NFL Playoff Preview: Wild Card Weekend
Alright, enough of this "who gets into the playoffs" talk. Guess what America? The NFL Playoffs are here! Wildcard weekend starts tomorrow, and so I will break down all four games, give you my predictions, etc. You ready? Here we go!
Game 1 (Saturday 4:30 PM EST) Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts: This game is a very intruiging game, because the Colts over the last few weeks have looked very vulnerable and easy to take advantage of because of the weak running defense, and their lack of ability to stop the run. The Chiefs (to the Colts dismay), thrive on the rush, and their running attack lead by all-star Running Back Larry Johnson is what has got them to the playoffs. The Colts on the other hand, are at home in this game, where they are 8-0 on the year. It's easy to say that playing in Indy will be very tough for this Kansas City team. Colts QB Peyton Manning looks very confidnet and relaxed with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne as his two primary recievers. That trio alongside Running Backs Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai look to form a pretty scary group. But they sadly have no control over the way their defense has been playing which over the season has looked very weak, especially against the run. The Chiefs by many are expected to exploit that, by giving Larry Johnson 40+ carries in the game, thus exposing the Colts crappy run defense and in the process, leading them to victory. So, I've made both cases for why each team can or should win the game. For the Colts it's simple. They are at home, where they are undefeated, and the offense is simply to good for the Kansas City Defense to handle. The Chiefs on the otherside of the coin, have one of the best Running Backs in the NFL in Larry Johnson, just the man to dismantle that fluffy Indy rush defense, to lead them to victory. Plus, the Colts lost last year at home to the Steelers, so why can't it happen again? Both reasons for each team cancel each other out, in a sense except for the Indy 8-0 at home part. That is why I'm taking the Colts, yes, I'm going to go with the safe pick and pick the Colts to win in a 31-28 showdown, this time making the kick to ruin the away team's post-season. That 8-0 record will improve to 9-0, and the Colts will survive another day. That all being said, I do smell a possible upset here, since Larry Johnson can potentially run all over Indy's rush defense.
Game 2 (Saturday 8:00 PM EST) Dalllas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks: This game is between two teams who both have limped into the playoffs. Both team are 9-7, and both have causes for concern. Tony Romo, the QB for the Cowboys hasn't played in a playoff game in his short career, and ever since his 5-1 start, teams across the league seem to have figured him out. All you need to do, is pressure the little goofball, and he'll fumble the ball like he's only got three fingers on each hand. Plus, he's thrown some dumb passes over the year, which makes coach Bill Parcells very angry, and Terrell Ownes all the more likely to complain about his lack of catches, Touchdowns, and autograhphs. All of that I expect to happen tomorrow. As for the Seahawks, they have a great QB in Matt "The Alley Cat" Hasslebeck and an agressive RB in "Slippery" Shaun Alexander. Not to mention WR Deion Branch who all year has shown why he can kick some tail. So, the long and short of it, is that the Seahawks have a more reliable Offense than the Cowboys do, who seeminlgy have one head-case WR and a three fingered QB who handles a football like it's a bar of soap. But, things aren't all one sided here. The Cowboys have Julius Jones at RB (who kicks ass), and Terry Glenn at WR who has simply been amazing all year. Plus Parcells has won a Super Bowl (as has Seattle's head coach Mike Holmgren), so they do have a good coach to strategize. But ultimately, that furious Seattle rain, and the whole 12th man advantage will propel the Seahawks to a 55- 2 whomping of the Cowboys. (Romo will have 4 INTs, 3 Fumbles, and Terrell Owens will have 3 face-to-face arguments with Romo throughout the game). Seattle will waltz through this game and crush the Cowboys like ice.
Game 3 ( Sunday 1:00 PM EST) New York Jets at New England Patriots: The Battle is on! Both teams split the regular season, each winning a game on the road. Eric Mangini who served 6 years as an assistant to Bill Belichick in New England will lead his Jets team into the freezing New England field in Foxboro against his former "boss". You know there is some tension there, and the media is just licking this story up like a horse licks a sugar cube. Both coaches are doing great things for their team. Mangini has Laveranues Coles at WR and Chad "Crutches" Pennington at QB, both who if they stay healthy can do damage. Belichick has Tom Brady at QB, Corey Dillion at RB, and Tedi Bruschi at Linebacker. The Pats look scary. The Jets are 6-2 on the road and the Pats are 5-3 at home, and since the Jets did win their game against the Pats in New England, you could argue home field advantage doesn't mean squat, and you can argue that in the regular season, but it's the post-season baby, and homefield does matter. That is why the Patriots will narowly beat the Jets in a 24-21 game. Tom Brady will continue his perfect playoff record at home, and Bill Belichick will wag his finger at Eric Mangini and chant the battle cries of the Macac Monkey while simultaniously beating his chest sending a "Not In My House" sort of message.
