This NFC Championship game was supposed to be a Heavyweight showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints but in a shocking development the old adage “defense wins championships” came to fruition and the offensive juggernauts were sent packing.
The Texans looked great on both sides of the ball last week in their playoff win over Cincinnati, but now they have a tall task taking on a Ravens’ team that went undefeated at home this season and has a great defense.
On a weekend full of intriguing NFL playoff matchup, possible the best of the bunch may be a battle between the offensive juggernaut New Orleans Saints and the insanely talented defense of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Lions reached the 10-win plateau this season to make the playoffs, but they have a tall task to advance facing a red-hot Saints team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head to the Mile High City on Sunday to take on a suddenly struggling Denver Broncos team that has already exceeded all expectations.
Well, the Raiders are not in complete control of their destiny here, but a home win against the surging Chargers will go a long way in securing them a playoff spot for the first time since 2002.
The Detroit Lions clinched a playoff berth last week and for all intents and purposes this is somewhat of a meaningless game.
The Colts (2-13) have won 2 straight games, but many fans in Indy may bee rooting for the Jaguars in this game. The Colts are tied with the Rams for the worst record in the league and if the Rams lose to the 49ers and the Colt beat the Jags than St. Louis would end up with the first pick in the draft.
The Falcons (9-6) have clinched one of the 2 Wild Card berths and since they cannot improve their position they may rest some starters in this game.
Two teams – too little too late! The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals will both be playing to finish the season .500 – something that neither team could have imagined two months ago.
The Tennessee Titans, with an ever-so-slim Playoff possibility meet the struggling but already safe Houston Texans on Sunday to close out their Regular season.
The playoffs begin early in the NFC East when the Dallas Cowboys square-off against the New York Giants this Sunday night in a winner-take-all battle for the division title at MetLife Stadium.
While the Detroit Lions try to keep a firm grip on a NFC wild-card berth, the Oakland Raiders attempt to keep their playoff hopes alive in the AFC, when the teams meet for the first time since 2007 on Sunday in the Detroit of the West.
Tim Tebow will face his biggest challenge yet in his attempt to continue to convert non-believers, as Tom Brady and the AFC East-leading New England Patriots come to Mile High with one thing on their mind–ending the Broncos miraculous six-game winning streak.
The battle to stay out of the basement in the AFC East will take place on Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills look to avoid their seventh straight loss while avenging a 35-8 pummeling in Week 11, when they host the Miami Dolphins in “The Queen City.”
What a difference two months can make.
Both the Buffalo Bills and the San Diego Chargers were chugging their way into the postseason in early October with 4-1 records, but now both are well out of the playoff hunt nearing mid December, sporting identical 5-7 records.
Buffalo v San Diego
When: 4:15 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2011
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
TV:CBS
LINE: -7 (San Diego) O/U 47.5
Still, Sunday’s battle will mean something to both teams as San Diego will try to salvage a train wreck of a season by beating up on an already deflated Bills squad that will be looking to avoid a sixth consecutive loss in a city where it hasn’t won in 30 years.
After starting the season 5-2, the bus ran off the cliff and the entire Buffalo fan base has felt the impact.
The Bills, who led the league in scoring over that span, averaging just under 33 points per game, have fallen well off the mark by putting up a meager 13.4 points during its five-game skid.
Sure, one can blame injuries to team MVP Fred Jackson, big nose tackle Kyle Williams, and several other players on the offensive line for the Bills dip in performance. But that still doesn’t excuse the poor execution from QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.
However, after throwing seven interceptions in a three-game stretch, Fitz been far better, throwing four TD passes in his last two outings. He needs only 163 passing yards to match last season’s career high of 3,000, but if the rest of the team can’t step it up, he could very well have to wait until next season. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Take for example Stevie Johnson dropping the potential game-winning touchdown with seconds to play against the Jests, or C.J. Spiller’s fumble in the end zone last week in the Bills loss to the Titans. Of course, the officials ruled that Spiller recovered the ball in the end zone for the touchdown during the relay review, but it’s that kind of sloppy play that has landed the Bills near the bottom floor in the AFC East.
The same kind that will allow the Chargers to manhandle the Bills on their home turf.
The Bolts should be in a better frame of mind after ending their own six-game losing streak by dismantling Jacksonville 38-14 on Monday night.
Quarterback Phillip Rivers, who’s had a disappointing season (19 TD, 17 INT), threw three touchdown passes, as San Diego scored the final 28 points to pull within two games of co-AFC West leaders Denver and Oakland.
San Diego matched its best offensive output of the season in blowing out the Jaguars, thanks in part to RB Ryan Mathews’ second straight 100-yard game.
Matt’ s Prediction: San Diego 34 , Buffalo 24–
San Diego has an NFL-best 19-1 record over the final four weeks of a season since 2006, and will be looking to avoid their first four-game home losing streak since 2001.
I just don’t see how Buffalo, which last won at San Diego in December 1981, and has dropped five straight road games, can shut down a San Diego offense that if clicking can be a scoring machine.
I expect the Bolts to keep their faint playoff hopes alive with another December surge.
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