10 Burning Questions for NFL's Wild Card Weekend

The 2014 NFL regular season is over. In just a few days, the postseason will begin.

While we know which teams still have a shot at claiming the Lombardi Trophy, it doesn't mean that the time to ask questions is over.

Eight teams—the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals—will take the field on Wild Card Weekend with hopes of putting some questions to rest and, more importantly, moving on to the next round.

History has shown that flawed teams are capable of winning the Super Bowl, but uncertainty can be a killer this time of year. If teams are hoping to find answers to their remaining questions in the postseason, they had better do it quickly.

It is, after all, time for elimination football.

Do the Panthers Deserve a Spot in the Postseason?

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The 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers are in the playoffs. The 10-6 Philadelphia Eagles are out. 

For many (including, we would assume, Eagles fans), this is a sign that the NFL isn't putting its best teams into the postseason. The Panthers won the weak NFC South and get to host the Arizona Cardinals Saturday.

This, of course, has reignited the debate on whether playoff seeding should be based strictly on record rather than its current format of awarding home games to division winners.

Earlier this season, NFL Media reporter Judy Battista wrote the following:

"

This conversation flares up periodically around this time of year, most recently last season, when the Saints and 49ers both had to go on the road as wild-card teams to face division-winning foes with inferior regular-season records. The conversation promptly died down when the Saints and 49ers both won, destroying the idea that the superior team is put at an insurmountable disadvantage when it has to work out of the visitors' locker room.

"

While one can easily argue that a Panthers victory may be the result of an unfair advantage, the argument can also be made that the better team should ultimately prevail. Therefore, a win could prove that even with a losing record, Carolina has developed into a playoff-caliber team.

After all, the Panthers are on a four-game winning streak. If the momentum carries Carolina into the next round, then it will become obvious that this team is good enough to compete in the postseason.

An embarrassing blowout loss, on the other hand, will only strengthen the argument that the Panthers didn't deserve to be there in the first place. 

Can the Cardinals Keep Defying the Odds?

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In an NFC West Division that featured both participants of last year's NFC Championship Game, the Cardinals were supposed to be an afterthought.

However, Arizona has managed to fight its way to an 11-5 record and the NFC's fourth seed. More impressive is the fact that the Cardinals have gotten to this point despite a number of key injuries and three different starting quarterbacks.

Starting QB Carson Palmer is on injured reserve. So is defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, running back Andre Ellington, linebacker John Abraham and punter Dave Zastudil. The team has also dealt with injuries to quarterback Drew Stanton, linebacker Matt Shaughnessy, defensive end Calais Campbell and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, among others.

Linebacker Daryl Washington was suspended for the 2014 season.

The Cardinals aren't exactly a dominating team, either. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Arizona ranks just 29th overall offensively and 21st overall defensively.

Yet here the Cardinals sit with 11 wins, a playoff berth and an opportunity to show that the team is a true contender. To overcome the next challenge, Arizona will have to win on the road against the suddenly hot Panthers and may have to do it with third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley. 

Can the Cardinals Get Enough from the QB Position to Win?

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The Cardinals may have to rely on Lindley because Stanton is still recovering from a knee injury and subsequent infection.

After Palmer went down for the season with a knee injury of his own, the Cardinals turned to Stanton and kept winning (5-3 with him starting). His numbers, however, aren't overwhelming. For the season, Stanton has completed 55 percent of his passes for 1,711 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.

Lindley took over as the starter in Week 16 and delivered two losses. He did throw for 532 yards between the two contests, but he also tossed four interceptions with two touchdowns and a fumble.

According to Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, the team is hopeful that Stanton can return for Wild Card Weekend. However, he called the quarterback "day to day" during a recent appearance with Arizona Sports 98.7.

If Lindley does get the start, it at least appears that he has his team's support. "I told Ryan if he's our quarterback and he's the one leading us, I believe he can win a Super Bowl," defensive end Calais Campbell said, via NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling.

Confidence alone won't win a football game, however. Whoever the Cardinals have under center will have to produce to advance in the postseason. 

Which Joe Flacco Will Appear in the Postseason?

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A couple of years ago, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco told the media that he believed he was the best quarterback in the NFL. 

Since then, Flacco has won a Super Bowl, earned Super Bowl MVP honors and earned a fat $120.6 million contract. While he may not be the best quarterback in the league, he has recently obtained the hardware and the salary of someone worthy of being in the conversation.

Flacco has certainly played like one of the top pro quarterbacks this season, at least at times. From Weeks 2-7, he helped the Ravens go 5-1 while passing for 1,509 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. 

Of course, Flacco has also had the look of an unproven rookie signal-caller at other times this season. Horrible games against the Cincinnati Bengals (17-of-34 for 195 yards and two interceptions) and Houston Texans (21-of-50 for 195 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions) yielded losses and are part of the reason Baltimore is on the road this weekend.

If Flacco has another clunker of a game, there's a good chance it will be the Steelers advancing to the next round instead of the Ravens.

The good news for Baltimore is that both of Flacco's games against the Steelers this season have been solid. Between the two, Flacco went 51-of-74 for 469 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore split the first two meetings. The third round will depend largely on Flacco's performance, good or bad. 

Can the Steelers Really Rely on Ben Tate to Lead Their Rushing Attack?

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Pittsburgh pushed its way to an AFC North title thanks in no small part to the physical and efficient play of second-year running back Le'Veon Bell.

Not only did Bell rush for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns this season, he also hauled in 83 passes for 854 yards and another three scores. For the regular season, he was ranked first overall among running backs by Pro Football Focus.

Unfortunately, Bell suffered a knee injury in the regular-season finale against Cincinnati and may not make an appearance on Wild Card Weekend. 

