NFL Wild-Card Weekend on Tap: Who Wants To Advance?

After 17 weeks of chaos, mayhem, and a team struggling to make 8-8 for a playoff berth, the second season starts in the NFL.

This weekend has an interesting slate of players and teams, and makes you wonder: If these are the teams this week, who got the byes?

First up, the Atlanta Falcons face off against the Arizona Cardinals in Arizona.

This is a good example of two teams going in opposite directions. For the Falcons, they are led by a young quarterback named Matt Ryan and have emerged from the Michael Vick era...oh, and the kid has a Rookie of the Year Award already for the trophy case back home.

Arizona, meanwhile, is in the playoffs as the best team in the west. Given the teams involved here, someone had to win enough games. Kurt Warner's team managed to unseat the imploding Seahawks for their first playoff berth since 1998, only their third playoff berth since 1976.

Look for Matt Ryan to advance his game, as the Falcons continue to build momentum. Earlier in the season, a lot of people felt Kurt Warner was going for another MVP, then it seemed him and his team ran out of gas. Playing in the snow in New England didn't help any.

Falcons win this one, 28-14

Next up, on Saturday, is Indianapolis vs. San Diego in San Diego. Indy is presently on a long winning streak, having not lost a game since October. San Diego, meanwhile, had to win to make the playoffs at 8-8.

Two things don't bode well for the Chargers, first of all their tandem of Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson are both nursing different injuries and missing practice times. The second is a lot of people remember this team for going to the championship game to face the Pats and were too injured to get past it to the Super Bowl.

Look for Peyton Manning to air it out often, try to open a large lead, and let the fans go home frustrated.

Colts 24, San Diego 17

On to Sunday's doubleheader:

Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins is probably one of the more feel-good stories of the year.

Miami had one win total last year and underwent a massive upheaval. The Ravens, meanwhile, had to endure giving the Dolphins that win last year and watched their head coach get canned. Since then, though the Dolphins won their division thanks to some new offensive planning, a new QB, with life, in Chad Pennington.

The Ravens are looking a lot like the Ravens that won the Super Bowl.

With a Rookie QB in Joe Flacco, I see the Ravens pulling this one out, as Pennington is going to be hurried all day long.

Ravens 24, Dolphins 14

Eagles vs. Vikings could be called the blackout bowl.

It's sad to say because you have a star in the making with Adrian Peterson (if he could hang onto the ball), going against an Eagles team defense that tore Tony Romo apart, big time. In a way, I wouldn't want to pay and see this game...It's going to be ugly in Minnesota.

Eagles 24, Vikings 7

That's it for the first round of the playoffs...enjoy some football!