Wild Card Weekend Preview

The NFL Playoffs begin this weekend with the Wild Card playoffs (for those who haven't been paying attention anyways, the regular season ended last week). Thankfully my favourite team the Miami Dolphins returned to the playoffs for the first time in 7 seasons thanks to the greatest turnaround in NFL history (10 more wins than last season, moving from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008).

But anyways personal feelings aside here are my picks for the first weekend of playoffs:
AFC Wild Card
Indianapolis Colts (12-4) over San Diego Chargers (8-8)
-both of these teams have been playing hot, although that can be said about every team in the AFC playoffs right now (save Pittsburgh who now has concerns regarding their QB Ben Rothlisberger after he suffered a concussion in his final game of the season). However, with Peyton Manning at the healm - the TRUE all star Quarterback of our time and the main man in the pivot position in the NFL today - it's VERY hard to count out the Colts.

On top of that, the Chargers D is weak in the areas in which Manning could have a field day. While the Chargers had a very up and down year, they did end it off with a bang and finally won the AFC West Division as many had predicted they would all along...however they still finish with the worst record of all AFC playoff teams. Even though they're playing in San Diego due to the messed up playoff format of the NFL (Divisional leaders always host the games), it's not like San Diego has the extreme weather that many Eastern and especially Northern teams do, so it won't be that big of an advantage as many other places are this time of the year.

My prediction: the Colts could end up in the Super Bowl they way they're going right now and it all starts with a win this weekend.

Miami Dolphins (11-5) over Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
-Now, this will likely seem as a total bias in prediction, however when the Dolphins made it into the playoffs my first reaction was that they were toast against the Ravens. Not only had Baltimore won their previous meeting 27-13 also in Miami but the Ravens are hot, looking like world beaters themselves down the stretch! But the Dolphins turned things around after that game winning 9 of 10 match-ups in a row and consistently doing what they had to do (even if they didn't do it in a consistent manner, keeping tough teams scoring low and allowing bad teams to score high).

But see to me this has never been an issue with sports - young teams are like this, and the Miami Dolphins are just that a young team! Young teams have a very well known history of playing to the level of their competition, they get excited for the big games and have struggle finding that inspiration for the lowly opponents.

The Ravens are favourites by most and with the number 2 defence in the League on top of a rookie QB who's playing better week in week out it's easy to see why. However Chad Pennington, recent recipient of the NFL Comeback Player of the Year and the main reason why the Dolphins just set a record for fewest turnovers in a season at 13 (a +17 turnover ratio which is absurd in the NFL!). That game against the Ravens earlier in the year a costly Pennington INT returned for a touchdown really changed the momentum of the game, but Chad knows his receivers better and there's a chance this one comes right down to the wire.

If the Dolphins can establish the Wildcat Offence to its full extent and connect the Ravens ARE a team susceptible to trickery, and that could be the difference. While the underdogs the Dolphins are revelling in hosting this game as underdogs and could very well continue this Cinderella story one week longer!

NFC Wildcard
Atlanta Falcons (11-5) over Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
-Both teams here are tremendous stories, Kurt Warner found himself once more rekindling his career in the twilight while Matt Ryan has proven to be one of the best QB's in the entire league in his rookie season, and helped to turn around a team absolutely decimated by Michael Vick last season to the point where they lost really their entire administration.

The Cardinals won their lowly Division weeks ago and have struggled to find their way since, and most notably are the most one dimensional team in these playoffs relying almost completely on Kurt Warner's arm as they lack a run game. The Falcons have a running back in Michael Turner who rushed for just under 1700 yards and their young QB Matt Ryan who can get it done thru the air, as he's proven time and time again.

In the playoffs it's all about time of possession, who holds onto the balls longer, and the Falcons have the edge here for obvious reasons - they can run where the Cards cannot, and Arizona can't really stop it all too well. I believe that Atlanta moves on, continuing the story of rookie Head Coaches around the NFL leading their teams to tremendous results.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) over Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
-As if the Vikings needed any more trouble than what they've endured the past few weeks trying to get themselves into the NFL playoffs, on top of an irratic young QB who has never lived up to potential, but they're having a lot of trouble selling tickets in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area meaning that a local television blackout is a REAL possibility!

The Philadelphia Eagles finally looked balance again after serious concerns surrounding Andy Reid's play calling - way too pass heavy, not at all interested in the run. Last week that was resolved in their trouncing of the Dallas Cowboys (personally quite glad that team/circus is no longer around, they've gone past annoying to me at this point!). This week, since Minnesota owns the best run D in the NFL that might be a bit more difficult to do so, which could lead to some negative tendancies that came up previously.

But to me the Vikings have NOT been impressive this season, they snuck into the playoffs as Adrian Peterson aside (he IS a freak of nature running the ball!) I don't really see them as all too deserving to be in the Division Leader position (lucked out that they too played in a very poor division). This game should be another toss up but I feel that Donovan McNabb and his experience will pull this game out over Tavaris Jackson and his lacklustre work at the pivot.

So to recap, here are my picks:
INDIANPOLIS COLTS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
ATLANTA FALCONS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Hope everyone enjoys the games this weekend! :)