"I know if there is a chance he can be out there he's going to be because that's how he is," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger recently said of Bell, via Adam Schefter and Scott Brown of ESPN.com.

As a precautionary measure, the Steelers signed Ben Tate to a contract Wednesday. The other two running backs on Pittsburgh's roster are Dri Archer and Josh Harris, who have combined for 19 carries this season.

If Bell cannot go, the more experienced Tate will likely see a good amount of work in the running game. This means that any hope Pittsburgh has of leaning on the ground game will depend on a guy who was cut by both the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings this season (with an average of just 3.1 yards per carry).

The good news here is that the last time Pittsburgh met Baltimore, the Steelers amassed only 55 net rushing yards as a team, yet still won 43-23. 

Can Matthew Stafford Win an Important Road Game?

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The Lions have had one of the best seasons in their recent history in 2014, but they have relied heavily on their second-ranked defense (300.9 yards per game allowed) to get to this point.

A strong defense may not be enough to get Detroit a playoff win on the road against the Cowboys. A terrific game from sixth-year quarterback Matthew Stafford would certainly help.

Despite having guys like Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Eric Ebron to target, Stafford (4,257 yards, 22 touchdowns and 12 interceptions) has been an underwhelming quarterback this season. In fact, he ranks just 26th overall at the position, according to Pro Football Focus.

Even more concerning is the fact that Stafford has faced a team with a winning record 16 times on the road in his career and has come up winless. If he is going to improve his record to 1-16, he's going to have to do it in Dallas against a very well-balanced Cowboys team. 

If he cannot find a way to improve his play, the Lions' record in the postseason is very likely to drop to 0-2 with Stafford running things under center.

How Far Can the Cowboys Ride DeMarco Murray?

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Dallas has had plenty of contributors this season. Quarterback Tony Romo has played efficiently, wide receiver Dez Bryant has been nearly unstoppable and the long-embattled defense (ranked 15th, allowing an average of 22 points per game this season) has made the most of its opportunities.

However, it has been running back DeMarco Murray who has truly paved the way during the Cowboys' road to the postseason. 

The former Oklahoma standout rushed for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns while logging 57 receptions for 416 yards. He also started all 16 games, despite undergoing hand surgery late in the season. 

Murray carried quite the load this season, and it will be interesting to see if he can hold up all the way through the postseason. His 392 carries are 80 more than any other back. That's 449 total touches in 16 games.

According to Pro Football Focus, Murray also ranked third in the league among running backs with 800 total offensive snaps during the season.

He rushed for 100 yards and a solid 5.0 yards-per-carry average in the regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins, so thoughts of him slowing down shouldn't be an immediate concern.

However, he will be facing a much tougher defense on Wild Card Weekend. If he cannot physically hold up or maintain a high level of production against the stout Lions front, then the Cowboys may be forced to abandon the run-first formula that has worked all season.

Can Andy Dalton Win a Playoff Game?

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The Bengals have to be content with their second-round selection of TCU product Andy Dalton back in the 2011 draft. 

In the four years since, Dalton has passed for 14,758 and 99 touchdowns and has led the team to a playoff appearance each season. 

Unfortunately, the Bengals have gone 0-3 in the postseason with Dalton at the helm, and the quarterback hasn't played particularly well. In three playoff games, Dalton has thrown for 718 yards with just one touchdown and six interceptions.

Cincinnati still felt compelled to hand him a new $96 million contract before the start of the 2014 season, which means the Bengals' playoff hopes are going to be pinned to their young signal-caller for the foreseeable future.

If Dalton is going to improve his postseason record to 1-3 this year, he is likely going to have to play better than he did during the regular season. He finished the season with 17 interceptions, two lost fumbles and just 19 touchdowns. He was rated 21st overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus.

By the end of the weekend, the Bengals will know if the guy they've picked to lead the franchise has learned what it takes to win an elimination game.

Is Marvin Lewis Really the Guy to Get Cincinnati Back to the Super Bowl

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The fact that Dalton is 0-3 in the postseason has to be concerning for the Bengals. The fact that Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis has not produced a single playoff win in five tries has to be an even bigger concern for Bengals fans.

Cincinnati could have it worse, of course. Lewis has at least brought stability to the coaching staff and has found some regular-season success (six winning seasons in 12 campaigns). However, he has also finished 11 full seasons without any positive playoff moments.

At some point, it cannot be enough just to get to the postseason. If Lewis goes another year without a playoff victory, the Bengals need to seriously evaluate their future. 

The task at hand isn't an easy one. Lewis has to take his team into Indianapolis and try to beat Andrew Luck and the Colts, who walloped Cincinnati 27-0 in the last meeting. 

A win over the Colts should quiet critics and provide some hope that a Lombardi Trophy is indeed a possibility for the Bengals in the near future. A loss will leave fans wondering if Lewis will ever be able to get the job done. 

Can the Colts Defense Perform at a Playoff Level?

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On paper, it would appear that the Colts have one of the more favorable matchups of Wild Card Weekend. They have home-field advantage, possess the more talented quarterback and are facing an inconsistent Cincinnati defense that is rated 27th in the league overall by Pro Football Focus.

However, the Colts aren't going to get far in the postseason, possibly not even past the first round, if the defense cannot find a way to play at a high level. The AFC playoff field, after all, features four other teams ranked in the top 10 in scoring.

The Indianapolis defense has been a liability at times in 2014. The unit ranks 19th in scoring, allowing an average of 23.1 points per game. Indianapolis also allowed 30 or more points five times during the regular season. All five times, the Colts lost. 

The Bengals forgot to show up the last time these two teams met, but taking them lightly would be dangerous. Even if the end result is another Colts victory, a shaky defensive performance will not be a good sign that the Colts have all of the pieces needed for a Super Bowl run.