NFL Playoffs - Wildcard Weekend Predictions

Over four months have passed and it is finally here, the start of the NFL playoffs. The regular season was full of surprises, like the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons who reach the playoffs after a combining for 5 wins in 2007. But there were also disbelief when teams like the Cowboys or Broncos could not win a game to secure their playoff berth. There are four games on the docket for wildcard weekend and each one is sure not to disappoint.

Atlanta at Arizona

The first game of the NFL playoffs features an Arizona Cardinals team that has not been to the playoffs in 10 years against an Atlanta Falcons team that was on the brink of disaster last year. The teams can exorcise more of their past with a win.

The main catalyst in the Cardinals resurgence this year is their veteran quarterback, Kurt Warner. The two time MVP winner took over the starting role and never let go. Warner has helped give the Cardinals the 2^nd best passing offense in the NFL by completing 67.1% of his passes for 4,583 yards, with 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Warner will be the first to say he is only as good as his receivers and he has two of the best in the game, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. In fact, the Cardinals offense boasts three wide receivers; Boldin, Fitzgerald, and Steve Breaston, who each have at least 77 receptions and broke the 1,000 receiving yard barrier.

The Achilles heel of this offense is their rushing attack, which is dead last in the NFL, averaging 73.6 yards per game. This has been especially evident between their top two running backs, Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower, who have only combined for 200 yards over their last 4 games. To make matters worse, the Cardinals defense has started to come down to Earth. In their last six games, the defense has surrendered 33 points per game, with two teams scoring more than 47 points. If the Cardinals are going to have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs, it will be because they find their running game again and the defense is able to stop their opposition.

The Atlanta Falcons came into this season with inexperience at the quarterback and head coach position. With 16 games under their belt, head coach, Mike Smith and quarterback, Matt Ryan, have shown they have what it takes to succeed in the NFL playoffs. Ryan ended the regular season with 61.1% completion rate for 3,440 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Ryan made a quick connection with one of the hottest receivers of 2008, Roddy White, who compiled 1,382 yards and 7 touchdowns while making 88 receptions.

The true star of the Falcons offense has to be running back Michael Turner, who showed the NFL that he could be an every down back. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry as he rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns. While the Falcons were strong at home, only losing 1 game, they have shown an inability to play at the same level on the road. In their 4 road losses, the Falcons were outscored 104 to 57.

The game is going to come down to the Falcons ability to generate any kind of pass rush from their front seven and place pressure on Warner. If they are able to limit the amount of damage the Cardinals can do, then the Falcons running game should be able to take over. Keep an eye on the performance on Ryan who has not backed down from any challenge this season and will make sure he limits any mistake to hurt his team. The Falcons will come away with a playoff win and send the Cardinals home early.

Falcons 24 - Cardinals 21

Indianapolis at San Diego

This wild card playoff game will feature two of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Colts have won their last nine games to earn their 7th straight trip to the playoffs while the Chargers had to win their last 4 games to even have a chance to continue playing. The Chargers have revenge on their mind after the Colts beat them in San Diego, 23 - 20 on November 23^rd.

Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning, had a rough start to the season while he was recovering from 2 knee surgeries, but has caught fire in time for the playoffs. Since the start of their winning streak, his quarterback rating has been 92.5 or greater in every game but one. During those 9 games, Manning has thrown for 2,248 yards to go with 17 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. It is this performance that has many awarding Manning the MVP award for the third time in his career. During the season, Manning has been at his best when the team has been ahead or tied with the opposition.

The Colts running game declined in 2008 to where they are ranked 31^st in the NFL, with only 79.6 yards per game. Both running backs, Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes averaged 3.5 yards per carry and combined for 1,082 yards during the course of the season. When it comes to their defensive success in the playoffs, they are going to need safety Bob Sanders at 100%. Sanders, who has only played in 6 games this season, is expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs. If the Colts are going to advance in the playoffs, their defense will need to find a way to stop the Chargers offense.

The Chargers bring the 7^th best passing offense in the NFL, led by quarterback Phillip Rivers. In only his 3^rd season as a starter, Rivers completed 65.3% of his passes for a total of 4,009 yards, along with 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. What has helped Rivers production has been the emergence of wide receiver, Vincent Jackson, who had his best year as a pro, despite any real national attention. Jackson caught 59 passes for 1,098 yards and 7 scores, while averaging 18.6 yards per reception.

The real question mark for the Chargers offense is the health status of LaDainian Tomlinson, who played the majority of the year injured. Despite this, he ended with 1,110 yards on the ground along with 52 receptions for 426 yards and scored a total of 12 touchdowns. Though these numbers were not typical L.T., many NFL teams would welcome this out of their running back. The Chargers defense maligned at the beginning of the season has started to turn the corner at the middle part of the season. The Chargers are tough against the run, only allowing 102.6 yards per game, but tend to allow teams to pass on them. The Chargers 31^st ranked pass defense allowed 247.4 yards per game, will need to apply some pressure on Manning and keep a tight leash on the Colts tight end, Dallas Clark.

This playoff game is going to be one of the more exciting one of the weekend. Last year the Chargers were finally able to get over the hump and knocked the Colts out of the playoffs in 2007. Though the Colts were able to win earlier in the season, they will find it harder the second time they visit San Diego. The Chargers offense, that has scored 93 points in their last two games, will be too much for the Colts, letting the AFC West champions continue with their quest for a Super Bowl.

