There are four wildcard playoff games this weekend.
Saturday: NY Jets @ Cincinnati and Baltimore @ New England
Sunday: Philadelphia @ Dallas and Green Bay @ Arizona
Breakdown:
1. NY Jets at Cincinnati Bengals.
The Jets stomped the Bengals 37-0 last weekend. Carson Palmer completed just 1 of 11 passes on the night. Additionally, Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco injured his knee while slipping on the turf during a pregame warmup. However, the Bengals' deliberately sidelined their best running back, Cedric Benson (301 carries, 1,251 yards on the season).
The Jets, on the other hand, made very few mistakes, forced numerous punts and turnovers, and were almost unstoppable with their powerful offensive line and solid running game.
Although I believe that Saturday's game will be much closer, I do not believe that the Bengals will be able to penetrate the NFL's number one rated defense all that much. In any case, the Bengals have only averaged 19 points per game (22nd out of 32 NFL teams). And with a compromised Ochocinco going up against one of the most effective cornerbacks in the NFL, Darrelle Revis, the outlook looks bleak for the Bengals. Then again, anything can happen, and rookie Mark Sanchez (QB - NY Jets) will be playing his very first NFL playoff game.
My Prediction: NY Jets 31, Cincinnati Bengals 17.
2. Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
The bad news for the New England Patriots is that Wide Receiver Wes Welker (123 receptions, 1,348 yards) is out with a two torn ligaments in his leg. Additionally, the Patriots' other star receiver Randy Moss was reported limping at practice today. The good news for the Patriots is that they are 8-0 at home during the playoffs under Bill Belichick.
On the other side of the equation, the Baltimore Ravens have a rather healthy team with no greatly damaging injuries. Furthermore, the Ravens are third in the NFL in number of points allowed per game (16.3). Also, they are 8th in passing yards allowed per game (207.2) and 5th in rushing yards allowed per game (93.2).
On top of everything, it has just been disclosed this week that Tom Brady will be playing with three broken ribs and a broken finger on his throwing hand. This may be one of the factors behind the Patriots collapse in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans last weekend.
Although the Patriots always seem to find a way to win against their opponents at home, I'm picking the Ravens in a mild upset.
My Prediction: Baltimore 21, New England 17
3. Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have to be considered real Super Bowl contenders after defeating the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints (my favorite team) and then crushing the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles in back to back shutouts.
While I believe that the playoff game this weekend will be a tighter affair than the blowout the Cowboys visited upon the Eagles last week, I do not believe that the Eagles will be able to navigate the Cowboys' stormy defense.
My Prediction: Dallas 24, Philadelphia 14
4. Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
The Packers were on cruise control against the Cardinals this past week, rolling to an all-too-easy 33-7 victory on the Cardinals' home turf in the desert. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, two key starters - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (cornerback) and Anquan Boldin (wide receiver) were injured in the largely meaningless game. In the final .injury report before the game, Boldin and Rodgers-Cromartie have been listed as questionable - a somewhat bleak sign for the Cardinals.
However, it is important to point out that the Cardinals are 5-1 this season without Boldin. They still have a fully healthy Larry Fitzgerald, who was such an incredible and unstoppable force in the playoffs last year.
On the plus side of the equation for the Cards, Kurt Warner, who was mostly sidelined last week, will be back in action. His fill-in from last week, Matt Leinart, was a one-man turnover factory as he tossed three interceptions in the game.
For their part, the Packers seem to be one of the hottest teams in the NFL, winning 7 out of their last 8 regular season games. Surely the Packers' quarterback Aaron Rogers is a future Pro Bowler.
On paper, it looks as though I should freely pick Green Bay for the win. However, I give the intangibles to Arizona. Kurt Warner's experience will count for a lot and he is simply one of the best clutch quarterbacks I can think of (he holds the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl).
My Prediction: Arizona 30, Green Bay 27 (OT)