2009 NFC Wild Card Predictions
The first NFC game is the Falcons (11-5) at the Cardinals (9-7). The Falcons came out of nowhere to win their division thanks to a stellar running game led by Michael Turner's 1699 yards. Overall they rushed for the second most yards in the league. Their passing game is in the middle of the pack. Defensively they allowed lots of yards per game in both passing and rushing, ranking in the 20s in both, but somehow managed to allow the 11th fewest points in the league, so some smoke and mirrors there. The Cardinals were the opposite offensively, throwing for the second most yards in the league while finishing dead last in rushing. Their defense was nothing special, either, allowing 26.6 points per game, 28th in the league. The Cardinals got lucky that they got to beat up on the lousy NFC West, going a perfect 6-0 against them. Normally this would give the Falcons the edge, not to mention the Falcons' +66 point differential vs. the Cardinals +1, but with the Falcons' sloppy defense, I can see this being a shootout ending in the Cardinals' favor. CARDINALS 42, FALCONS 28
The second game is the Eagles (9-6-1) at the Vikings (10-6). The Eagles have looked dominant in four of the last five recent weeks, outscoring their opponents 145-60 in that span. They're in the top 10 in points, total yards, and passing yards, with their rushing yards being their only offensive weakness. Their bread and butter this year was their defense, ranked in the top five in all major categories. What's most impressive is the list of teams they beat this season, including the Giants, the Steelers, the Falcons, the Cardinals, and the Cowboys. The Vikings are the opposite offensively, led by perhaps the best running back in the league, Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 1760 yards. Their passing game is nothing special, though. They're great at stopping the run, allowing the fewest rushing yards in the league, but are only middle of the pack stopping the pass. This plays into the Eagles' strength, so I expect Philly to continue their roll. EAGLES 30 VIKINGS 17
Published by Barry Katz
I'm a married man with three children living in Brooklyn, New York. I've had an interesting career doing everything from teaching to sales, and a bunch of stuff in between. I've been blogging on and off s... View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentEagles and Panthers have a big game here but I'm going with the Eagles. Look at McNabb and Westbrook's stats. They are good football player, no cheating, penaltys, no nothing. My Prediction: Eagles 28 Panthers 17 And Happy New Year!.