Game 4 (Sunday 4:30 EST) New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are hot, having won 5 games in a row, while the Giants are coming off of a big win against the Redskins, lead by a fabulous Running Back named Tiki Barber. The Giants are 8-8, at the Eagles are 10-6, and the numbers would suggest an easy Philly win. But the Giants know all about the Eagles as do the Eagles know the Giants. They split in the regular season (each team winning on the road), and so you know that this is a very intruiging game. Eagle QB Jeff Garcia has filled in very nicely for wounded QB Donovan McNabb and has lead this spirited Eagle resurgence. The Giants QB Eli "The Fly" Manning is under scrutiny because of his Manning name and lack of consitency. But he too has been instrumental in the Giants run to the playoffs. Coach Tom Coughlin of the Giants is under more heat than Philly's coach Andy Reid who despite coaching in the NFL's roughest city does not face the possiblity of getting fired like Tom Coughlin does if he loses. Both teams have different stories to tell. The Eagles have a sort of cinderella story to them, coming back from a 5-6 start and an injury to their Czar Donovan McNabb. The Giants have been underachieving all year, and many find this 8-8 record to be appalling and ludicrous for this team considering all the talent surounding them with Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Plaxico "What Kind of a name is that" Burress, Jeremy Shockey, and Eli "The Fly" Manning. Who do the Eagles have right now? Let's see, a deceased corpse of a QB in Jeff Garcia who rose from the ashes like a zombie to save his team, a beatly running back in Brian Westbrook, and a wicked good DB in Brian Dawkins. But on paper, the Giants have a better team. But, they don't have the momentum that the Eagles have, nor the home field that the Eagles have. That is why I predict the Eagles to barely beat the Giants in a 20-19 heart stopping game, where Eli will fumble the ball in the endzone with a one point lead, and hand the Eagles a safety and a win. How will Philly get to 18 points you ask? Well, that I don't know, but the Eagles will win, and Couglin will get fired.
Game 1 (Saturday 4:30 PM EST) Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts: This game is a very intruiging game, because the Colts over the last few weeks have looked very vulnerable and easy to take advantage of because of the weak running defense, and their lack of ability to stop the run. The Chiefs (to the Colts dismay), thrive on the rush, and their running attack lead by all-star Running Back Larry Johnson is what has got them to the playoffs. The Colts on the other hand, are at home in this game, where they are 8-0 on the year. It's easy to say that playing in Indy will be very tough for this Kansas City team. Colts QB Peyton Manning looks very confidnet and relaxed with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne as his two primary recievers. That trio alongside Running Backs Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai look to form a pretty scary group. But they sadly have no control over the way their defense has been playing which over the season has looked very weak, especially against the run. The Chiefs by many are expected to exploit that, by giving Larry Johnson 40+ carries in the game, thus exposing the Colts crappy run defense and in the process, leading them to victory. So, I've made both cases for why each team can or should win the game. For the Colts it's simple. They are at home, where they are undefeated, and the offense is simply to good for the Kansas City Defense to handle. The Chiefs on the otherside of the coin, have one of the best Running Backs in the NFL in Larry Johnson, just the man to dismantle that fluffy Indy rush defense, to lead them to victory. Plus, the Colts lost last year at home to the Steelers, so why can't it happen again? Both reasons for each team cancel each other out, in a sense except for the Indy 8-0 at home part. That is why I'm taking the Colts, yes, I'm going to go with the safe pick and pick the Colts to win in a 31-28 showdown, this time making the kick to ruin the away team's post-season. That 8-0 record will improve to 9-0, and the Colts will survive another day. That all being said, I do smell a possible upset here, since Larry Johnson can potentially run all over Indy's rush defense.