Chargers 31 - Colts 24

Baltimore at Miami

This playoff game is going to feature two first year head coaches, who were able to turn their teams around from cellar dwellers to playoff contenders. The Ravens earned a wildcard berth with their 11 - 5 record after starting the season with a 2 - 3 record. The Dolphins, who captured the attention of the nation in 2007 when they went 1 - 15, were crowned AFC East champions when they beat the New York Jets on the final game of the season.

When the Ravens started the season, not many casual NFL fans had ever heard of their quarterback, Joe Flacco. The rookie out of Delaware made a name for himself during the regular season by limiting his mistakes and making the passes when needed. Though his statistics are not incredible, 60% completion rate for 2,971 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, Flacco did what other Ravens quarterbacks have not been able to do since Trent Dilfer. Manage the game correctly and make sure his mistakes do not cost the team. To help Flacco, the Ravens developed the 4^th best rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 148.5 yards per game. Running backs Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee combined for over 1,571 yards and 17 touchdowns during the season.

Despite the success of the offense, the true catalyst of the Ravens has been and will always be their defense. The unit returned to their dominating form in 2008 and is ranked 3^rd against the rush and 2^nd against the pass, while allowing only 15.25 points per game. Linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed, led the charge on the field. Lewis led the team in tackles with 117, 3.5 sacks and 3 interceptions. Reed seemed to be every where on the field during 2008, especially towards the end of the season. He was responsible for 9 interceptions and 3 defensive touchdowns and is always around the ball on every play,

The Dolphins surprised just about everyone, but themselves, when they clinched the AFC East title during the last week of the season. One of the major reasons for their turnaround was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Chad Pennington. The Dolphins signal caller helped bring stability to the position since Dan Marino retired. Pennington helped give the Dolphins the 10^th best passing offense in the NFL, average 227 yards per game.

But the real success to the passing game was the emergence of the Wildcat offense the Dolphins used in the third game of the season when they upset the New England Patriots. Since then other NFL teams have attempted to imitate the Dolphins, but none have had the same success. Running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have benefited from the formation, giving them more room to run and make plays. The Ravens were able to bottle up the Wildcat formation when these teams met earlier in the season, but Pennington still had not worked the kinks out in the passing game. The Dolphins defense has been solid against the run, ranked 10^th in the NFL by allowing only 101.3 yards per game. Their front seven, led by Joey Porter, have been able to pressure their opposition into making timely mistakes, forcing 14 fumbles and creating 18 interceptions.

This is the one game where the turnover battle is going to be paramount. If the Ravens can force the Dolphins to turn the ball over, they can maintain control with their running game. The Dolphins finished the 2008 season with only 13 turnovers and is one of the main reasons for their turnaround. And this unit has improved since the two first met back in October. Look for the magic to continue with Pennington as he Fins earn a playoff victory.

Miami 24 - Baltimore 13

Philadelphia at Minnesota

Both the Eagles and the Vikings did not know they were going to make the playoffs until the final game of the season was in the books, though both teams were favored to make the playoffs. Fans will be treated to watching how one of the best, if not the best, running back in the game handles one of the more dominant defenses in the league.

The key to the Eagles success in the playoffs will hinge upon the performance of their quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Since being benched, McNabb has maintained a quarterback rating of 92.5 or higher in 4 of the last 5 games. During those games, McNabb has passed for 1,146 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 1 interception. To help McNabb succeed, the Eagles will need a solid game from running back, Brian Westbrook, running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. Since the Vikings have a pair of mountains in the middle of their front line, you can expect Westbrook to try and bounce it outside and use his cut back ability to elude them.

Bad news for the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles defense has stepped it up a notch, especially in the latter half of the season. Last week, the defense rattled Romo to where the Cowboys offense fell apart. You can expect more of the same this Sunday when they face the Vikings Tavaris Jackson or Gus Frerotte. The Eagles, who own the 4^th best rushing defense, will come at Peterson hard and try to force him into coughing up the ball.

The Vikings offense will hinge upon the success running back Adrian Peterson has against the Eagles front seven. During the regular season, Peterson had 1,760 yards with 10 touchdowns. The most alarming statistics is the 9 fumbles and the 4 he lost during the season. Peterson knows teams will game plan to strip the ball so he will need to be at 110%. The Vikings like to run the ball to set up the pass for his quarterback. If Peterson can gain adequate yardage during the first half of the game, look for the Vikings to take their chances on some long passes to their deep threat receiver, Bernard Berrian.

The Vikings defense, which may be without their Pro Bowl nose tackle, Pat Williams, will need to be at the top of their game to stop an Eagles team that has been firing on all cylinders. The Vikings are # 1 against the rush and will need to maintain that against the talented Westbrook. If Westbrook is able to gain chunks of yardage at a time, the Vikings defense will be pushed back on their heels and picked apart by McNabb.

The key for the Eagles success is to take care of business on the defensive side of the ball. The Vikings' Peterson will gain some yards on the ground but has been prone to coughing it up. Expect the Eagles to take advantage of this and cause several turnovers for their benefit. In the end, the Eagles will be too much for the young Vikings team to handle.

Philadelphia 31 - Minnesota 10

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