Peyton Manning and the Colts are still contenders at the #5 seed.

Setting up one of the most wide open Playoffs in a long time, the last week of the NFL season was no different then the previous 16. Heading into week 17, the NFC was still up in the air. The Philadelphia Eagles had to have had the least amount of hope to get into the playoffs. Their fate layed in the hands of the Oakland Raiders defeating the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay and themselves defeating the Dallas Cowboys at home. Chucky and Monte laid huge eggs in Tampa and all of a sudden the Eagles’ fate was in their own hands and they took full advantage. Even though the Eagles’ record looks like one you would see in MLS (9-6-1) they will start their road to the Super Bowl in Minnesota to face off against the Vikings. Does it surprise anyone that the road teams are favored in all the games this weekend? As we say goodbye to our weekly column Revelations From the NFL until next season, JIB Sports will be giving a rundown of the weekly matchups with our picks. Hold onto your hats and glasses, ’cause this here will be the wildest bunch of Wild Card games…ever!

NFC

Saturday, 01/03/09 - Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals – Anybody who predicted this Wild-Card matchup before the season started might have been referred to a mental institution. A rookie coach and quarterback with a host of up and coming players on one side and the Cardinals on the other. Look up “Cardinals” in an NFL encyclopedia and you will read “noun – a group of players that underachieve, choke, and let other teams off the hook.” Believe it or not, the Cardinals are hosting a playoff game, on the field where The New York Giants upended the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. With Kurt Warner and his Michael Jackson glove on his throwing hand, the Cardinals have got to feel confident that they can score, the only thing they need to worry about is their defense. If the Cardinals can keep Falcons running back Michael Turner in check they will win their first playoff game in 10 years.

Sunday, 01/04/09 - Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings – Vikings head coach Brad Childress was highly criticized when he benched quarterback Tarvaris “I wear my bling during games” Jackson in favor of Gus “I Like to head-butt walls” Frerotte. The Vikings went on a roll and put themselves into Playoff position only to have Frerotte get injured and Jackson help the Vikings limp into the Playoffs. The Eagles lived on a prayer to make the playoffs and it was answered. Eagles head coach Andy Reid was also heckled greatly for benching quarterback Donovan McNabb around midseason, but look where the Eagles are now. I’m guessing the first coach to bench their starting quarterback for at least one series and then putting him back in will win this game. Football is after all a great deal mental over physical. The goal with the coaching strategy mentioned above is not to intimidate, but rather to confuse.  

AFC

Saturday, 01/03/08 – Indianapolis Colts at San Diego “Super” Chargers – The Colts and Chargers are two of the hottest teams in the league, although the Chargers have had a much easier path to the Playoffs. The Colts started the season 3-4 and rallied off nine straight victories, four of which were against playoff teams. The Chargers started the season 4-8 and ended with four straight wins, including wins over the streaking Chiefs and Raiders (not the good kind of streaking). The Colts knocked off the Chargers in week 12, but the Playoffs are a whole different story. Peyton Manning is still in MVP talks and he had a down year by his terms. Manning is only getting healthier and stronger as the year has gone on, and he plays considerably better when he’s not in cold weather. The Chargers are hoping a cold front moves through San Diego, or that Manning breaks his arm in a freak accident. 

Sunday, 01/04/08 - Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins - The same thing could be uttered about this game as was mentioned above regarding the Falcons and Cardinals. The Miami Dolphins completed the biggest turnaround in NFL history on Sunday when they beat the New York Jets and won the AFC East Division. The Patriots and Jets were all the talk going into the season, but Chad Pennington quietly led the Dolphins to their first playoff appearance 2001 (when they also faced the Baltimore Ravens and lost). The Ravens took a road almost identical to the Falcons with a rookie coach and quarterback. The Ravens have always been a tough defensive team, but quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense have diverted from typical Raven offenses in that they can actually put up points in bunches. The Dolphins will have the luxury of a raucous home crowd and all the confidence in the world. Watch for a wildphin sighting on Sunday.

Tags: NFL

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 12:01 am and is filed under NFL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.