A Look Ahead To the NFC Divisional Playoffs

The playoffs so far this year have produced some exciting highlight plays, but not very many close games. The Divisional round of the playoffs should be different.

Cardinals vs. Saints

The first NFC Divisional game will be the Arizona Cardinals taking on the New Orleans Saints, the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Cardinals are coming off a close overtime win at home over the Packers in which there was virtually no defense in the game at all. The offense was firing on all cylinders, even without Anquan Boldin. The run game wasn't huge, but Kurt Warner was able to find his targets and the yards-after-completion was big for the receivers.

The Saints haven't had a win in awhile, but they look to open up the playoffs at home with Drew Brees scoring, and scoring often. The Cardinals and Packers put up a lot of offensive numbers Sunday night, and there will probably be more of that in this game.

The key for the Saints in this game is to establish their timing and rhythm early. They need to get off to a quick start, because they don't want to fall behind the Cardinals. Their defense should be better than what the Packers were able to put on the field against the Cards on Sunday.

The key for the Cardinals will be to get more out of their defense than what little they did against the Packers at home. The Saints' offense is equal to theirs, and the Saints' defense will be better than what they saw from the Packers. They can't afford to turn the ball over, and they can't kick field goals.

Cowboys vs. Vikings

The second NFC Divisional game is probably the game of the weekend. The Cowboys have looked like the hottest team in the league the past few weeks, and the Vikings have been a top contender all season.

The matchups on both sides of the ball will be interesting to see. The Cowboys' offense against the Vikings' defense will be exciting. The Vikings' offense against the Cowboys' defense will be equally fun to watch.

The key for the Vikings in this game is to get the run established; something they failed to do the last half of the season. Adrian Peterson needs more touches, and they need to control the tempo. They cannot allow Tony Romo any extra time in the pocket, and they can't let him escape and scramble.

The key for the Cowboys in this game is to shut down the run and make the Vikings one-dimensional. The three-headed rushing attack of the Cowboys must establish themselves early so they can open up the play-action for Romo and Miles Austin.

Predictions:

Both games will feature good matchups, and should be close games.

Saints — 42 Cardinals — 31

Vikings — 23 Cowboys — 20