We've arrived at the playoffs, most likely the final playoffs before the NFL inevitably expands the field to 14 next season. If it was 14, we'd have only the Patriots and Seahawks with byes, while the second-seeded Broncos would be hosting the Texans and the Packers would be playing the Eagles this week. And it also seems like the most likely thing the NFL will do with the extra two games is create Saturday and Sunday tripleheaders during Wild Card Weekend.
But that's all for next year. This year we've got a Wild Card Weekend that features five teams with at least 11 wins, a Cincinnati team that's in the playoffs for the fourth straight season, a Ravens squad that won the Super Bowl two years ago, and a sub-.500 Carolina team that's among the hottest in football. Some of the matchups were unexpected (I'm sure everyone saw Carolina-Arizona coming), but we should have four good ones in store, highlighted by the AFC North showdown between Pittsburgh and Baltimore on Saturday night.
Cardinals (11-5) at Panthers (7-8-1): Arizona-A month ago, Arizona was the best team in football and was looking at home field advantage throughout the playoffs, including the Super Bowl. But injuries and a tough December schedule derailed the Cardinals a little bit. Fortunately they'd built up enough of a cushion that they still clinched a wild card with ease. Unfortunately, though, they draw a team that enters the postseason on a roll. Carolina was 3-8-1. Then the Panthers got healthy, rolled off four in a row (including a demolition of Atlanta in Sunday's NFC South Championship Game), and became just the second seven-win team ever to win its division (while also becoming the first NFC South team ever to defend a division title).
There's a very real possibility that this game will end up like the game a couple years ago where 7-9 Seattle beat New Orleans in a wild card game. Especially because things are pointing towards a Panthers victory. It's Carolina that comes in with a ton of momentum, and Drew Stanton can't go, so it's Ryan Lindley at quarterback for Arizona once again. The Cardinals won't be able to make a deep run with him at quarterback, especially since they'll have to head to Seattle or Green Bay next week. I do think the Cardinals will pull it out, but it'll be close the whole way.
Ravens (10-6) at Steelers (11-5): Pittsburgh-As soon as Baltimore ended up with that final wild card (which changed hands like three times during the course of those games), it seemed like the Steelers-Ravens playoff matchup was inevitable. The fact that they've ended up meeting in the postseason so often over the past decade has been what helped build this rivalry. And as soon as the Steelers won, you knew that NBC was basically just going to set up shop in Pittsburgh for a week. No reason to pick a different game. This is definitely the marquee matchup of Wild Card Weekend.
To all those people who think a New England run to the Super Bowl is inevitable, I offer you the Pittsburgh Steelers as an alternative. Because I think there's a real chance we could see the Steelers in Arizona. They come in on a four-game winning streak that included two convincing victories over the Bengals, and they're back in the postseason after a two-year absence. The Ravens, meanwhile, haven't lost a playoff game since the 2011 season. They won the Super Bowl two years ago, then missed the playoffs entirely last season. Baltimore crushed Pittsburgh in Week 2, only to see the Steelers take the rematch. With the postseason rubber match taking place in Pittsburgh, I'll take the hot Steelers team.
Bengals (10-5-1) at Colts (11-5): Indianapolis-Cincinnati and Indianapolis will probably be the most competitive game of Wild Card Weekend. This is the fourth straight postseason appearance for Marvin Lewis' Bengals, but they're still yet to win a playoff game under him. In fact, Cincinnati hasn't recorded a postseason win since 1990. Indianapolis, meanwhile, is 3-for-3 on playoff appearances in the Andrew Luck Era. (I hate all those articles talking about the Colts' "rebuilding." They had one bad season...because they lost Peyton for the year and had no Plan B. That's how they went 2-14. It's not like they were the Raiders and suddenly got good once Luck arrived. They had a Hall of Famer who won them a Super Bowl and went to another immediately before him.)
Anyway, the Colts have to have confidence after the way they manhandled the Bengals 27-0 during the regular season. And Andrew Luck has built himself a bit of a reputation. Take last year's Wild Card comeback against Kansas City. Had the Bengals beaten the Steelers on Sunday night, I'd really like Cincinnati's chances of finally getting that first postseason win in 25 years. I've still got a certain level of confidence in the Bengals. And it would be even more impressive if they get that W on the road. But the Colts are battle-tested and this is a good matchup for Indianapolis. My head tells me I can't go against them.
Lions (11-5) at Cowboys (12-4): Dallas-The team playing on Wild Card Weekend that's most likely to play in the Super Bowl? That's easy. The Dallas Cowboys. In fact, I think the Cowboys-Packers winner is going to go to Seattle and beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. With the league's leading rusher and all those All-Pros, this is the best Dallas team we've seen in quite a while, and they've got all the makings of a team that can go all the way. Let's not forget the 8-0 road record, either. Going to Green Bay and Seattle isn't going to phase them in the slightest. And they got a win the last time they were in the playoffs, so that monkey is off Romo's back.
Of course, they have to beat the Lions first, which I think is little more than a formality. It would've been even more of one if Ndamukong Suh's suspension had held up. But even though Suh won his appeal, I'm not sure Detroit has enough fire power for Dallas. The Cowboys are simply a better team all the way around. It's been a great season for the Lions, but this is a terrible matchup for them. Detroit's first playoff win since the 1991 season will have to wait. Because America wants to see Cowboys-Packers next week, and we're going to get it.
Last Week: 9-7
Regular Season: 161-94-1
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