So after last weeks horrible display of football, aside from the Cards/Packers game, I am definitely looking forward to this weeks line up. Vegas has put 3 of the 4 games at at least a 7 point spread, yet each game could very easily go either way.
Arizona at New Orleans (-7) 57.5 points
57.5 points!? The number seems high, but when you look how great these offenses are, as well as how poorly these defenses have played, perhaps it isn’t so unrealistic. Both teams are led by their future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Arizona has the emotional edge, coming off their close win against Green Bay. They streaked through the playoffs last year, surprising everyone but themselves, and can do some damage if their defense shows up. New Orleans has the home field edge and also has more offensive weapons. They need to keep the Cardinal offense off the field, which may be a problem with their quick strike ability. I’m expecting a big day from the Saints run game. The Cardinals were destroyed last week in the secondary and can’t afford to give up those looks against the Saints. Arizona will over compensate to prevent the pass, which will open up lanes for Pierre Thomas to burst through. Saints win, beat the spread, but the Cardinals keep the game watchable. Take the Under
Baltimore at Indianapolis (-7) 44 points
We all know the Ravens are getting older on defense. Apparently, the Ravens don’t realize this. They again stunned the world last week with a beatdown AT New England, something that almost never happens. This is what the Ravens do though. The team is built for playoff football: a tough physical defense and a hard-nosed running attack. Last year they were in the same position. They took out the East Division winner and went on to face (and take down) the #1 seed Tennessee Titans. Should the Colts be concerned? Probably not. They have faired quite well against the Ravens in the playoffs, posting a 7-0 all-time record. The Colts also held the trio of Rice, McGahee, and McClain to under 100 yards rushing in their meeting week 11. If the Colts can duplicate that sort of performance defensively, they should have no worries. However, the Colts tend to keep games within reach for their opponents. Colts win, Ravens cover the spread. Take the Under.
Dallas at Minnesota (-3) 46
Dallas has been on a mission as of late trying to prove everyone that they in fact can win when it matters. So far, they have done a stand up job. Congrats on winning a playoff game. Now they get to play the most complete team in the NFL. This is why the Vikings went and got Brett Favre: to win in the playoffs. They had the defense and the running game. Now they have the leader to take them to the big game. He’ll lead a balanced attack against a Cowboy defense who was solid against the run during the season but was ranked 20th in passing yards against. We all know Peterson is capable of making the best run D look bad. The Vikings defense will also cause problems by applying pressure from all angles. Antoine Winfield is going to be the difference maker. Vikings win, beat the spread. Take the Over.
New York at San Diego (-8) 42
This game is all about two people: Philip Rivers and Mark Sanchez. Will Sanchez keep his team out of harms way and play mistake free? Can Rivers keep his team playing at the high level they have been all season? Rex Ryan has convinced his team that they are the team to beat. That’s quite a feet, as they are the “worst” team remaining in the playoffs. But he expects his team to perform at a high level. Last season with the Ravens, he was a game away from the Super Bowl using the same formula of solid run game and defense, even with a rookie quarterback. He is not intimidated, and neither is his team. Enter the Chargers. Riding an 11 game win streak, they have been the hottest team in the NFL. Rivers is the driving force on the team. A very emotional leader, he sometimes gets himself in trouble running his mouth on the sidelines. But his game has been there to back up all the smack talk. The danger in an 11 game win streak is that it eventually will come to an end. Couple that with a first round bye, Rivers will need his fiery side to get his team running on all cylinders. Chargers win, Jets cover the spread. Take the Over.
Who are your winners? (pick 4)
- Indianapolis over Baltimore (100%, 9 Votes)
- Minnesota over Dallas (89%, 8 Votes)
- San Diego over New York (89%, 8 Votes)
- New Orleans over Arizona (78%, 7 Votes)
- Arizona over New Orleans (33%, 3 Votes)
- Dallas over Minnesota (22%, 2 Votes)
- New York over San Diego (22%, 2 Votes)
- Baltimore over Indianapolis (11%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 9
Loading ...
I’m going with New Orleans, but like you said, I don’t think it’s a given. I wouldn’t wanna bet that one.
I think Arizona will have another great game. Not necessarily what we saw last Sunday but enough of a game to beat the Saints. I don’t like the way the Saints fell off during the last 3 weeks of the season. That’s an ugly way to roll into the playoffs (including the deduction of other losing teams that technically gave them the #1 seed). While New Orleans has played great ball through the season, I think Arizona is playoff-built and tested. They had that strength last year and you can bet your ass they have it again this year. They control their own fate.
The Ravens and Colts game is going to be insane. Thinking of all the key match ups in this game, I’m most interested to see how the Indy D will contain Rice, Mcgahee, and McClane. The fact that Indy’s D is built with players that are smaller, quicker and more aggressive in their tackling gives them some better chances of stopping that run. You might see well over 150 rushing yards by the Ravens offense. But the key thing to remember is that the Colts have an impeccable red zone defense. They stop the run from touchdowns, rush the passer, and generally make it very hard for teams to score on them. Their defense is ranked 2nd in PPG allowed (around like 17.5 or so). Not to say that the Ravens aren’t physical enough, because they are, they just need to find some relief from the run with production from Joe Flacco (who has shown great potential as a thrower but last week’s game was horrible for him). He needs to pick it up for this one if they want to score points.
I like San Diego but only by a hair. This going to be a great fucking game. The Jets with their outstanding pass coverage should give the Chargers a bit of a challenge that they haven’t seen for a few weeks. The Bolts are just too explosive though. It will be interesting to see the Jets run the ball so much on a Chargers’ D that hasn’t done anything great this year. Regardless of how strong the Jets’ D and run game, you have to throw the ball in the playoffs. If you want points against SD and maybe possibly even in Indianapolis, throw the ball. Throw TD’s, pickup 1st down’s, get the ball down the field. You can’t solely rely on your run game and I think this postseason for the Jets is a crucial learning experience for them. I expect to see them in the playoffs again after Sanchez develops more as a QB and leader. Not to say that he isn’t already a skilled QB; he just needs to be shown a little tough love from one of the best arms in the league on Philip Rivers.
Go Ra…..vens!
The Jets seriously suck. If Phillip Rivers and the Chargers cant beat them, I’ll love it, but at the same time I’ll hate it because I dont think they deserve to be in the playoffs. I would’ve rather seen the Dolphins in it than the Jets.
and that game is all about 2 people alright…..Revis and Jackson.