Game 2 (Saturday 8:00 PM EST) Dalllas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks: This game is between two teams who both have limped into the playoffs. Both team are 9-7, and both have causes for concern. Tony Romo, the QB for the Cowboys hasn't played in a playoff game in his short career, and ever since his 5-1 start, teams across the league seem to have figured him out. All you need to do, is pressure the little goofball, and he'll fumble the ball like he's only got three fingers on each hand. Plus, he's thrown some dumb passes over the year, which makes coach Bill Parcells very angry, and Terrell Ownes all the more likely to complain about his lack of catches, Touchdowns, and autograhphs. All of that I expect to happen tomorrow. As for the Seahawks, they have a great QB in Matt "The Alley Cat" Hasslebeck and an agressive RB in "Slippery" Shaun Alexander. Not to mention WR Deion Branch who all year has shown why he can kick some tail. So, the long and short of it, is that the Seahawks have a more reliable Offense than the Cowboys do, who seeminlgy have one head-case WR and a three fingered QB who handles a football like it's a bar of soap. But, things aren't all one sided here. The Cowboys have Julius Jones at RB (who kicks ass), and Terry Glenn at WR who has simply been amazing all year. Plus Parcells has won a Super Bowl (as has Seattle's head coach Mike Holmgren), so they do have a good coach to strategize. But ultimately, that furious Seattle rain, and the whole 12th man advantage will propel the Seahawks to a 55- 2 whomping of the Cowboys. (Romo will have 4 INTs, 3 Fumbles, and Terrell Owens will have 3 face-to-face arguments with Romo throughout the game). Seattle will waltz through this game and crush the Cowboys like ice.
Game 3 ( Sunday 1:00 PM EST) New York Jets at New England Patriots: The Battle is on! Both teams split the regular season, each winning a game on the road. Eric Mangini who served 6 years as an assistant to Bill Belichick in New England will lead his Jets team into the freezing New England field in Foxboro against his former "boss". You know there is some tension there, and the media is just licking this story up like a horse licks a sugar cube. Both coaches are doing great things for their team. Mangini has Laveranues Coles at WR and Chad "Crutches" Pennington at QB, both who if they stay healthy can do damage. Belichick has Tom Brady at QB, Corey Dillion at RB, and Tedi Bruschi at Linebacker. The Pats look scary. The Jets are 6-2 on the road and the Pats are 5-3 at home, and since the Jets did win their game against the Pats in New England, you could argue home field advantage doesn't mean squat, and you can argue that in the regular season, but it's the post-season baby, and homefield does matter. That is why the Patriots will narowly beat the Jets in a 24-21 game. Tom Brady will continue his perfect playoff record at home, and Bill Belichick will wag his finger at Eric Mangini and chant the battle cries of the Macac Monkey while simultaniously beating his chest sending a "Not In My House" sort of message.
Game 4 (Sunday 4:30 EST) New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are hot, having won 5 games in a row, while the Giants are coming off of a big win against the Redskins, lead by a fabulous Running Back named Tiki Barber. The Giants are 8-8, at the Eagles are 10-6, and the numbers would suggest an easy Philly win. But the Giants know all about the Eagles as do the Eagles know the Giants. They split in the regular season (each team winning on the road), and so you know that this is a very intruiging game. Eagle QB Jeff Garcia has filled in very nicely for wounded QB Donovan McNabb and has lead this spirited Eagle resurgence. The Giants QB Eli "The Fly" Manning is under scrutiny because of his Manning name and lack of consitency. But he too has been instrumental in the Giants run to the playoffs. Coach Tom Coughlin of the Giants is under more heat than Philly's coach Andy Reid who despite coaching in the NFL's roughest city does not face the possiblity of getting fired like Tom Coughlin does if he loses. Both teams have different stories to tell. The Eagles have a sort of cinderella story to them, coming back from a 5-6 start and an injury to their Czar Donovan McNabb. The Giants have been underachieving all year, and many find this 8-8 record to be appalling and ludicrous for this team considering all the talent surounding them with Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, Plaxico "What Kind of a name is that" Burress, Jeremy Shockey, and Eli "The Fly" Manning. Who do the Eagles have right now? Let's see, a deceased corpse of a QB in Jeff Garcia who rose from the ashes like a zombie to save his team, a beatly running back in Brian Westbrook, and a wicked good DB in Brian Dawkins. But on paper, the Giants have a better team. But, they don't have the momentum that the Eagles have, nor the home field that the Eagles have. That is why I predict the Eagles to barely beat the Giants in a 20-19 heart stopping game, where Eli will fumble the ball in the endzone with a one point lead, and hand the Eagles a safety and a win. How will Philly get to 18 points you ask? Well, that I don't know, but the Eagles will win, and Couglin will get fired.
posted by Ben Parker at 8:05 PM
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