NFL Divisional Playoff Preview 2010
Another eight teams will face off this weekend, as we get ready to kick off the 2010 divisional playoffs. Will the upsets from last week continue their quest for the championship?
Here is a short rundown on each game along with my predictions to help you make your wagers winners.
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Saturday, January 16 – 4:30 pm – Arizona Cardinals (10-6) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3)
Line: New Orleans -7 (Total 57)
Arizona displayed in incredible amount of offense prowess last week against the Packers, but defensively the Cardinals gave up almost as many yards as they gained including 422 passing yards and four TDs to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Arizona’s Kurt Warner played one of the best games of his career against Green Bay in last week’s wildcard battle, as he completed 29 of 33 attempts for 379 yards and five TDs. His passer rating was off the charts at 154.1. Of course it wasn’t all just Warner, as his supporting cast of receivers was equally impressive, pulling down one spectacular catch after another. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald wrecked havoc on Packers veteran cornerback Charles Woodson, dragging down six receptions for 82 yards and two TDs while Steve Breaston who was brought in for the injured Anquan Boldin, caught seven passes for 125 yards and one TD. The Cardinals added 156 yards rushing and finished the contest with a whopping 531 yards of total offense. All against the number two defense in the league.
New Orleans should be well rested after a week off and the will need to assemble all of the pieces that led them to a 13-0 start before ending the season with three straight losses. Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be instrumental to New Orleans’ success and his ability to drive the Saints high-powered offensive machine rests squarely on his shoulders. A big question will be whether or not the Saints’ defense can keep Arizona’s aerial assault under control. There have been numerous times the Saints secondary has struggled, finishing the season ranked 26th— surrendering an average of 235 yards per game.
Arizona will need their defense to crank it up this time around, as they forced the Packers to punt the ball just once in last week’s game. They don’t want to get into an offensive shootout with one of the leagues most potent offensives. For New Orleans, they need to get back to dominating the game on both sides of the ball. Their offense will need to control the game with long drives while the defense applies pressure on Warner, keeping him from establishing any kind of rhythm.
A better New Orleans’ defense will be able to stop the Cardinals a few more times than Green Bay did, enough to win this one by a touchdown.
Saturday, January 16– 8:30 pm – Baltimore Ravens (9-7) @ Indianapolis Colts (14-2)
Line: Indianapolis –2 ½ (Total 45 ½)
The Ravens are shaping up to be the dark horse of this year’s postseason as they marched into Gillette Stadium as 3-point underdogs and after winning three of their final four regular-season games to qualify for the playoffs, handed the Patriots their first loss in their last 11 home playoff games.
The Ravens took a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter off an 83-yard touchdown dash by running back Ray Rice on Baltimore’s first play from scrimmage and then forced Brady to fumble on the Patriots’ first possession, setting up another Ravens touchdown. Baltimore finished with 234 total yards rushing while quarterback Joe Flacco finished just 4 of 10 attempts for 34 yards. Flacco, who has been bothered by a hip injury, is just 15 of 29 for 136 yards over the last two weeks. As always a tenacious Ravens defense was able to put pressure on the oppositions quarterback and hunted down Pat’s quarterback Tom Brady with ferociousness, forcing him to turn the ball over four times, including three interceptions while holding him to just 154 yards passing.
Now the Ravens will have to take on Peyton Manning, named league MVP for a record fourth time after throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. Manning has gotten the better of the Baltimore defense leading his Colts to seven wins in seven meetings since 2001 including a 17-15 victory over Baltimore back on Nov. 22, when he was 22 of 31 for 299 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Indianapolis is a well-balanced team and enter Saturday’s contest ranked seventh in points scored and eighth in points allowed. They can beat you on so many levels always finding ways to score when they need to the most.
Baltimore will need to run the ball effectively against a 24th ranked Indy run defense. The Colts front five will need to protect Manning allowing him time to pick apart the Ravens weaker secondary.
I look for the Ravens to hang tough for much of the first half with the Colts edging out the win by a field goal.
Sunday, January 17 – 1pm – Dallas Cowboys (11-5) @ Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Line: New England -3 (Total 43)
Fresh off four straight victories including back-to-back wins over division rival Philadelphia, the Dallas Cowboys won their first playoff victory in 13 years and are on a mission to bring a championship back to the lone star state.
The Cowboys has outscored the opposition 99-31 during its four-game winning streak, with 12 touchdowns in that span scored by three running backs and five receivers. Led by fourth-year starting quarterback Tony Romo who completed 23 of 35 attempts for 244 yards and two TD’s with no interceptions in the last weeks win over the Eagles, the Cowboys avoided the proverbial December meltdown and have found themselves smack in the middle of a postseason run. With a little help from the Dallas defense and close to 200 yards rushing, the Cowboys dominated the Eagles on both sides of the ball. Running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones have elevated their games along with receivers Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Patrick Clayton, all which have become great offensive options for Romo.
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t taken the field in over weeks, but quarterback Brett Favre who led his team to 12 wins by throwing over 4200 yards will now set out to prove that the e 40-year old veteran can still put up MVP like numbers in his quest for a championship. The Vikings will need to get their own running game in order to keep the Dallas defense guessing. They will rely solely on running back Adrian Peterson to get it done. Peterson gained 1,383 yards and ran for 18 touchdowns this season, but posted only three 100-yard games – none after Nov. 15.
The Cowboys will want to jump out to an early lead giving them a better opportunity to work the run and control the amount of time Minnesota’s offense has on the field. Defensively they have to contain Peterson. If Minnesota can get their running attack going early it will open throwing opportunities for Favre, which could be a real problem for the Dallas secondary.
Minnesota plays well at home and despite Dallas’ current hot streak the Vikes are still the better team. I expect the Vikings to put just enough pressure on Romo to force a key mistake or two that will eventually lead to a Minnesota victory.
Sunday, January 17 – 4:40 pm – New York Jets (9-7) @ San Diego Chargers (13-3)
Line: San Diego –7 ½ (Total 42 ½)
The Jets launched an all out ground assault against the Bengals last weekend led by powerhouse running back Shonn Greene, who finished with 135 yards on 21 carries, as New York battered a weary Bengals defense while putting on a defensive clinic of their own.
The Jets multi-dimensional D pounded the Bengals, holding them to just 281 yards of total offense. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez, who had fallen under scrutiny in the weeks leading up to the postseason with some questioning his ability to lead the Jets down the stretch, played some of the best football he has played all season. Sanchez competed 12 of 15 attempts for 182 yards no INTs and one TD.
The Chargers finished the regular season with 11 straight wins behind some extraordinary performances from quarterback Philip Rivers and a dominant Chargers’ defense that the ended the season fourth overall in points allowed, at 28.4 per game. LaDainian Tomlinson had a comeback year and finished the season with 730 yards and 12 touchdowns. Not too shabby for the veteran running back that can still dance his way into the end zone. Tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Vincent Jackson, both finished the season with over 1,100 yards receiving and are just two more of the Chargers’ offensive weapons the Jets will need to deal with.
New York will rely heavily on their running game, making them predictable and one dimensional, leaving it up to their defense to pull off the upset. San Diego’s success will be contingent on Rivers’ ability to make big plays resulting in extended drives keeping the Jets defense on the field for long periods of time.
I expect the Jets defense will keep them in this game for a while, but will tire in the closing quarter allowing San Diego to win by as much as 14.
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Matt Martz is a sports writer for the Bakersfield Californian located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
