It's Divisional Playoff Weekend, people. Time to get excited. Even if your team isn't still playing, most fans love this weekend of games more than any other in the NFL season.
This is the weekend that football fans across the country get in trouble with their wives for watching four games and twelve hours of football, spending the entire weekend glued to their couches.
If the actual games prove to be as enticing as the matchups, it will be well worth doing the dishes for the rest of the week.
Two common themes run throughout these games; regular season rematches and powerful defenses. So without further ado, on to the analysis and predictions.
The first, and likely most savage of the four games pits arch enemies, the Titans and Ravens, in a well publicized rematch of a 13-10 Titans road-win earlier this season.
To make things even sweeter, it is a rematch of a mentally scarring, nasty 2000 playoff loss for the Titans. In that game the 13-3, No. 1 seeded Titans (sound familiar?) lost a home game to the eventual Superbowl Champion Ravens.
In all honesty, the Titans were the best team the Ravens faced in that playoff run, including their easy Super Bowl win over the Collins-led Giants. The loss was marked by a particularly violent Siragusa sack on Steve McNair that changed the flow and eventually the outcome of the game. An interception return for TD, by Ray Lewis on a dump pass to Eddie George sealed the upset win for the Ravens...
Fast forward to 2009.
The Ravens have the second best defense in yards allowed. And the Titans have the second best defense in points against. You want more stats? The Titans are fifth in sacks, while the Ravens are eleventh. The Ravens are third best against the run, the Titans sixth. The Ravens get the most picks, the Titans get the sixth most. The Titans force the most fumbles, etc. I think you get the point.
People say the Ravens are on a roll after crushing Miami. Titan’s fans respond by saying, Tennessee had a better record so they didn't have to PLAY Miami. This game will be a fight, no two ways about it. But after all is said and done, I can't see Flacco and the suspect Ravens' offense scoring more than ten points against Haynesworth, Bullock, Finnegan and company. Ten points might actually be enough to win this slug-fest... The Titans, behind a surprisingly effective passing attack, should manage more than that.
My pick, Titans 17- Ravens 10
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The first NFC game of the weekend will showcase the Carolina Panthers defending their home turf against the Arizona Cardinals. The defense on these teams are not as strong as the previous game, or even the Giants-Eagles game (which I'll get to), but the Cards looked strong last weekend, rising up in Phoenix to snuff out the apparently over-hyped Falcons.
The question this week is can the Cards stop the Carolina running game. DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and the Panthers have the third best rushing attack in the NFL, but I'll tell you why that doesn't impress Arizona.
It's because the Falcons (whom they spanked last week) have the second best rushing attack; and it didn't help them much.
The real key to this game will be whether Arizona can establish their running game, or if Carolina can establish the pass. The team to do that first and best, will open up their real strengths on offense and ride a balanced attack to a win.
I haven't seen anyone who is giving the Cards a chance in this game, and I reluctantly have to agree with that school of thought. I give Arizona and Kurt Warner a punchers chance, as they can score with almost anyone.
The Panthers are simply too well rounded, behind Delhomme, Smith, Williams and Peppers, and would have to pull a big choke job to blow this game. This is without a doubt the least anticipated game of the weekend.
My pick, Panthers 31- Cardinals 20
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When the New York Giants face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they will put their hard earned No. 1 seed and home field advantage to the test. Sports radio stations in New York are filled with confident Giants fans puffing their chests and expressing their certainty that the Giants will roll past Philly all the way to the Super Bowl.
Some fans are even stating that they think they'll play the Titans, or look forward to getting revenge on the Ravens when they get to Tampa. (Sorry Charger and Steeler fans... that's what they're saying here) A couple of guys in Philly, namely McNabb and Westbrook, beg to differ.
The Eagles have no problem admitting that they were fortunate to make the playoffs and should send a gift basket to the Texans and Raiders for beating the Bears and Bucs respectively to allow
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