NFL Playoffs: Fading Favorites Makes for a Wide Open Race

Did the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans peak to soon? Will the favorites fade and come undone in the cold January stretch run? Will the loss of two key players pull their seasons up short of the Super Bowl?

In losing last week, albeit on the road, both the Giants and Titans revealed serious flaws.

The stalling Titans offense seems mired in mediocrity and QB Kerry Collins seems highly beatable come playoff tango time. But the Titans win with their defense and their defense took a massive hit when All Pro tackle Albert Haynesworth went down with a knee injury late in the fourth quarter.

The Titans say Big Al has a sprained MCL and will be back for the playoffs. He better be, because without the big man in the middle, the entire Tennessee defense weakens.

Haynesworth is the key cog in Jeff Fisher's attacking defense. Playing at an MVP-level this year Haynesworth constantly ties up two blockers while generating a vicious inside pass rush which collapses the pocket and gets in the opposing QB's face.

His inside push weakens the flanks of the opponent's offensive line by forcing them into one of one blocking the Titans exploit on the edge.

Tennessee has been a terror to opponents running games this year and Haynesworth is has been a guard shedding bulwark in the middle.

The Titans' strength is Jeff Fisher's Buddy-Ryan-inspired hybrid 46 attacking defense. For that defense to excel and dominate, it needs a monster in the middle. When the 46 style defense has an interior defensive playing at a Hall of Fame level, it can destroy offenses, frighten QB's, and win championships.

Buddy Ryan had Hall of Fame interior men in each of his championship defensive squads in Minnesota Viking DT Alan Page, Chicago Bear DT Dan Hampton, and Philadelphia Eagle DE Reggie White. White, like Hampton, often aligned head up inside on an over matched guard or center when the 46 defense was dominate.

A healthy Haynesworth brings that type of playoff presence. The question for the Titans is how well will his MCL be come playoff time? With out their dominate defense the Titans will be toast against a smothering defensive team like the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens.

The New York Giants have been plagued with key injuries and suspensions. Their defense is finally looking worn and during the playoff run the key fourth quarter pass rush of retired Michael Strahan and the injured Osi Umeniyora.

The loss of bruising RB Brandon Jacobs hampered the Giant offense but the real weakness exploited by the Dallas Cowboys was caused by the absence of suspended/shot Plaxico Burress.

The Cowboys' defense was able to crowd the line of scrimmage and jam the Giants' running game. The Giants' wideouts, while capable, do not have the combination of physical prowess and speed that Plaxico brought to the team.

These wideouts can be covered man to man and successfully jammed. Defenses are then able to scheme and use more men to rattle Eli Manning and stuff the run which is essential to the Giants offense and its playoff hopes.

Unless a Giant wideout steps up, Plaxico's loss could cost the Giants big come the NFC Championship game.

Both favorites, the Titans and Giants, have weaknesses emerging at the worst possible time, playoff time.

In the favorites' favor, every team coming to the playoff dance has serious flaws, but this year every team, except perhaps those in the very weak West divisions of each conference, has a legitimate chance to make the big Super Bowl ball.