, but in
their last game Packers running back Eddie Lacy rushed for 100 yards on 26
carries.
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford completed 60.3% of his passes for 4,257 yards with 22
touchdowns vs. 12 interceptions. In his final four games, the Lions went 3-1
with Stafford passing for 924 yards, completing 59.9% of his passes, and 7
touchdowns vs. 2 interceptions. Even though wide receiver Calvin
Johnson has seen his numbers decline to 71 receptions for 1,077 yards for 8
touchdowns, he is still considered to be a deep threat.
Lions
defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was originally suspended for the game due to
stepping on the leg of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the Lions 30-20 loss at
Green Bay. Suh successfully appealed the suspension because he did not commit
an on-the-field suspension over a two season period (32 games including
pre-season). Deadspin
explains the process on why Suh will play on Sunday.
Like
the Bengals, the Lions have not won a playoff game in a LONG time. As a matter
of fact the last time the Lions won a playoff game it was at the old Pontiac
Silverdome in January 1992. Barry Sanders had 99 total yards and rushed for
a 47 yard touchdown run to cap a 38-6
win over Dallas. That remains the Lions only playoff victory in the Super
Bowl era and their only playoff victory since their last NFL
Championship in 1957.
As
a Cowboys fan…
As
a Cowboys fan…
(ahem…
AND
THIS POST!!!...)
AS
A COWBOYS FAN…
I
do feel that this season is different. After 16 games I think the 2014 Cowboys
could make a deep run in the playoffs because of their running game and rebuilt
offensive line. If Tony Romo can have his December to Remember turn into a
January Jubilation (I know lame), this team could make its first Super Bowl
appearance in 19 years and end with a Fantastic February (again, I know lame).
COWBOYS 34, LIONS 20
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